Sheffield FridayNightRide

we have nothing to lose but our chains

2013/11/15 The Flower Estate

Ride Report: At least 30 of us for a ride on an dry, mild, clear, inky black night, with a beautiful nearly full moon, to ride past sites of social housing from the city through Millsands, Bridhehouses, Pitsmoor and Fir Vale up to Firth Park into Shirecliffe and along to High Wincobank. Admired some of the Shirecliffe Estate up near Firth Park and went on to explore what is left of the original Flower Estate and touched on some of the new redevelopments. Took a fine relaxed break in the Shirecliffe Working Mens’ Club where we occupied one whole bay, and getting up to go we realised that we had sat in some locals’ usual seats as glasses descended on the table tops as we got up and we were politely shooshed off, but we got into conversation and were told which of the streets people had successively lived on and we explained why we found it interesting. One woman was delighted when given a hard copy of the blog Municipal Dreams about the Flower Estate. Then the ride over the top of Jenkin Rd revealed the lower Don Valley in sodium yellow and halogen white sparkles, awesome. So having plummeted down to Meadowahll Rd we made our way through Carbrook and over the canal to Greenland. An unsung estate of lovely low-rise 70s flats and houses with purposefully installed cycle lanes, conveniently leading to shops and into Darnall – this needs a blog of its own to remind the Council of what can be done and was done. Then we had had enough so back along Staniforth Rd, Woodbourn Rd, Worthing Rd, Lumley St, Bernard Rd, Effingham Rd, Sussex St, Cadman St, Blast Lane, Wharf St, Park Sq, Sheaf St to the Sheffield Tap. Hurrah!

Next Sheffield FridayNightRide
The Flower Estate
Friday 15 Nov 2013
Start 6.30 Barkers Pool

Background. At present I do not have the time to organise much for Friday Night Ride but somebody suggested, why not repeat some of the earlier ones?
We used to get approx 15 for a ride so there are many rides which people haven’t been on.
This ride adapts the route of Social Housing II, which we did in March 2010, and takes the same theme.
So if you have ever lived in a “cownsil ahse” or social housing or are interested in their layouts and urban design as sites for folks to live then join this ride.
More details on Next Sheffield FNR

Today a friend sent me a link to a blog post about The Flower Estate on Wincobank Hill.
If you don’t know the Flower Estate perhaps you should.
Its part of Sheffield’s cultural history – unsung because it is housing, but if anybody ever did a city-bus tour it should be on it.
It is the site of an Edwardian estate of houses for ordinary folks built as an exhibition/competition for builders to show off suitable working class housing for municipalities to build.
It was influenced by the garden city movement which has links with Sheffield as well.
I think its lovely – if not a bit too far out of the city for me.
So that’s where we head to and explore thoroughly by giving it a good ride round and admiring the range of houses and the layout of the estate.

We’ll get there and return by passing other sites of social housing all of which will have some explanation and story to be told.

As a matter of interest we will also travel some of the old tramway route up to Firth Park and Sheffield Lane Top – and this has one of the lowest gradients going out to Shiregreen and level with Wincobank.
And we will return by going down one of the steepest hills in Sheffield, Jenkin Rd, which we have been tipped off is still on the TdF route – but they will be cycling the other way.

Housing is a very hot political topic, its back high up on the list of electoral issues like it was from the beginning of the 20th Century through to the 1960s
Be prepared to think and talk about how and where we live and what we live in.
Read the blog about The Flower Estate
If you’ve got a Pevsner Guide for Sheffield bring it

Map and route with elevation profile

Heads up!
Approx 14 miles.
Some main roads but we will be a mob so safety in numbers.
On roads and paved paths but as always make sure you have tough tyres.
Make sure your brakes work for Jenkin Rd.
Bring spare inner tube, lights and a lock.
I have put the route as finishing at the Kelham Island Tavern but if we decide to end elsewhere then we will

Weather: Promising, dry-ish, clear spells full-ish moon

Warning: there are not many worthwhile pubs where we are going but I think I may see if we can get ‘passes’ into Shiregreen Working Mens Club – the location used in the Full Monty striptease routine.
Other than that bring a bottle!

Badges: no badge for this one, will bring some others especially the “I ‘heart’ SHF” or the “I ‘heart’ SFNR” one