Where IS Fulwood Anyway?

Sheffield? Probably the best place to start is the church.

An 1850 map shows the original building surrounded by a few cottages, one or two grand houses set in their own grounds; then a number of very rural farms. The church has been much extended from the 1950s onwards to accommodate a growing congregation. But essentially and traditionally Fulwood IS its church.

The first public transport to approach the district was the tram via Fulwood Road - which terminated (in 1901) at Storth Lane a few yards short of the junction of roads at Nether Green.  The destination on the tram was "FULWOOD" although it was a good half a mile up the hill to the church!"

In 1904 a second route arrived via Rustlings Road creeping up the hill and out onto Fulwood Road at "NETHER GREEN", somewhat nearer to Fulwood than the Fulwood tram terminus! In 1923 both services finally reached Fulwood Canterbury Avenue alongside the church.

In 1937 the Fulwood tram route was replaced by a bus service - numbered 60 and extended past the church to Brooklands Avenue where a small shopping centre developed for the growing community of (relatively) wealthy residents.

The tram via Rustlings Road was replaced by the 88 bus in 1952 and in 1955 some service 60 journeys were extended up Crimicar Lane to serve a developing housing area around the junction with Hallamshire Road. These particular journeys showed "CRIMICAR LANE".   So everything still makes sense.

10 years later the Crimicar Lane route was extended further up the hill and around to Barncliffe Road to serve the now substantial development of  "Hassall Homes" built on the former rural hillside.   Some 60s terminated at Woofindin Road (near the church) and showed "NETHER GREEN" and a few journeys that still turned at Hallamshire Road now showed "FULWOOD".

Finally in 1971 to allow for one man operation, the route was diverted to run up Hallamshire Road, into Barncliffe Road and back down Crimicar Lane.   Some journeys still turned at Fulwood Church (still shown as "Nether Green"!)

And eventually we arrive at the situation today with the dubious privilege of competition.

The 60 has been renumbered 40 (why?) and now shows "FULWOOD" although it still follows the former 60 (Crimicar Lane) route far, far from the real Fulwood. Meanwhile the competing Stagecoach route 120, which now strays even further from its "Crimicar Lane" heritage, still shows "Crimicar Lane" despite shadowing the 40 (Fulwood?) stop for stop for all but the last half mile or so.

Only the erstwhile 88, which became an 86 and is now a 6, runs to traditional "Fulwood".

Just to add to the increasing incomprehensibility, Stagecoach thinks its service 120 terminates at Redmires Road Hallam Grange Road (which it does!) whereas Travel South Yorkshire tells us it runs to Lodge Moor (which it most definitely doesn't!!!)

Confused (dot com?) - fbb, not at all surprised!

P.S. For about 20 years fbb lived by the orange arrow on the upper part of Crimicar Lane - please feel free to go and visit the non-existent blue plaque.