Author: Dave Pickersgill

Between 1957 and 1961, Sheffield Corporation City Architect’s Department built Park Hill Estate. Architecturally, this estate is of international importance. It is also the largest listed building in Europe (Grade II* listed 1998). The deck system is unique as the steeply sloping site allows all but the uppermost decks to reach ground level. The building ranges from four to 13 stories, and included shops, almost 1000 flats and four pubs.

The four pubs were each built to a common plan: four-bay ground floor units with clear storey windows, close to the shopping centre. They faced in two directions: a lounge and public bar, linked by a central bar and glazed screen.

The Parkway Tavern was originally managed by Hope and Anchor Brewery, advertising Carling Black Label and Jubilee Stout. The pub later became part of the Bass empire. It closed in 2006 and has a two-bay mosaic mural which is a remarkable survivor (architects: Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson & Partners).

The Parkway Tavern was used in the 2014 film ’71. Directed by Yann Demange, it follows a riot on the streets of Belfast as a young and disoriented British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit. The flats were used to recreate Divis Flats.

Initially, these ‘streets in the sky’ enjoyed popularity and success; tenants had the luxury of private bathrooms and efficient heating. However, by the 1980s, Park Hill had become dilapidated and was no longer popular. It had both poor noise insulation and badly lit walkways, passages and alleys.

The estate is currently being redeveloped as part of a joint venture between Urban Splash and Places for People, work commencing in 2007. The structural frame is retained while architectural and internal features are replaced. The Parkway space re-opened in 2021 as Park Hill Provisions, the first convenience store on the new development.

As part of Heritage Open Days 2022, I’m leading two Pub Heritage Walks: on Friday 9 and Thursday 15 September. These will take in some of the entries in the CAMRA Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs book.

On Friday 9 we will commence at the Fat Cat and proceed to Neepsend via a short stop in the Wellington. Along the way, we will take a circuitous route through aspects of the brewing and industrial history of Sheffield before completing the walk at the cooperatively-owned Gardeners Rest close to the long derelict, Stones Brewery.

The following week, we will commence at the University Arms and proceed to the Grapes/Dog & Partridge via a short stop at the Bath Hotel. After refreshment breaks, we will complete the walk at Fagans. En route we will pass the ex-Hendos factory, the ex-Jessop Hospital, the then home of the company whose claim to fame is that the owner was the first man to climb Nelson’s Column, Glossop Road Baths, the building with three different date stones, ‘Stanch’, and much more.

In both walks there will also be Victorian tilework, terrazzo flooring, art deco glasswork, a mention of long-gone Sheffield breweries and much more…

• The 9 September walk will start at the Fat Cat at 16:00. Places are limited and may be booked via
  Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/3aavve56
• The 15 September walk will start at the University Arms at 17:00. Places may also be booked via
  Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/ys3z846j
• If you can’t wait until September, you could try the Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs book:
  sheffield.camra.org.uk/rhp. A limited number of paper copies of the book will be available to purchase.

CAMRA Sheffield & District have recently provided both an hour long pub heritage talk and a guided pub heritage walk for Sheffield U3A. The talk took place in the Showroom Cinema on a Friday morning with over 50 attendees attending. A few weeks later, the walk attracted 17: commencing in Fagans and proceeding via a stop in the Grapes to the Red Deer this took almost 2.5 hours. U3A are planning a further walk, led by ourselves, in 2023.

The next guided walks, are planned for Heritage Open Days in September with similar events occurring during Sheffield Beer Week 2023 and the CAMRA Members’ Weekend, AGM & Conference 2023.

In 2021, the Royal Oak was demolished without planning permission. The owners, Bar 24 Ltd, have recently achieved retrospective planning permission for this demolition and the redevelopment of the site. Their assertion is that toxic waste was dumped in the car park, and the situation became so bad that the only option was to demolish a building dating from 1843.

At the time, the local MP, Clive Betts, disagreed, ‘the issue of the toxic waste and chemical spills on the site is in my view a red herring. There has been a problem with toxic chemicals but the explanation from the owners that they contacted the Environment Agency about demolition does not in any way obviate the need to apply for planning permission to demolish: the two are separate issues.‘

CAMRA Sheffield & District agree with Clive. It seems that the dumped waste was used as a pretext for taking short cuts to potentially secure profitable redevelopment of the site.

The Carlton Tavern (London) sets a precedent for such unauthorised demolition. The Carlton closed in April 2015: then two days before Historic England was due to recommend the pub be granted Grade II listed status, the owners demolished the building, without planning permission. They expected a £5000 fine. However, Westminster Council had a different opinion. They ordered the owners: CTLX, to rebuild the Carlton brick by brick. In 2021, having been totally rebuilt, it re-opened.

CAMRA Sheffield & District believe that Sheffield City Council (SCC) should have taken a similar approach to that adopted by Westminster. However, following the ‘grant conditionally‘ decision of SCC Planning and Highways Committee, this is not the case.

Hence, we have written to SCC to request the reasons behind their decision:

‘A formal Enforcement Notice was not served in this case given that the owner/applicant cooperated with officers and committed to submitting a retrospective planning application for the redevelopment of the site. This is a legitimate option which was available to them. The National Planning Policy Framework advises that enforcement action is discretionary and that Local Planning Authorities must act proportionately in responding to breaches of control.

Whilst the actions of the developer are regrettable in this case, there is no comparison with the Carlton Tavern which was just about to become a designated heritage asset. In that case the developer knew that the building was about to become statutorily listed and carried on with the demolition regardless. The former Royal Oak is not in this category and the applicant had already engaged in pre-application discussions with the Council about redeveloping the site.’

If 40 years ago, you had asked a beer-buff to talk about breweries in Sheffield, you would have heard mention of Stones, Tennants (by then Whitbread) and Wards. However, it is unlikely that the Hope Brewery would have been mentioned.

Opened in 1939, the Hope Brewery (Clay Wheels Lane, S6 1NB) was the home of Carter, Milner & Bird Ltd. The company was founded in 1892, and registered, at Mowbray Street, in 1899, by Christopher Carter, Eleazar Milner & George Bird. In 1939, due to redevelopment of the area, the original Hope Brewery was closed and a new model brewery was built.

The company merged with Henry Tomlinson Ltd in 1942 after the destruction of Tomlinson’s Brewery, and the name was changed to Hope & Anchor.

The company saw spectacular growth in the 1940s and 50s, fuelled by several acquisitions:

• 1948 Wellington Brewery bought from Isle of Man Brewery, Castletown
• 1954 Wilkinson’s Pine Street Brewery, Newcastle
• 1955 Truswell’s Brewery Sheffield with over 50 pubs
• 1957 Openshaw Brewery Manchester with 125 pubs
• 1958 Welcome Brewery Oldham with three pubs

By 1960 the company had around 250 tied outlets and the telegram address Jubilee Sheffield.

In addition, novel marketing was used. Local artist, Kenneth Steel, known for paintings and advertising, many of which were reproduced as designs for station billboard posters, produced advertising material. This included paintings of pubs on beer-mats, trays and posters.

Hope & Anchor are also featured in the 1950 short film, The Inn that Crossed the Sea. This film was made at the height of the post-war export drive. Beer consumption in the UK was in decline and overseas markets were wanted. It tells the story of exhibiting their beers to worldwide buyers at the 1949 Canadian International Trade Fair in Toronto.

As part of the exhibition, the brewery used 15 tons of material to create a replica of the Old Rose & Crown (Hoylandswaine). They exhibited: Golden Mead Ale, Jubilee Stout, Old English Beer, and from partners, Castletown, Oyster Stout. Local liquor laws meant that beer had to be poured down the drain. However, the 50,000 visitors/day resulted in both lots of publicity and good sales. Their Jubilee Stout was airlifted to Toronto.

A 1952 reciprocal agreement with Canadian Breweries (CBL), led by President EP (Eddie) Taylor saw Jubilee Stout on sale in Canada and the initial entry of Carling Lager to the UK.

In March 1960, Northern Breweries Ltd was formed to merge: Hammond’s United Breweries Ltd, Hope & Anchor Breweries Ltd. and John Jeffrey & Co. Ltd. The name was later changed to Northern Breweries of Great Britain Ltd and in October 1962 to United Breweries Ltd. In 1962 they merged with Charrington & Co. Ltd of Mile End London and name changed to Charrington United Breweries Ltd. In 1967 CUB merged with Bass, Mitchells & Butlers to become Bass Charrington Ltd.

The Hope Brewery became a specialist brewery for bottled beers before it was closed in 1994. For a short period it brewed, one of the few bottled-conditioned beers available at the time, Worthington White Shield (abv 5.6%, original gravity: 1050.5).