The Windmill Pub, Amberley Street, Attercliffe

[Guest Bramallblade]

Hi all,

I am just wondering if any of you ever recall the public house on Amberley Street called 'The Windmill' after the local mill in the area?

It was run by my family, but closed its doors as a public house formerly in the early 1930's. It became 3 houses after the closure. Though during the running of the pub and after its closure the mill stones from the mill itself were kept in the pubs back yard. Now i am not sure when the mill closed (i know it suffered from a couple of fires and even a flood at some point), so i would be intrigued to know when they ended up in the yard. They weren't seen again after the slum clearance of the early 70's so someone probably had those away!

I am just intrigued and rather interested because i myself am only 23 years of age but my mothers side of the family are from Sheffield and she used to live on Amberley Street when she was growing up. Her rather formidable aunt Mary Hannah Radford ended up running the public house and living there and was quite the character. I just want to hear if anyone has any first hand memories of Mary (she scared all the local kids apparently and many a full grown adult!), the inn and the street really because it is really interesting me. So indulge me at will if you can!

Thanks in advance for any help guys!

[dunsbyowl1867]

Hi all,

I am just wondering if any of you ever recall the public house on Amberley Street called 'The Windmill' after the local mill in the area?

It was run by my family, but closed its doors as a public house formerly in the early 1930's. It became 3 houses after the closure. Though during the running of the pub and after its closure the mill stones from the mill itself were kept in the pubs back yard. Now i am not sure when the mill closed (i know it suffered from a couple of fires and even a flood at some point), so i would be intrigued to know when they ended up in the yard. They weren't seen again after the slum clearance of the early 70's so someone probably had those away!

I am just intrigued and rather interested because i myself am only 23 years of age but my mothers side of the family are from Sheffield and she used to live on Amberley Street when she was growing up. Her rather formidable aunt Mary Hannah Radford ended up running the public house and living there and was quite the character. I just want to hear if anyone has any first hand memories of Mary (she scared all the local kids apparently and many a full grown adult!), the inn and the street really because it is really interesting me. So indulge me at will if you can!

Thanks in advance for any help guys!

Does this help? From the excellent "Another wander up the Cliff" by Michael Liversidge.

[RichardB]

I can't find any of those named keepers in either the Pubs or Beerhouses lists. Updated The Amberley record with a link back to the picture.

[Guest Gwyn]

My maternal great great great grandfather, George Hill, built the (corn) windmill on Amberley Street around 1811. George was a member of the inaugural town Council of Sheffield (he was elected 1853). George had moved at the beginning of the 1800s, from Ouston Ferry in north Lincolnshire, where he was born, to settle in Attercliffe, which was rich farmland at that time.

George's Son, James Hill, appears to have moved later to "Gate, Wortley, Oughtibridge (1881 census)" to run a corn mill there, although the 19th century records are ambiguous on that matter, and I cannot find any trace of a windmill at Gate "farm?". But this does seem feasible as members of the next generations are recorded as living in Bradfield and Wadsley Bridge

The windmill (pictured above in about 1920) was dismantled in the 1930s (probably as a result of the fire that BramallBlade mentions above).

I have letters dated 1840 and 1841 between James and George, when James was on a tour of UK to improve his education and life experiences - on arriving back at Sheffield Victoria Station (bottom of the Wicker) it seems that James proposed to walk home to the windmill at Amberley Street. By the way, the windmill had 10 acres of fields going down to the Don.

[Guest Gwyn]

<p> </p>

<div>My maternal great great great grandfather, George Hill, built the (corn) windmill on Amberley Street around 1811. George was a member of the inaugural town Council of Sheffield (he was elected 1853). George had moved at the beginning of the 1800s, from Ouston Ferry in north Lincolnshire, where he was born, to settle in Attercliffe, which was rich farmland at that time.</div>

<div> </div>

<div>George's Son, James Hill, appears to have moved later to &quot;Gate, Wortley, Oughtibridge (1881 census)&quot; to run a corn mill there, although the 19th century records are ambiguous on that matter, and I cannot find any trace of a windmill at Gate &quot;farm?&quot;. But this does seem feasible as members of the next generations are recorded as living in Bradfield and Wadsley Bridge</div>

<div> </div>

<div>The windmill (pictured above in about 1920) was dismantled in the 1930s (probably as a result of the fire that BramallBlade mentions above). </div>

<div> </div>

<div>I have letters dated 1840 and 1841 between James and George, when James was on a tour of UK to improve his education and life experiences - on arriving back at Sheffield Victoria Station (bottom of the Wicker) it seems that James proposed to walk home to the windmill at Amberley Street. By the way, the windmill had 10 acres of fields going down to the Don.</div>