Castles In The Square (4)

fbb mentioned that the 1945 plan for the rebuilding of Sheffield ...

... included the proposed route of a magnificent inner ring road.

Even in 1945 its route round the east of the city was never 100% clear. When fbb arrived in late September 1963 he was mystified by a short section of dual carriageway at the bottom of The Moor.

The Moor, a major shopping street and main bus artery, was very badly damaged by the Sheffield Blitz.

Although the main shops were rebuilt the area at the southern end (Moorfoot) remained undeveloped. But there was a very odd bit of dual carriageway linking the Moorfoot roundabout with a second roundabout by St Marys Church. (Seen above to right of the junction).

The road was new and was the very first section of the inner ring road. It was about ¼ mile long! While fbb was studying, the next section, Hanover Way, was being built ...

... originally single carriageway but with land acquired for later dualling, leading from Moorfoot to the University area. This was followed by Netherthorpe Road ...

... down the hill to the Don Valley. But by the end of the decade these bits of road were all that was built of the proposed inner ring. It has never been completed.

Netherthorpe Road was planned with a wide central reservation which became part of the tram route between city and Hillsborough. There are tram stops for the University, halfway down the hill for Netherthorpe ...

...  and at the bottom of the hill at Shalesmoor.

Apart from the tram, these genuine bits of the 1945-planned ring road are not generally used by buses and if they are, they don't have bus stops on them.

fbb's memory may be at fault but he thinks that the little bit of St Mary's Gate was used by Sheffield Transport route 74 on its way from the bus station to Greystones.

Back To Castle Square
The "Hole In The Road" was a truly wonderful experience in the first few years of its existence. There were tubs of flowers ...

... a bus enquiry office, entrances to many of the quality stores ...

... and the famous fish tank.

But all that wonder remained hidden as the hole was ...

... dug and fitted out ...

... and provided with its "eggshell" roof.

It became a busy and attractive place and, with escalators or ramps at all four "corners", it was  fully "accessible" as we would say today.

But after the major road works to create the circular square, bus services quickly returned to normal with just a few stops moved.

It may come as a surprise for our younger readers to learn that, in the first years of Arundel Gate's callow youth, bus services did not use this broad and free-flowing highway in the centre of the city.

Look! No bus stops, just "service laybys". How things have changed!

The above snap is of buses at the busy stands alongside the Arundel Gate colonnade of Walsh's former store. And opposite!

As some bus managers are wont to say, using some uncharacteristic asperity, "D*mn the tram!"

 Next Castles blog - Friday 8th May