Gleadless Valley (ward) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gleadless Valley |
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|---|---|
 Shown within Sheffield |
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| Population | 21,089 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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| Councillors | Cate McDonald (Labour Party) Paul Turpin (Green Party) Alexi Dimond (Green Party |
Gleadless Valley is a large area in the southern part of Sheffield, England. It's one of 28 "wards" in the city. A ward is like a local neighborhood or district used for elections. In 2011, about 21,000 people lived here.
The Gleadless Valley ward includes several smaller areas. These are Gleadless Valley itself (which has the neighborhoods of Hemsworth and Herdings), along with Heeley, Lowfield, and Meersbrook. This ward is also part of the Sheffield Heeley area, which elects a Member of Parliament to the House of Commons.
Contents
Exploring the Districts of Gleadless Valley Ward
Heeley: A Historic Sheffield Suburb
Heeley is a historic area in the south of Sheffield. It used to be a small village. People have lived here since at least 1343! Its name means "high, woodland clearing."
Heeley was once split into three parts: Upper, Middle, and Lower Heeley. The main road through Heeley is the A61 London Road/Chesterfield Road. This road was built in 1757. It was a "turnpike road," meaning you had to pay a toll to use it. A toll booth was located in Heeley, right on the old border between Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
The Midland Main Line railway, built in 1870, also runs through Heeley. There used to be a train station and a place for train carriages here.
Hemsworth: A Gleadless Valley Neighborhood
Hemsworth is a neighborhood within Gleadless Valley. It's close to Herdings, Meersbrook, Norton, and Rollestone. You can mostly get to Hemsworth from Blackstock Road. There are shops and a bus stop along this road.
Hemsworth Primary School used to be here, but it was replaced by a new school called Valley Park. The old school site is now empty.
Herdings: Sheffield's High Point and Tram Stop
Herdings is another part of Gleadless Valley. It borders Hemsworth and Gleadless. Herdings used to be the highest point in Sheffield! Now, tall apartment buildings called the "Herdings high-rise flats" are at the top of the hill. There were once three of these buildings, but one was taken down.
Herdings is served by Sheffield's Supertram, which is a light rail system. The tram line ends here, right next to a bus stop.
Meersbrook: Park Views and Museum History
Meersbrook is a neighborhood south of Heeley. Its name comes from the "Meers Brook" stream. This stream means "boundary brook." Long ago, this brook, along with the River Sheaf, was the border between two ancient kingdoms: Northumbria and Mercia. It even stayed the border between Yorkshire and Derbyshire until the 1900s!
A big part of Meersbrook is taken up by Meersbrook Park. This park is on a steep hill and offers amazing views over central Sheffield. Inside the park, you'll find two old buildings:
- Bishops' House was built around 1500. It's one of Sheffield's oldest buildings and is now a museum.
- Meersbrook House was built in 1780 by Benjamin Roebuck. It used to be home to the Ruskin Museum until 1950. The museum was started by John Ruskin in 1871. You can still see parts of the Ruskin collection at Sheffield's Millennium Galleries.
In 1885, Sheffield City Council bought Meersbrook House and the land to create a public park for everyone to enjoy.
Gleadless Valley: A 1950s Community
The area known as Gleadless Valley is a housing estate and suburb built in the 1950s. It includes the neighborhoods of Herdings, Hemsworth, and Rollestone.
