Wincobank Hill

[dunsbyowl1867]

We lived at Brightside in the 1970s and my walk to school took me over here each day. A mainstay of school history projects was the Brigante Hill Fort and we used to spend hours exploring around the hill. The hill fort could possibly be as old as 250 BC.

[mickjj]

We used to play up there as kids. I knew it was old but did not realise it was that old. We used to call it Wincobank castle.

[Guest tsavo]

Have tried to find it on Google earth but I can't spot it. Has the area been built over now?

[Bayleaf]

Here it is Tsavo, almost built over but not quite!

Centred on Ref 53 deg 24' 52.27 N 1deg 25' 59.43 w

[Guest tsavo]

Cheers Bayleaf! Used to be able to see it from Crookes. We also called it Wincobank Castle as there was some type of structure on it that looked (from a distance) like one.

[Guest Broakham]

Wasn't the structure a concrete mount for either a searchlight or an anti-aircraft gun?

In the old days of TV outside broadcasting the BBC used to locate a mobile relay on the hill if they were broadcasting from Sheffield. PO Telephones provided the power with a mobile generator and, as an apprentice, I remember sitting in the van all day with the engineer who was on standby if the generator failed.

[dunsbyowl1867]

We used to play up there as kids. I knew it was old but did not realise it was that old. We used to call it Wincobank castle.

Tsavo,

The Brigante Hill Fort , well the earthworks at least , are visable on the black and white photo but obviously the trees have grown over those so you can't really work them out on Bayleaf's photo.

Wincobank Castle was something else entirely. Probably best described as a folly. Built by George Parkin it was demolished to build a housing estate!

[Bayleaf]

You're right Dunsbyowl, it's much clearer on the b&w picture, but you can trace the line of the earthworks through the trees on the Google picture. Just shows how long these ancient earthworks make their mark on the landscape, despite nature!

It's believed the hillfort was destroyed by fire. It probably had a wooden palisade on top of the bank, and when this burned many of the stones were vitrified by the heat.

[Guest tsavo]

A big thank you to everyone on this topic. I remember seeing the "castle" from Heavygate Road, Crookes when I was just a child. Thanks for proving that I didn't just imagine it!

[dunsbyowl1867]

A couple of shots of Wincobank Hill from Osgathorpe Park - where have all those trees come from?

[Guest eightbelow]

I grew up on the Wensley estate and practically lived on Wincobank Hill. Ican't beleive how a historice site has been left to ruin. I live in Canada now and in North America the take great pride in their short history. Maybe because ours is much longer we take it for granted.

[dunsbyowl1867]

Interesting web site

http://www.heritagewoodsonline.co.uk/map/034/034.html

[dunsbyowl1867]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/conten...k_feature.shtml

[vox]

I seem to remember my dad telling me that the hillside up to Winkobank from Tylor Street/Newman Road was a shanty town of some sorts when he was young. That would have been in the 20's.

[Bayleaf]

I seem to remember my dad telling me that the hillside up to Winkobank from Tylor Street/Newman Road was a shanty town of some sorts when he was young. That would have been in the 20's.

Hi Vox

The place your Dad remembered dated from the First World War. They were wooden huts originally erected to house Belgian refugees early in the War. The expansion of Sheffield industry to meet the war effort meant a shortage of accommodation for the influx of extra workers, and the huts were divided inside into family homes for the workers.

Some of them stood until the outbreak of WW2, when they were demolished as a fire hazard. Apparently some were taken into Derbyshire and re-erected as weekend homes.

[vox]

Hi Vox

The place your Dad remembered dated from the First World War. They were wooden huts originally erected to house Belgian refugees early in the War. The expansion of Sheffield industry to meet the war effort meant a shortage of accommodation for the influx of extra workers, and the huts were divided inside into family homes for the workers.

Some of them stood until the outbreak of WW2, when they were demolished as a fire hazard. Apparently some were taken into Derbyshire and re-erected as weekend homes.

Wow, well there's a thing.

In the 70's we had free use of a wooden holiday "HUT" which belonged to a friend of my cousin. It was situated in a deep valley, behind a farm, up the hill from The Scotsman's Pack at Hathersage. It had a name board over the door "Heaven" and it really was an idyllic place, by a bridge over a small brook. There were some more of them there, placed at intervals down the steep valley side. Maybe it was one of them. They disappeared in the 80's. I've mailed him to see if he has any photos.

[dunsbyowl1867]

Wow, well there's a thing.

In the 70's we had free use of a wooden holiday "HUT" which belonged to a friend of my cousin. It was situated in a deep valley, behind a farm, up the hill from The Scotsman's Pack at Hathersage. It had a name board over the door "Heaven" and it really was an idyllic place, by a bridge over a small brook. There were some more of them there, placed at intervals down the steep valley side. Maybe it was one of them. They disappeared in the 80's. I've mailed him to see if he has any photos.

Hi vox see this recent post for some further background.

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...?showtopic=5349

[vox]

Hi vox see this recent post for some further background.

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...?showtopic=5349

Thanks for that. Very interesting.

Judging by the photos and discriptions they're much bigger than the ones near Hathersage were. Unless of course they were just built from parts of the originals.

[Waterside Echo]

Tsavo,

The Brigante Hill Fort , well the earthworks at least , are visable on the black and white photo but obviously the trees have grown over those so you can't really work them out on Bayleaf's photo.

Wincobank Castle was something else entirely. Probably best described as a folly. Built by George Parkin it was demolished to build a housing estate!

How close to the fort earthworks was the folly, and can anyone remember the uproar when it was demolished. W/E.

[dunsbyowl1867]

How close to the fort earthworks was the folly, and can anyone remember the uproar when it was demolished. W/E.

From the photos I have seen that looked like is was down near what is now a housing estate whilst the earthworks are up on the top of the hill a few hundred yards away.

This photo gives the address as Winco Wood Lane where ever that was?

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s05932

These lot should be able to help onc they have dealt with the bikers and joy riders!

http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Attract...Hill.5877585.jp

[Waterside Echo]

From the photos I have seen that looked like is was down near what is now a housing estate whilst the earthworks are up on the top of the hill a few hundred yards away.

This photo gives the address as Winco Wood Lane where ever that was?

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s05932

These lot should be able to help onc they have dealt with the bikers and joy riders!

http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Attract...Hill.5877585.jp

Thanks `Dunsbyowl` It was that article that set me thinking. As kids, depending on who we were talking to we would be told that the building with the flag on the top of Wincobank hill was a castle or a fort. Walking down Barnsley Road to Firvale it stood out like a sore thumb. From what I can remember it got pulled down by a property developer behind the council`s back in the late 60s early 70s. It made a good story in `The Star` for a few nights. W/E.

[Guest jonceebee]

This area was a dream for kids. You could see virtually all off Sheffield up here and it offered play areas all year round. Sledging in winter was brilliant although at times frightening down the long steep incline towards Brightside especially. Heading North Eastwards was what we called the Gun Stand which had underground and concrete bunkers great for playing in and there were a couple of revolving mounts where the guns must have stood during WW2, these acted like mini round abouts to play on. Then of course came the tips. God only know what we were playing and jumping into, lorries used to come from the steel works off laoding all sorts of multi coloured waste. Some sandy and soft others hard and some still smoking from heat. This was a no go area according to your parents, but the excitement of being there tempted you even more. I seem to recall the kids named them as black tip, concrete tip, red tip and grass sod tip. Climbing them was a challenge especially the concrete tip, but again the view was tremendous. Nearby was the remains of an old quarry with steep inclines, another story and more fond memories. Great days and I would love to meet up with the friends in the area who like me spent so many hours exploring the area.

[dunsbyowl1867]

Great Stuff jonceebee - I remember paying on there in the early 1970's. I assume they must have stopped tipping by then but I have a vague recollection of metals tubes sticking out of the hillside where gas from the waste was burnt off - did I imagine this??

This area was a dream for kids. You could see virtually all off Sheffield up here and it offered play areas all year round. Sledging in winter was brilliant although at times frightening down the long steep incline towards Brightside especially. Heading North Eastwards was what we called the Gun Stand which had underground and concrete bunkers great for playing in and there were a couple of revolving mounts where the guns must have stood during WW2, these acted like mini round abouts to play on. Then of course came the tips. God only know what we were playing and jumping into, lorries used to come from the steel works off laoding all sorts of multi coloured waste. Some sandy and soft others hard and some still smoking from heat. This was a no go area according to your parents, but the excitement of being there tempted you even more. I seem to recall the kids named them as black tip, concrete tip, red tip and grass sod tip. Climbing them was a challenge especially the concrete tip, but again the view was tremendous. Nearby was the remains of an old quarry with steep inclines, another story and more fond memories. Great days and I would love to meet up with the friends in the area who like me spent so many hours exploring the area.