Worrall
Encyclopedia
Worrall is a small rural village within the boundary of the City of Sheffield
. It stands in an elevated position at a height of approximately 230 metres and is 6.5 km north west of the city centre
. The village has an area of 233 hectares and a population of 1,306 in 2006. Although a distinct village, Worrall has tenuous borders with the Sheffield suburbs of Wadsley
, Middlewood and Loxley
to the south and east and with the adjoining village of Oughtibridge
to the north, to the west is a rural area extending out towards the village of High Bradfield
. Worrall has a park.
times, it had its roots in farming and was mentioned in records as part of a manor
which also included the areas of Ughill and Wadsley
. The manor was held by the Saxon
chief Aldene and included 14 bovates
of land and an open woodland, a mile square. The villages name derives from the Saxon word Hrivfull meaning “top” and this would certainly apply to Worrall’s lofty position above the Don and Loxley
valleys.
After the Norman Conquest
Worrall was mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as being part of the land held by Roger de Busli
. Throughout its history Worrall was closely connected with the nearby village of Wadsley which lies two km to the SW. In 1541 Henry Everingham was named as lord of the manor of both villages in a charter which granted relief from paying certain duties as long as tenants paid their annual rent. The manor of Worrall was transferred to the ownership of Robert Swyft in 1557 and then to Sir Francis Leake before passing into the estates of the Earl of Shrewsbury
. In the 18th century the Stead family estate owned properties in Worrall, at his death Thomas Stead (1728–93) owned 16 properties and 2000 acres (8.1 km²) in various parts of Hallamshire
and Sheffield. Throughout this period Worrall was predominantly a farming community.
Worrall developed some small scale industry at the onset of the Industrial Revolution
in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when some small Little Mester workshops were set up to make cutlery and knives. Nearby Wadsley had a reputation for making pocket knives
and Worrall found it easier to trade with Wadsley than with the more distant Sheffield.
Ganister
mining and quarrying were other industries that grew in the area. Quarrying developed from the middle of the 17th century when there was an expansion of farming in the area and farmhouses and cottages needed to be built for the workers. The biggest quarry in the area was the Middlewood quarry off Mowson Lane which was owned by George Turner. Local historian Joe Castle has suggested that stone from this quarry was used to build the Wicker Arches
in Sheffield. The quarry closed at the start of World War II
and is now a new housing development. There were three Ganister mines in the immediate Worrall area. The Yews Mine and the Langhouse Mine were owned by Charles Bramall, while the Stubbin Mine was owned by the Oughtibridge
Silica Firebrick Company and was the last to close in November 1927.
s in the village. The Blue Ball is believed to have been originally two cottages which were connected at some time to make bigger premises. There is no documented date of origin although it was registered as a public house in the Sheffield Directory in 1851. The Shoulder of Mutton was formerly farm buildings but has been a pub since at least 1817, it was modernised in the 1980s. Worrall Independent Chapel dates from 1878 and has a foundation stone inscribed "This stone was laid by John Wycliffe Wilson of Sheffield July 15th 1878". Worrall National school was founded in 1848 and eventually closed in 1966 with the pupils being transferred to Oughtibridge Primary School, the old school house is now a private residence. Bradfield School
, a secondary school for pupils aged between 11 and 16 was built in 1957 on Kirk Edge Road as it leaves the village, there are approximately 1000 pupils at the school.
Worrall Hall situated on Kirk Edge Road is the oldest building in Worrall but it has three distinct sections all of different time periods. The west wing dates from the 16th century while the central section has a date stone of 1720, the eastern section dates from 1820. The Hall was formerly a listed building but was taken of the list in 1985, it is a private house and has undergone renovation work in recent years after becoming run down. The adjoining Worrall Hall Farm has not been a working farm for many years. The Yews is a building located on Worrall Road as it enters the village from the SE. It dates from the 1880s and was formerly a hospital it is now owned by Sheffield Primary Care Trust and is used as offices for the Mental Health Team.
The Worrall Memorial Hall is a venue for local social and fundraising activities, it is situated near the local park. Hillsborough Golf Club lies to the south of the village, the course was created in 1920 with the club house added in 1936. Worrall Male Voice Choir was formed on 7 September 1970 and is a highly respected local vocal group which is based in the village, it has a busy schedule of concerts and fund raising activities.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. It stands in an elevated position at a height of approximately 230 metres and is 6.5 km north west of the city centre
Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Centre—often just referred to as town—is a district of the City of Sheffield, and part of the Sheffield Central ward. It includes the area that is within a radius of roughly of Sheffield Cathedral, and is encircled by the Inner Ring Road—a circular route started in the late 1960s...
. The village has an area of 233 hectares and a population of 1,306 in 2006. Although a distinct village, Worrall has tenuous borders with the Sheffield suburbs of Wadsley
Wadsley
Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands five km NW of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of...
, Middlewood and Loxley
Loxley, South Yorkshire
Loxley is a village and a suburb of the city of Sheffield. It is a long linear community which stretches by the side of the River Loxley and along the B6077 for almost four kilometres. Loxley extends from its borders with the suburbs of Malin Bridge and Wisewood westward to the hamlet of Stacey...
to the south and east and with the adjoining village of Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge is a residential village on the northern outskirts of Sheffield within the bounds of Bradfield Parish Council. The village stands northwest of the city centre in the valley of the River Don...
to the north, to the west is a rural area extending out towards the village of High Bradfield
High Bradfield
High Bradfield is a small village located north west of the centre of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England at Grid Reference and within the city's boundaries...
. Worrall has a park.
History
The origins of Worrall go back to Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, it had its roots in farming and was mentioned in records as part of a manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
which also included the areas of Ughill and Wadsley
Wadsley
Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands five km NW of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of...
. The manor was held by the Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
chief Aldene and included 14 bovates
Oxgang
An oxgang or bovate is an old land measurement formerly used in Scotland and England. It averaged around 20 English acres, but was based on land fertility and cultivation, and so could be as low as 15.Skene in Celtic Scotland says:...
of land and an open woodland, a mile square. The villages name derives from the Saxon word Hrivfull meaning “top” and this would certainly apply to Worrall’s lofty position above the Don and Loxley
River Loxley
The River Loxley is a river in the City of Sheffield South Yorkshire, England. Its source is a series of streams which rise some to the north-west of Sheffield on Bradfield Moors, and converge at Low Bradfield...
valleys.
After the Norman Conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
Worrall was mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as being part of the land held by Roger de Busli
Roger de Busli
Roger de Busli was a Norman baron who accompanied William the Conqueror on his successful conquest of England in 1066....
. Throughout its history Worrall was closely connected with the nearby village of Wadsley which lies two km to the SW. In 1541 Henry Everingham was named as lord of the manor of both villages in a charter which granted relief from paying certain duties as long as tenants paid their annual rent. The manor of Worrall was transferred to the ownership of Robert Swyft in 1557 and then to Sir Francis Leake before passing into the estates of the Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
. In the 18th century the Stead family estate owned properties in Worrall, at his death Thomas Stead (1728–93) owned 16 properties and 2000 acres (8.1 km²) in various parts of Hallamshire
Hallamshire
Hallamshire is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, in the current city of Sheffield.The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hallam" originating from a formation meaning "on the rocks"...
and Sheffield. Throughout this period Worrall was predominantly a farming community.
Worrall developed some small scale industry at the onset of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when some small Little Mester workshops were set up to make cutlery and knives. Nearby Wadsley had a reputation for making pocket knives
Pocket knife
A pocket knife is a folding knife with one or more blades that fit inside the handle that can still fit in a pocket. It is also known as a jackknife or jack-knife...
and Worrall found it easier to trade with Wadsley than with the more distant Sheffield.
Ganister
Ganister
A ganister is hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone, or orthoquartzite, used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces...
mining and quarrying were other industries that grew in the area. Quarrying developed from the middle of the 17th century when there was an expansion of farming in the area and farmhouses and cottages needed to be built for the workers. The biggest quarry in the area was the Middlewood quarry off Mowson Lane which was owned by George Turner. Local historian Joe Castle has suggested that stone from this quarry was used to build the Wicker Arches
Wicker Arches
The Wicker Arches form a long railway viaduct across the Don Valley in the City of Sheffield, England. They take their name from the thoroughfare The Wicker, which passes through the main arch of the viaduct and was, until the completion of the Sheffield Parkway, the main route eastwards from the...
in Sheffield. The quarry closed at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and is now a new housing development. There were three Ganister mines in the immediate Worrall area. The Yews Mine and the Langhouse Mine were owned by Charles Bramall, while the Stubbin Mine was owned by the Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge is a residential village on the northern outskirts of Sheffield within the bounds of Bradfield Parish Council. The village stands northwest of the city centre in the valley of the River Don...
Silica Firebrick Company and was the last to close in November 1927.
Present day
Today Worrall is mostly a residential village with a mixture of new and older housing. Most of its working residents commute to their jobs in Sheffield and other areas. There is a higher proportion of older people in the village compared to the rest of Sheffield with 32% of the population aged between 45 and 64. 87% of the houses in Worrall are owner occupied, a high figure compared to the 60% average for Sheffield as a whole. There are still several farms on the periphery of the village but farming is much reduced from the 19 farms that existed in the immediate area in the 1930s. Some such as Lund Farm, Grange Farm and The Yews Farm have been sold for housing development in recent years. The last farm to operate in the centre of Worrall is the Wiggan dairy farm on Towngate Road.Significant buildings
There are two public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in the village. The Blue Ball is believed to have been originally two cottages which were connected at some time to make bigger premises. There is no documented date of origin although it was registered as a public house in the Sheffield Directory in 1851. The Shoulder of Mutton was formerly farm buildings but has been a pub since at least 1817, it was modernised in the 1980s. Worrall Independent Chapel dates from 1878 and has a foundation stone inscribed "This stone was laid by John Wycliffe Wilson of Sheffield July 15th 1878". Worrall National school was founded in 1848 and eventually closed in 1966 with the pupils being transferred to Oughtibridge Primary School, the old school house is now a private residence. Bradfield School
Bradfield School
Bradfield School is a secondary school situated on the edge of the village of Worrall, in the parish of Bradfield, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The school caters for pupils between the ages of 11 and 16. It is a specialist Engineering College and provides specialised courses such as...
, a secondary school for pupils aged between 11 and 16 was built in 1957 on Kirk Edge Road as it leaves the village, there are approximately 1000 pupils at the school.
Worrall Hall situated on Kirk Edge Road is the oldest building in Worrall but it has three distinct sections all of different time periods. The west wing dates from the 16th century while the central section has a date stone of 1720, the eastern section dates from 1820. The Hall was formerly a listed building but was taken of the list in 1985, it is a private house and has undergone renovation work in recent years after becoming run down. The adjoining Worrall Hall Farm has not been a working farm for many years. The Yews is a building located on Worrall Road as it enters the village from the SE. It dates from the 1880s and was formerly a hospital it is now owned by Sheffield Primary Care Trust and is used as offices for the Mental Health Team.
The Worrall Memorial Hall is a venue for local social and fundraising activities, it is situated near the local park. Hillsborough Golf Club lies to the south of the village, the course was created in 1920 with the club house added in 1936. Worrall Male Voice Choir was formed on 7 September 1970 and is a highly respected local vocal group which is based in the village, it has a busy schedule of concerts and fund raising activities.