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The Hole In The Road Sheffield


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The postcard must be before 1965 as that is when the Parkhill (Hyde Park) Flats were completed and it looks like the rear sectionof the flats are still being built in the photo.

I have seen some serious building work in Sheffield city centre down the years. I recall seeing most of The Moor virtually flat when I was a young child after the war, and how exciting it was to see all of the new shops going up, but the crowning glory was definitely the Hole In The Road. Surely someone should have Listed it or something so that it couldn't be filled in. I was almost mown down by a bus while attempting to cross the road there earlier this week, SO - so much for progress!

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Guest plain talker

The postcard must be before 1965 as that is when the Parkhill (Hyde Park) Flats were completed and it looks like the rear sectionof the flats are still being built in the photo.

I have seen some serious building work in Sheffield city centre down the years. I recall seeing most of The Moor virtually flat when I was a young child after the war, and how exciting it was to see all of the new shops going up, but the crowning glory was definitely the Hole In The Road. Surely someone should have Listed it or something so that it couldn't be filled in. I was almost mown down by a bus while attempting to cross the road there earlier this week, SO - so much for progress!

the part of the flats under construction in the photo was the large block of Hyde Park flats.

Park hill flats can't be seen, as the YEB office block, on the right of the pic, covers them up, completely.

I'd agree, early to mid sixties, as a date for the pic..

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Guest plain talker

Those pictures of the excalators brings back memories. I remember the ones near boots and always getting impatiant stuck behind slow people on the escalators. I remember the network of long dimly lit tunnels and the smell of p***. I was still a kid in the 80s my dad used to take me to that restaurant in rackams aswell I remember it being so busy out the window on saturdays

The old picture is fascinating. I can't imagine the area before Arundal gate. I've seen pictures on picturesheffield around howard street area and it looks alien.

edit: This is quoted from the sheffield forum not sure how true it is..

I always wondered why there was a underground subway leading from boots\fargate area down to the hole in the road when you could just walk along the pavement and get to an esculator to the hole in the road anyway. It was good tho Sheffield centre feels much smaller now without all the underground and hidden places.

jmcee, I need to correct you, slightly... the subway at Boots' only crossed to the other side of Church/ high St, where the bottom of the supertram stop is, today. There was an entrance to boots' basement, and back in the day, the HSBC bank on the corner used to be EMGAS showrooms, and they also had a subterranean entrance. there were display windows in that subway, too! just like in the HITR.

You simply couldn't get to the HITR from Boots.

The escalators were outside where TJ hughes is now, and on the other side, coming out by the Bankers Draft (As it is now)

Even when It was getting run down and smelly, I still loved the HITR. I'm sure they could have kept it, with a bit of forward thinking.

I have a photograph from the series of booklets "Do You Remember?- Old Sheffield", of the HITR, and in the shot, you can see my grandpa, very clearly, walking through the centre of the HITR. *sniffs nostalgically*.

ny life, Just had a closer look at the photos that "admin" has posted above, and one of them is the very shot, with my grandpa in it! *Amazed expression!"

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ok I might have got memories mixed up a bit . I can definately remember coming out of boots into a subway with display windows. I can also remember when the Bankers draft was the Midland bank. Used to go there often on visits to town. There must be more pictures about.

what shops where accessable from the hole in the road in the 80s? I have memories of being taken through to a fast food place but could be all mixed up

sorry I missed the original post

Tandys!!

I can remember that sng hill cinema as well only went once I was very young and remember it being stood empty for a while too.

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the part of the flats under construction in the photo was the large block of Hyde Park flats.

Park hill flats can't be seen, as the YEB office block, on the right of the pic, covers them up, completely.

I'd agree, early to mid sixties, as a date for the pic..

Think you're wrong about seeing the Park Hill flats, they are the lower flats below the Hyde Park flats, should know I lived on them long enough.

As for the flats what a social disisater, breaking up communities for an experiment. I and the rest of my family from Neepsend and Pitsmoor ended up there. It was an improvement in living standards but the community spirit we has soon died. Probably another topic.

The hole in the ground was a great meeting place. Everybody knew where it was so thre was never any chance of missing you're date.

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Came across a couple more pics of "The Hole" Iwas trying to date the one showing High Street. Looking at the cars and buses I am guessing the early sixties. anyone else have any thoughts?

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Came across a couple more pics of "The Hole" Iwas trying to date the one showing High Street. Looking at the cars and buses I am guessing the early sixties. anyone else have any thoughts?

Hi mickjj Don't know the date as yet but any thoughts as to why the Three Police Officers are stopping the vehicle's in the second photo ??

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Guest bus man

I think some one is confused : you could get into boots from castle sq you are thinking about the old subway at the junction of church st/fargate/high st.

Castle sq was filled in due to eec weight regulations due to increased weight of lorries

Note the myth that it was filled in due to make supertram is a myth

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Guest transit

I think some one is confused : you could get into boots from castle sq you are thinking about the old subway at the junction of church st/fargate/high st.

Castle sq was filled in due to eec weight regulations due to increased weight of lorries

Note the myth that it was filled in due to make supertram is a myth

Surely then, if this was not done for Supertram , it would have been cheaper to have strenghened the underground walkways (like they managed at Tinsley Viaduct but on a much smaller and cheaper scale!) and given it a facelift at the same time , instead of just wiping this much loved landmark out? This place seemed like the heart of the city centre , which seems to have been dying since it went.

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Hi mickjj Don't know the date as yet but any thoughts as to why the Three Police Officers are stopping the vehicle's in the second photo ??

Not sure on that one but seem to remember that only buses were allowed to go up High Street or is my memory totaly going

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I think some one is confused

Castle sq was filled in due to eec weight regulations due to increased weight of lorries

Note the myth that it was filled in due to make supertram is a myth

I had heard in was part of the Supertram project too.

When you look at the way the road has been re-alinged there is no way the could have kept it.

I found this on Wikipedia tonight....

In 1994, as part of the works for the construction of Sheffield's new Supertram network, the underground portion of the Hole in the Road was filled in. The roundabout was removed and the whole area landscaped. All three lines of the Supertram system cross the square and call at Castle Square tram stop, one of four tram stops in the city centre

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Guest transit

I had heard in was part of the Supertram project too.

When you look at the way the road has been re-alinged there is no way the could have kept it.

I found this on Wikipedia tonight....

In 1994, as part of the works for the construction of Sheffield's new Supertram network, the underground portion of the Hole in the Road was filled in. The roundabout was removed and the whole area landscaped. All three lines of the Supertram system cross the square and call at Castle Square tram stop, one of four tram stops in the city centre

Still could have kept THITR and produced the thickest toughened glass ever for the tram to ride over! Failing that ,why not have built a smaller version of the bridge as at 300 yds lower on Commercial St -to carry Supertram over THITR? (not as large a span as that one !)------SIMPLE!

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Guest transit

.....and another thing - how come the "subway" from Norfolk st? (side of Crucible) across to Fitzalan Sq has"nt had to be strenghened , even though it was built at the same time as THINR, and used the surplus wall tiles? ....albeit now covered in "artistic graffiti!.

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Still could have kept THITR and produced the thickest toughened glass ever for the tram to ride over! Failing that ,why not have built a smaller version of the bridge as at 300 yds lower on Commercial St -to carry Supertram over THITR? (not as large a span as that one !)------SIMPLE!

Doh!

Why didn't I think of super tough glass he hehe he he he

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Does anyone know wher I can get some good high res images of the hole in the road?

Cheers,

Vin.

Welcome to the site Vinny. There are quite a feww keen photographers on this site that may be able to help you. You may also want to try Picture Sheffield.

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ALL this talk about the Hole In The Road then and after what about before. And before you ask i have not altered the photo in any way it's an unused post card, i can only assume it was the manufactures poor atempt at colouring black and white photos.

Here is a picture from the early sixties looking in the opposite direction pre "Hole"

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Guest transit

Here is a picture from the early sixties looking in the opposite direction pre "Hole"

Great pic - but when you study the photo - after all the history and memories of the area - change the cars to +40 years-and take a b/w pic - the scene looks very similar now. WHY did the HITR come and go so quick? Also gone are Schofields ,and ABC , Burtons ,ect Happy days!

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Great pic - but when you study the photo - after all the history and memories of the area - change the cars to +40 years-and take a b/w pic - the scene looks very similar now. WHY did the HITR come and go so quick? Also gone are Schofields ,and ABC , Burtons ,ect Happy days!

If you look closley you will see that it is "Cockaynes" that is there. Schofields came along later.

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Hi mickjj Don't know the date as yet but any thoughts as to why the Three Police Officers are stopping the vehicle's in the second photo ??

I suspect they were waiting for the cars taking the judges from the judges lodgings at Whirlow to the courts. They travelled in a couple of limos with police escort at the front, and traffic was stopped to allow them a free run. The three policemen would be waiting to stop the traffic for them. My friend's dad had a black Rolls Royce at one time, his pride and joy. Foe a joke he used to keep a black chauffeur's cap in it. One day he was passed by the judges' convoy, and put on the cap and joined on the back. Fastest run to work he ever managed!

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Guest bus man

If supertram had not been built castle sq would still have gone , the strengthening would have been so great that you would not have been able to have

the walkways as it would have been too narrow .

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Guest CJSheffield

I remember the leg of the HITR that exited towards the ABC cimema on Snig Hill. You had to walk past the smelly toilets! I'm not sure if Schofields Dept. store had a sub-terranian entrance though. Does anyone remember?

I remember once loosing grip of my mother's hand and getting lost in the HITR. I knew that everyone gravitated to the fish tank, so I waited there, sobing and scared (I was 7 years old, I think). Obvioisly, my mum found me. :-)

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Guest coolmo

ALL this talk about the Hole In The Road then and after what about before. And before you ask i have not altered the photo in any way it's an unused post card, i can only assume it was the manufactures poor atempt at colouring black and white photos.

I quite like the way this layout looks!

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Does anyone remember the Tap display, it looked like it wasn't connected to anything and had water pouring out of it, it looked like it was just suspended in mid-air, can't remember what it was advertising, I think it was near the Boots underground entrance?Might be wrong it was a long long time ago!

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Guest jeanne

i remember the hole as a dirty dingy place,even so it must have been well known as a relative of my ex-husband came from glasgow to see it in 80,she even bought postcards to take home :o:o :o

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