IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Parkwood Road, SHEFFIELD, S3 8FN

Usually full and dominating the area ... but occasionally it gets deflated! Image

Usually full ... this is a 'rare' picture of the Neepsend Gasometer in an empty state! Image

A gas holder (commonly known as a gasometer, sometimes also gas bell, though that term applies to the gas holding envelope alone) is a large container where natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressure coming from the weight of a movable cap. Typical volumes for large gasholders are about 50,000 cubic metres, with 60 metre diameter structures. Gasholders tend to be used nowadays for balancing purposes (making sure gas pipes can be operated within a safe range of pressures) rather than for actually storing gas for later use.

The Le Pla Hydraulics building ... Image ... is just off picture to the right. Back in 1905 this is where a row of terraced houses stood and Neepsend Gas Works would have blocked the view to where Sheffield Ski Centre is now visible. I believe the pipe running across the picture carries gas.

Now isolated, this fine building would, when first built, have been surrounded by industrial buildings and works of all types. The 1905 OS map of this area shows attached to the left side of this building a row of over thirty terraced houses. The huge Neepsend Gas Works was immediately behind and would have dwarfed evrything else in the area. Latterly it houses Le Pla Hydraulics.

This Public House has an interesting history. Allegedly built in 1754 as a Gentleman's Residence - presumably when the surrounding area was more refined! But it has been a pub serving the local industry and nearby Barracks for many years under various names such as The Owl and latterly the Farfield Inn. It was damaged during the 1864 Sheffield Flood, when the bridge over the River Don, in front of the Inn, collapsed and the river overflowed. At the time of the picture it is closed and rather run down like most of the surrounding area. Neepsend Gasometer is in the right background. Image Image Update in August 2016 I have identified, via Picture Sheffield and Sheffield History Forum, that this pub was also known as The Muff Inn in late 1984 and throughout 1985 - possibly later. The Landlord at that time was a John Mirfield, and Muff Inn was a nickname of his. I have also identified that the pub was originally known as Farfield House

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This old Weighbridge and Hut is situated inside the derelict Jonas Woodhead works, near to the Farfield Inn. Image

The Farfield Inn is closed and in a sorry state - for some details of its history see Image The surrounding area is one of industrial decline, yet a number of other pubs around here are thriving as real ale free houses, so doing business here is not impossible.