In 2010 we did a story in The Cruck (which we’ve reproduced below) regarding the wonderful old Pheasant Inn on Attercliffe Road which was disgracefully trashed and felt that recent events warranted this re-running of the original article complete with the photographs.
The end product of this wilful damage was a very numb and battleship-grey building which contributed nothing to the Attercliffe streetscape. Presumably the owners thought they would catch the curry trade from the nearby Sheffield Arena at turning out time. Apparently, this was not to be as the building is now empty and up for rent. Perhaps an unaltered and original pub would have been a better idea.
Let’s hope a similar fate does not await the nearby Grade II listed Carbrook Hall public house across the road which is ripe for a makeover. Hopefully the unnecessary destruction of The Pheasant will be a salutary lesson to the powers that be, showing what the result of a ‘five-minute-wonder’ scheme can be.
Irreversible means what it says.
STUMBLING TO DISASTER – The Cruck 2010
One of the most disastrous losses to Sheffield’s pub heritage last year was the disgraceful trashing of The Stumble Inn on Attercliffe Road at Carbrook near the Meadowhall Retail Park. You will remember that this was a prominent building with a distinctive faience frontage, was formerly known as The Pheasant Inn and was one of many built by the Duncan Gilmour Brewery.
It was such a fine example of it type that CAMRA (Campaign For Real Ale) submitted an application for spot-listing on the 20th June 2009. Word got back to the owners and the following weekend the wrecking gangs moved in and did their work, not only to the interior but also the
exterior. All the wonderful faience was removed, which must have been a big job in itself, leaving a bare square shell. The gutting of the interior was an even bigger tragedy as it contained a complete and original Edwardian bar, snug and snooker room with original leather seating which were all intact.
The madness of the current law is that owners of such properties must be notified of a possible listing and what has happened here is an obvious reaction. This same law also states that if a building preservation order is slapped on an unlisted building, then the owner has a right to claim compensation from the Council. A proposed clause to get around this situation was included in the new Heritage Protection Bill which unfortunately fell at the first hurdle when presented to Parliament. Let’s hope it will eventually be implemented and thus prevent this happening again. Shame on the owners, the Doncaster based Vigo Group. In a press interview Vigo Director Tariq Shah said “the original nameplate—The Pheasant—is being retained”. So that’s all right then.
As to the poor old Pheasant, now that it’s had its feathers plucked, its future is uncertain. The only rumour that I’ve heard is that it may become yet another Indian restaurant. Just what we need.
The Cruck 2010
Lived at the pheasant in the sixties, attended Carbrook school, then ParkHouse.
At the back of the pub was a square pit fenced its whole perimeter with iron railings, known as the bear pit, was it ?.
I lived at the pheasant Inn in the 40′ s 50′ s loved it but we moved to Nottingham in the early 50-s . I remember we had a snooker team which played against other teams .I well remember the
lovely snooker room and in another room there was a bagatelle table. The Buffs used to meet in the club room upstairs and my Mum would do black pudding for them . I was very happy there and we had lovely regulars and friends all probably gone now as are my parents Wilf and Madge Greaves and my brother Ted