A Walk Around the Village

The oldest part of the building faces Cross Grove House and is known to be more than 300 years old. When the turnpike road was built at the beginning of the 19th century, Samuel Hopkinson, a farmer and scythe maker, took the opportunity to open a pub. During the 18th and 19th centuries a stagecoach ran regularly between Sheffield, Bakewell and Buxton. The building to the left provided stabling for the horses used to pull the coaches. The Cross Scythes was also the terminus for the horse bus which ran from Dore & Totley station from 1885 until shortly before the First World War. 

Opposite the Cross Scythes is Grange Terrace.  The lower section was built in 1895 but the upper terrace is earlier.  It includes the old Police Station at number 331, the old Post Office at number 337 dated 1882 and, between the two, Howard’s Farm which dates from 1773.

Prior to the building of the turnpike (now Baslow Road) in the 19th century there was no road from Sheffield to Totley.  The main route was the ancient lane leading from Holmesfield in the south to Dore in the north via Totley. This is now cut in two by Baslow Road and the short walk continues firstly down Totley Hall Lane on the Holmesfield side before returning to the cross roads and continuing down Hillfoot Road on the Dore side. 

A listed building dating from around 1813.  Originally  there were three cottages: Toft House, Rose Cottage and Toft Cottage.  In the mid 1850s Toft House was a shop which was run by the family of Job Green who was the publican and farmer at the Cross Scythes. 

Prior to 1923 Totley was part of Dore parish.  All Saints Church was built on land donated by William Aldam Milner and his wife of Totley Hall.  The chancel is dedicated to the memory of  their younger son Roy who was killed in action in World War I. 

Dated 1827 and built at the expense of Mr D’Ewes Coke of Totley Hall.  The plaque has recently been renewed.  The school could serve about 30 pupils and was in use until a larger school was built on Hillfoot Road in 1876.  The old infant school building also included living accommodation for the teacher. 

Built by William Aldam Milner in 1887 and occupied by senior family servants until the death of Mr Milner in 1931.  It is now a private house. 

Built by George Newbould in 1623.  There were alterations and additions in the late 19th century.  Ownership passed to Sheffield City Council in 1949 and the hall was opened as a College of Housecraft in 1950.  In 1963 it became a Teacher Training College and in 1977 it became part of the Sheffield City Polytechnic which eventually became Sheffield Hallam University.  It was sold in 2006 and has been converted into privately owned apartments. 

The walk now returns along the west side of Totley Hall Lane back to the crossroads.

Once the Home Farm of Totley Hall.  It was built about 1780 and there are early 19th century additions to the left.  A survey of 1549 shows that this land was being farmed at that date so there may have been an earlier farmhouse on the site. 

On your journey back along Totley Hall Lane, detour to the left at Stocks Green Drive and walk up the hill to the T-junction.

The well originally stood at the lower corner of the Fleur-de-Lys car park.  It was moved to its current site in 1983 when the Stocks Green estate was being built. 

The current building dates from 1933 and stands on what was formerly the village green.  The stocks once stood here and there was also a pinfold to the rear of the old Fleur which stood further back than the present building.  It is thought that this may be the third inn on the site. Brian Edwards, the well-known local historian, believes that there was an ale house called The Quene here as far back as 1561. 

The building has now been converted into apartments.

Cross Baslow Road at the pedestrian crossing and walk around the corner into Hillfoot Road.

Stands on land that originally belonged to the Cross Scythes where the stagecoach horses were rested and grazed.  The house was built in 1884 and gets its name from the old Market Cross which stood opposite the end of Summer Lane.  The large stone visible in the grass outside the boundary wall of Cross Grove House is thought to be the base of the old cross now largely covered by earth.  Legend has it that John Wesley was mobbed here by ‘Totley louts’. 

Holly Tree Cottage is all that remains of two rows of terraced cottages that housed a thriving community of about 50 people.  This included a smithy, four file shops and a grocers.  Formerly known as Ogden’s Road it was served by a walk-down well which stood at the far end of the lane. 

Bryn Cottage, with a date of 1704 above the door, and Moor Cottage are both Grade II listed buildings. 

Turn right into Butts Hill.

Built in the mid 18th century and Grade II listed.  It formerly belonged to the Cannon Hall Farm Estate. 

A Grade II listed cruck-framed farmhouse and adjoining stables and barn under a continuous roof built in the 16th century with early 17th century additions.  The name may derive from the Canons of Beauchief Abbey who passed close by on their way to Strawberry Lee pastures. 

An attractive row of  cottages standing at the end of Butt’s Hill built about 1875 and named after the Earl of Shrewsbury, a local landowner. 

Retrace your steps down Butts Hill back to Hillfoot Road and then turn right down the hill.

Built in 1876 with several extensions and alterations to the original building.  When Totley Tunnel was  being constructed (1888-1892) a wooden addition was built as the children of the navvies swelled school numbers.  It became known as the Mission Hall as it was used for Sunday services and it also served as a community centre until it was demolished in 1939. 

One of the two pinfolds in the village stood at the top of Chapel Lane.  This was where stray animals were kept until their owners paid a fine to the pinder in order to retrieve them.  

Hillfoot Road bends to the right below the Pinfold but continue straight ahead down the narrow Chapel Lane.

The Chapel was built in 1849 for a board of trustees that included both local members and established Methodists including George Bassett (liquorice allsorts) and Thomas Cole, founder of Cole Brothers department store in Sheffield (now John Lewis).  The land for the Chapel was given by Job Green, landlord of the Cross Scythes at this time.  It was extended in 1898, closed in 1967 and converted to a house in the 1970s.