This article appeared in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Thursday 06 June 1912
THRIFTY WALKLEY. GARDEN SUBURB OF HALF CENTURY AGO.
SCHEMES DASHED.
Half a century ago Walkley was a place of gardens and fields, of trees and ferns, of hills and rocks; it was a place beautiful of situation. Its rows of unlovely cottages had not yet appeared, it had not been overrun by the despoiling jerry-builder. Few men know more of Walkley and its development than Mr. Charles Hobson, and he tells the interesting story in the latest issue of the Town Planning Review.”
About the middle of last century effort was made by a number of social reformers in the district of Sheffield to help the artisan classes living near the works where they were employed, to migrate the suburbs for healthful and remunerative exercise and with the further object of their permanent residence there. Walkley was selected for this excellent scheme. The fields abutting on Upperthorpe, Langsett Road, and the old turnpike road. Lower Walkley, were the first be appropriated for the purpose. Others followed in quick succession until a dozen societies or more had been formed with about 3,000 holders. The land dealt with covered an area of about 292 acres. The plots varied from 300 to 1,200 yards and the price from Is. per square yard as a minimum to 2s. a maximum, plus the bonus for choice of plot—.ranging from £1 to £2—with cost of road making, management, legal and other charges, resulting usually in the plot becoming £60, and the £60 plot £l20. Scarcely had the plots been staked out before the owners were digging and delving, fencing building, in tho early morn and late at night, and soon the rough plots took the shape of beautiful gardens, and the little freeholder with his wife and family had been given a new inspiration in life. Soon detached houses were built on the plots, the hillside was studded with little villas, and Walkley became the workers’ West End.
Drawbacks and Disaster.
But there were drawbacks to come. Some of the land societies met with disaster, but the chief agent responsible for the ending of the land society system in the Sheffield district was the exorbitant demands made the Sheffield's Corporation for road dedication. Take five typical cases.
A 600 yards plot cost £90, Corporation charge for road dedication £45;
600 yards plot cost £70, corner plot, road dedication £126 ;
600 yards plot £70, comer plot, dedication £126;
600 yards plot with three houses, dedication £126;
600 yards plot, with two houses, dedication £126.
So exorbitant were these demands that quite a number of holders had tried to rid themselves of their plots. They were not able to meet the liability. One holder offered his plot to the Corporation free if he could be rid of his liability; another sold for £26 what had cost him £l00, another for what had paid for; another got £l2 for what had cost him £50. This put end to many of the dreams of these industrious freeholders in Walkley's garden suburb. Some by the aid of friends have been able to retain their little plots and the houses upon them, but others have ridded themselves of their holdings, while still others are yet struggling with their burdens regretting that they ever became freeholders in the workers’ West End.
It is necessary, concmdes Mr. Hobson, for confidence to restored an assurance of security before workmen can again be induced to invest their savings in land development schemes, and this might done were the local authority agree to take over roads when first made upon conditions which were reasonable and fair, and it might not be too much expect that the Local Government Board might grant facilities for acquiring land for such purpose in view of its great influence for good upon the working unity.”
For more information about Victorian Land Society's in Walkley there is an excellent blog on the Walkley Historians site that explains the development of Walkley in the Victorian era
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