About Handsworth
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Handsworth lies about five miles to the south east of Sheffield and spans the link road (the "Parkway") between the city and the main motorway in the UK (the M1). The main road in Handsworth is the old A57 to Worksop which passes through its centre.
Handsworth is a mixture of old and new. It was recorded in the Domesday Book survey in 1086, and its name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "the land enclosed around Hands farmhouse". St Mary's Parish Church, which stands close to the main road at the highest point in Handsworth, dates from 1170, and its spire can be seen from many miles away in most directions. Handsworth has a link with the USA, in that one its inhabitants, a Quaker called Mahlon Stayce, emigrated with his family to America in the 1670s and set up the town of Trenton which has since become the capital city of the state of New Jersey.
The centre of Handsworth, near to the Parish Church, consists mainly of stone-built property which dates from the early 1900s and before. The small shops in this area contribute significantly to a village atmosphere, but, as in many other places in the UK, their continued existence is threatened by shopping malls and superstores, one of which is within walking distance.
However, Handsworth consists mainly of housing developments which date from the 1940s to the present. Its population is estimated to be about 15,000, and is fairly mixed in terms of age, wealth, employment status, and so on. Unlike some other parts of Sheffield, it does not have any real pockets or concentrations of types of people, and its problems are typical of an area of its nature, but are not extreme. During recent years, some difficulties have been introduced by fairly severe reductions in public funding from the local authority - for example, the closure of the Handsworth Branch of the City Library some years ago came as a great disappointment to many in the community.
Handsworth also accommodates a significant number of business in addition to the small shops: a hypermarket, service businesses and small manufacturing firms.
There is a considerable amount of community activity in Handsworth: it has for example four churches, a parish centre (the Old Rectory) which belongs to St Mary's Church, a cub and scout troop, a community nursery, a historical society, an operatic society, a brass band, a Laurel and Hardy appreciation society, and, last, but not least, a community forum.
More about the history of Handsworth can be found by following the History link in the navigation window (to the left).
Last modified 15-03-2005 17:54
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