The Link

There is one remaining derelict pub at Park Hill, The Link, located near Duke Street. The landlord lived in a flat above on Hague Row and had direct access down stairs to behind the bar. A further staircase leads into a cellar where we can still see the pumps adorned with the names of the beers once served.

Undeveloped Flanks

Inside the flats, fixtures have been removed leaving the empty rooms in varying levels of decay—often peeling wallpaper and plaster hanging from the ceiling. We can see how the wallpaper that survives is a far cry from the white painted walls in the redeveloped flats of today.

Service Tunnel

In the basement beneath our home, is the service tunnel which runs the full length of the building. Through this subterranean world, all the utility services are distributed to the building - cold water, hot water (Phase 1), electrics, telecoms. The labels on the pipes are British Standard compliant and allow the contents to be safely identified.

The tunnel follows the slope of the hill where the change in level must be negotiated by steps or ladder. There are also sections where the ceiling is especially low making it necessary to duck down - hard hats are a necessity!

The Roof

From the bottom of the building we now go to the top, where the roof offers a 360 degree panoramic view across the estate and Sheffield. This constant flat roofline is a key design element of the building, allowing it to vary in height from 4 to 13 floors.

The roof is punctuated above each riser by the vents from the air extraction system. We can see how the design of these varies across the redevelopment and undeveloped phases. Another feature on the roof is the A-frame which secures the abseilers that undertake the window cleaning. See how these are secured in place using weights and lockable wheels.

The roof is also where the Green Working Group is negotiating to get solar panels installed - you can read about progress with this elsewhere in this newsletter.

Jonathan K. | newsletter@parkhillpeople.org

Many thanks to Jim, Jon and Surriya for facilitating access to these hidden places.