# Park Hill Flats - Sheffield - May '08



## Mr Sam (May 26, 2008)

so i was up in sunny (but windy) sheffield and recalled seing some brilliant reports on quite a dwelling, no picture can prepare you for the vastness of these all interlinked with concrete walkways

wind whistling down the hallways/landings doors banging and bumped into 2 small kids taking photo's 

seems some of it is still lived in and the ground floor day nursery is still active but its amazing well worth a visit if your in the area im sure some of the flats and the roofs are accesible if your feeling athletic but the wind was putting me off big time 

i know theres alot of pictures and the exterior looks rather bland and identical but i love it 





































a fair bit of it is heavily guarded off i presume to stop drug nests forming and squatters, was quite suprised how easy accesible the bits i went to were although some appear to be lived in






youve been warned






lights are on up here






bit of a panoramic of about HALF of the complex 











the wind was literaly blowing me backwards along here






as you can see there are still some residents






back on the floor






the walkways






a park






the clubhouse











liked these angular walkway thingys on each individual flat


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## MD (May 26, 2008)

thats a huge site mr sam
know what you mean about windy on the roof !!!


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## Goldie87 (May 26, 2008)

It looks a cool place mate


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## Mr Sam (May 26, 2008)

looking at another report ive somehow missed about 80% of the complex  its blooming huuuge


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## thompski (May 27, 2008)

Whenever I go through/to Sheffield i'm always amazed by this amazing example of Brutalist architecture. Good job its Grade II listed.

Isn't it being restored and turned into luxury apartments?


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## Derek (May 27, 2008)

This place used ot have THE best lifts of any block of flats anywhere. They were more or less normal metal council estate lifts that smelt of wee, but with the back wall glazed so you could see out.

They're quite high flats anyway, but also on top of a big hill, so the views out of the lift as it went up were simply stunning to the point of scary. It must have been hell living there for anyone with a fear of heights!

Derek


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## The_Revolution (May 27, 2008)

Great report  I've been meaning to go up there myself.

I've been fascinated by those flats; there's almost something Soviet about them (Sheffield council architects must of been closet communists). One of those buildings that has to be protected, not because they're anything nice, but because they're a fairly rare find.


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## **Mudlark** (May 27, 2008)

Wow, what a place to spend a day... or three! lol!
Can't believe people still live there, must be a bit grim!
Would love to see some shots from the roof, bet the views are fab!!!


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## thompski (May 27, 2008)

The_Revolution said:


> Great report  I've been meaning to go up there myself.
> 
> I've been fascinated by those flats; there's almost something Soviet about them (Sheffield council architects must of been closet communists). One of those buildings that has to be protected, not because they're anything nice, but because they're a fairly rare find.



Funny you mention that Rev because i'm sure it was nicknamed 'The Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire' during the Thatcher period, i'm sure the Sheffield members on here would be more informed then I am. It was inspired by a French block, called the Unite D'habitation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit%C3%A9_d%27Habitation

Urban Splash are restoring this, and have a good reputation when it comes to restoring buildings, not just 19th century mills but also 1960s buildings such as this and the Rotunda in Birmingham. 

http://www.urbansplash.co.uk/


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## Mr Sam (May 27, 2008)

Derek said:


> This place used ot have THE best lifts of any block of flats anywhere. They were more or less normal metal council estate lifts that smelt of wee, but with the back wall glazed so you could see out.
> 
> They're quite high flats anyway, but also on top of a big hill, so the views out of the lift as it went up were simply stunning to the point of scary. It must have been hell living there for anyone with a fear of heights!
> 
> Derek




i didnt think to even see if the doors would budge





















random google image to give an indication of how little of it ive covered! and to think if it wasnt boarded and secured you could go in one end walk god knows how far and get to the other side as there all interlinked, also read somewhere milkfloats used to deliver up there




> Park Hill, Sheffield
> The estate, dubbed 'San Quentin' by residents after the notorious jail, has grade II* listed status.



thats nice!!! (lifted from the Guardian online)


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## Gibbo (May 27, 2008)

thompski said:


> Urban Splash are restoring this, and have a good reputation when it comes to restoring buildings, not just 19th century mills but also 1960s buildings such as this and the Rotunda in Birmingham.



I think they'll get their fingers burnt on this project!


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## spawney (Jun 14, 2008)

Hi.
I used to live in one of these flats back in 1992. Your pictures of the place have really brought back some memories of the place. Under the flats makes a good explore too, all the blocks are connected by heating / utility tunnels with laddered ducts going all the way to the white louvred cabinets on the roof. I found out about these when I needed to sneakily get my CB antenna up there 
Next time I'm in Sheffield I'm definitely going to have a explore round there.


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## Mr Sam (Jun 14, 2008)

wow!!! thanks for sharing that, popped in here on the way back from high royds today 











watched 2 young chavs launching bricks at windows, and discovered the lifts still worked!


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## NobodyGirl (Jun 14, 2008)

Mr Sam said:


> wow!!! thanks for sharing that, popped in here on the way back from high royds today
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Them photos are AWESOME!!!!


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## Goldie87 (Jun 15, 2008)

The place is so utterly grim its fantastic lol. Really wanna go back and spend some time getting some decent shots!


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## Kezza (Jun 15, 2008)

Yeah being as you where to buisy argueing with your other half yoiu couldnt get any decent shots!!!! Lol

was a good day out! thanks again Mr Sam!


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## cstevens (Jun 17, 2008)

Wow, great shots, and on my doorstep. I think this could be my first expore....nice and easy one first.

Whos up for a group trip here


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## PROJ3CTM4YH3M (Aug 31, 2008)

Is this worth visiting?

looks a rough area and is alot of it accessible?
x


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## Mr Sam (Aug 31, 2008)

theres a fair bit you can just walk in but beware of kids chucking bricks at windows etc


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## sheffieldbloke (Jun 29, 2009)

Hello first post 
there is a great difference now all insides have been ripped out looks like a big mouth organ i will try to get some pics this week


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## cstevens (Jun 29, 2009)

Well its been exactly a year since my visit there

http://www.only-photos.co.uk/?folder=content/Decay in the UK/Park Hill Flats June/

I might well be up for a quick run over there to have a look at whats changed now, when I went, 1 block was still enhabited and only the far side was under development.


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