As part of Sheffield Beer Week 2023, we are leading two pub heritage walks. On Sunday 5 March at 2:30pm we’ll be in Kelham Island, and on Thursday 9 at 5pm we’ll be on West Street. Both walks will include Victorian tilework, terrazzo flooring, art deco glasswork, a mention of long-gone Sheffield breweries and much more…
Full details and booking information are available:
Back in 1968 a comedy band called The Scaffold, which included Paul McCartney’s brother Pete and poet Roger McGough had a number 1 hit with “Lily the Pink”.
We’ll drink a drink, a drink
To Lily the Pink, the Pink, the pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
What may on the surface appear to be a novelty drinking song is in fact based on a real person and her real product.
Lily the Pink is based on the American businesswoman Lydia Pinkham (1819-83) who produced her own vegetable compound from 1875. This was said to contain black cohosh, unicorn root, life root, pleurisy root and fenugreek, preserved with 19% alcohol. This was originally marketed as a “woman’s tonic” for menstrual and menopausal symptoms.
This vegetable compound became very successful with her local community, then further afield. Branding played a major part in the compound’s success and Lydia Pinkham’s face was used in all the branding. Indeed she is the first woman whose likeness was used in her brand.
Over time the list of complaints Pinkham’s vegetable compound claimed to be able to cure grew. It was even marketed as an aid to fertility and marketed under the strapline “there is a baby in every bottle”. Lydia Pinkham was one of very few people at the time who was speaking openly about women’s reproductive health, then a taboo subject. She even published pamphlets about menstrual and menopausal health and also encouraged women to write to her to ask questions they were too embarrassed to ask a doctor.
However, doctors and the medical establishment did not approve of Lydia Pinkham and dismissed her as a quack, which might be considered understandable given that her compound was claimed, among other things to prevent faintness, flatulence, insomnia, depression, the cure of kidney complaints and even ovarian cancer. In 1922, it was described as a “valueless preparation kept on the market for about fifty years by means of lying advertisements and worthless testimonials.”
After Pinkham died in 1883 her family took over the business and continued to promote her image. During prohibition, the alcohol content rose to about 40% and people turned to Pinkham’s medicinal compound in order to get intoxicated.
As far back as the 19th century, the alcohol content and claims of cures for feminine issues provoked mockery in the form of bawdy drinking songs. Lilly The Pink by The Scaffold is a highly sanitised version of those early drinking songs. Some sample verses from the 19th century are below.
Mrs. Jones she had no children,
And she loved them very dear.
So she took three bottles of Pinkham’s
Now she has twins every year.
Lottie Smyth ne’er had a lover,
Blotchy pimples caused her plight;
But she took nine bottles of Pinkham’s–
Sweethearts swarm about her each night.
Oh Mrs. Murphy (Oh Mrs. Murphy)
Was perturbed because she couldn’t seem to pee
Till she took some of Lydia’s compound
And now they run a pipeline to the sea!
And Peter Whelan (Peter Whelan)
He was sad because he only had one nut
Till he took some of Lydia’s compound
And now they grow in clusters ’round his butt.
The company continued in family ownership until the 1930s and after World War II the US Food and Drink Administration intervened and the company made significant changes to the tonic and its alcohol content, as well as the claims being made about what it could cure. Lydia Pinkham Herbal Compound is still on sale in the United States. It is no longer alcoholic but may well still be most efficacious in every case.
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
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).
Sheffield Archives have updated their very useful research guide: ‘Sources for the Study of the History of Sheffield’s Public Houses.’ This invaluable A4, 22 page booklet, includes many information sources and useful suggestions as to how to gain access. Free download: https://tinyurl.com/2p88t5v9
Andrew McCloy tells the stories of some unusual former pubs and beerhouses
High up on the Peak District moorland west of Sheffield, beyond Lodge Moor, are the three small Redmires reservoirs. They were constructed between the 1830s-50s to provide drinking water for the growing city. What looks like a memorial stone in the roadside wall between the middle and upper reservoirs is in fact the surviving sign from a beerhouse called the Grouse and Trout, which used to stand near here. The sign features a grouse and three trout, and – although it’s hard to make out – the Latin inscription Ich Dien Dinner which translates as “I serve dinner”. There was another beerhouse, called Ocean View, established nearby in the 1840s, both offering refreshments for the navvies digging the reservoirs. Ocean View closed in the 1880s, but the Grouse and Trout continued into the early years of the 20th century and was supposedly closed and later demolished after the moorland owner feared that the new influx of sightseers and tourists served by the pub would disrupt his shooting.
Grouse & Trout
Another noteworthy but long-gone beerhouse could once by found at Castleton in the Hope Valley and was located at the entrance to the gaping mouth of Peak Cavern, also known more colloquially as the Devil’s Arse. The ample space and damp conditions made it popular with rope-makers, and at the turn of 1800 the cavern’s 60ft-high mouth supported several dwellings, including a beerhouse, which in 1830 became Slack’s Mineral Shop selling Blue John and other local knick-knacks.
Heading back towards Sheffield, until around 1900 you could enjoy a drink in the Cross Daggers at High Bradfield, which because it was located near the gates of St Nicholas Church was nicknamed Heaven’s Parlour or Heaven’s Gate. It was a popular haunt of the navvies working on the local reservoirs, so much so that it ended up losing its licence because they kept fighting all the time. After this it was used as a vestry, a registry office, a school and then a post office, before finally becoming a private residence.
The former Ashopton Inn in the Upper Derwent Valley faced a more conclusive end, however. It was built in 1824 as a halt for coaches on the Sheffield to Glossop turnpike, a chance to change horses and make preparations for the long haul over the Snake Pass. But the Derwent Valley Water Board earmarked the narrow valley for giant new reservoirs and in 1943 the villages of Derwent and Ashopton, including the Ashopton Inn, were emptied and mostly demolished so that building work on the massive new Ladybower dam could begin. The Board, which had purchased the inn from the Duke of Devonshire in 1902, did look into the possibility of rebuilding Ashopton Inn on a new site, but in the end the licence was transferred to separate premises at New Mills, and Ashopton and its ruined pub were permanently submerged beneath 27,500 mega litres of water.
Andrew is author of Peak District Pubs: A Pint Sized Social History, published by Gritstone Publishing in 2020. Copies are available to buy on their website.
The national Planning Inspectorate has recently upheld an appeal against the second (2020) Sheffield City Council (SCC) planning decision to refuse the demolition of the Plough Inn (Sandygate Road, Crosspool, Sheffield). As the local Community Group puts it:
‘It’s time to say goodbye to the Plough. The Planning Inspector has upheld Spacepad’s appeal, and the pub will now be demolished, and the site redeveloped. The Planning Inspector reached the conclusion that there was no realistic prospect of the pub reopening. It is a sad ending for our campaign, but we feel we did everything we could to save this piece of Sheffield’s heritage. We would like to thank everyone who supported our campaign over the years.’
The Inspector has accepted that the pub is not a viable commercial proposition, that it has been properly marketed and that there are suitable alternatives close enough by. Both the local Community Group and CAMRA Sheffield & District believes that all these judgements are highly contentious.
This is the latest twist in a saga which commenced, almost a decade ago, when the previous owners, Enterprise Inns (Ei), decided to deliberately run-down their historically important asset before closure in 2015. Two years later, a planning application to SCC to turn the site into a branch of Sainsbury’s was rejected. The pub company then refused to sell to the Plough Community Benefit Society Ltd. (PCBS), a local Community Group and instead, sold to a property developer. They, in turn, allowed the condition of the building to deteriorate: there has been no serious maintenance work. Ei and the subsequent owners, Spacepad UK, left the pub to rot.
The site deteriorated to such an extent that it became the subject of a Planning Enforcement enquiry regarding unauthorised use as a waste disposal facility and a storage site for unregistered vehicles. It was Spacepad who, according to SCC Planning Enforcement, used the land ‘to store unwanted building materials, a caravan, a JCB type digger, a static cabin, trailers, pallets, a fork truck, vehicles, building and non-building materials and other paraphernalia.’ An Enforcement Notice was recommended.
The Planning Appeal Form completed by Spacepad, makes much of the poor condition of the building, blaming ‘vandalism, burglary and fly tipping.’ Many believe that this is a red herring: the current poor condition of the building and site is solely the fault of the owners. Planning law places responsibility for the condition of the site with the owner. By law, the building should have been maintained in a fit and proper condition for its permitted use as a public house: the owners have not carried out this legal obligation.
At the time of the purchase from Ei, an independent report, commissioned by PCBS demonstrated that, for the pub to reopen, no major building work was required and that internal refitting costs were manageable within a realistic business plan. Currently, the Plough would require substantial refurbishment before it could be brought back into use. A figure of ~£450.000 is quoted in the Appellant Statement. The owners have failed to make this investment and have failed to reinstate the property.
Dave Pickersgill, Pub Protection Officer for CAMRA Sheffield & District states: ‘The recent planning application and the appeal documents do not provide any evidence to suggest the building is not viable as a public house. The developer states that no offers were received to lease the pub. This was because it was offered for a completely unrealistic rent of £50,000 pa. In 2019, average rents in this area were between £24,000 and £29,000. In addition, this planning application would see the Plough replaced by eight houses, none of which would be affordable housing.’
The recent planning history of a site is also a relevant consideration in planning decisions. In 2017, the local authority rejected Sainsbury’s application for change of use based on the Plough’s listing as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) and it accepted that there were no alternative community facilities within a reasonable distance. In 2018, following the sale of the Plough, the local authority re-listed the pub as an ACV. As there have been no material changes in the reasons why the Plough was listed as an ACV, this should have remained an overriding consideration in any decision.
The Plough was rebuilt in 1929 and is an important example of an inter war public house which, according to Historic England, are ‘rare and overlooked buildings’. National planning policy recognises the importance of protecting historic assets and their ‘setting.’ This was confirmed in the decision of the local authority to refuse the application from Sainsbury’s.
According to Historic England, about 3,000 pubs were built during the inter-war years. Very few survive. A recent study finding that inter-war pubs are under greater threat of disappearing than pubs of any other date.
In short, as this appeal was allowed, it implies:
the Secretary of State ignores local community opinion
if a developer allows a historic building to slowly decay: eventually, they will be given permission to demolish.
The covid pandemic has highlighted the importance of local community facilities and high streets, both of which contribute to supporting vibrant, successful and sustainable communities. The Plough, ran as a community pub, could bring countless economic and social benefits to the area. It also has the added attraction of its key place in the history of world football – it is adjacent to the site of the official first inter-club football game: Hallam v Sheffield at Sandygate (26 December 1860) and has played a part in the development of football. A small internal museum would not have been inappropriate.
1695
The Plough opens as a public house
1897
Tennant Brothers acquire the lease to the Plough and the adjacent sports ground
1929
The Plough Inn is rebuilt
1969
The lease is assigned to Whitbread who become Patron of Hallam FC
2003
Enterprise Inns acquire the pub
2015
Closure of The Plough Inn by Enterprise Inns (Ei)
2015
The Plough Inn achieves ACV status
2017
Planning application from Ei to replace the building by a mini-supermarket is refused by SCC
2017
Ei refuse to sell the pub to a local Community group, instead selling to a property company, Spacepad
2018
The Plough Inn achieves ACV status for the second time
2020
Planning application from Spacepad to demolish and replace by flats, is refused by SCC
2021
An appeal by Spacepad to the planning refusal is upheld by Planning Inspectorate
