The Old Fulwood Pubs
Life at the Frontier
When Fulwood was mostly farmhouses, farmers brewed their own ale. It was only when outsiders began to come to the area that alehouses began to spring up.
I have already written about the “Norfolk Arms” at Ringinglow. This dates back to c1800 and was built to refresh travellers along the new turnpike road. I have also described how “The Hammer and Pincers” (aka “The Blacksmith’s Arms”) on old Fulwood Road was originally a schoolroom but was converted into selling liquid refreshment following the plans to construct the present Fulwood Road at around the same time.
The “Grouse and Trout” and the “Ocean View” were farms that cashed in on the Rivelin reservoirs construction, and catered for what we would now call tourists for Sheffield. Again I have written about both of these. It is therefore time for me to write about the history of two other inns in Upper Hallam, the ‘Three Merry Lads’ and “The Sportsman.” Like the other inns mentioned, they have stories that I believe should be recorded. First is the Three Merry Lads.
THE THREE MERRY LADS
The above is an advertisement from the Green’ un of 11ith March 1949. It appears immediately below an advertisement for the neighbouring Sportsman Inn.
The building that became the Three Merry Lads began life as a farmhouse built by Richard Marsden and his wife, Ruth, in 1810. It was originally called White Low Farm. Richard left the farm to his son Luke. Luke and his wife, Hannah, obtained a licence to open a beer house in a converted cowshed at the farm in 1833. This was the beginning of the period when the Redmires reservoirs were being constructed. The large adjoining field became known by the locals as ‘t’ fighting field’ as that was where the navvies went to practice those skills, but the name the two Marsdens chose for the pub was ‘The Three Merry Lads’ named after their three young sons. One of Luke and Hannah’s daughters carried on a small ‘Dame School’ at the rear of the inn, until her death in 1857. The ale-house passed to one of the three lads who drew lots to decide who would get the inn itself and who would just get financial compensation!
Once the navvies had gone the Three Merry Lads survived as a meeting place for local farmers and quarrymen and became a popular place for a sing-song. It later benefitted from being close to the No 51 bus terminus and Lodge Moor Hospital. After many years of remaining in the hands of the Marsden family and their relations, it was eventually owned by the Ind Coop brewery who undertook modernisation in the early 1970’s. The singers therefore went along the road to ‘the Sportsman’ until that establishment was also modernised shortly afterwards.
In 1875 the new Sheffield racecourse opened almost directly opposite the Three Merry Lads. Trade was good but the venue only survived for a couple of years. The ‘Fighting Field’ however continued its use, when the Hallamshire Rifles staged manoeuvres in the area (including the field) in 1884 and in other years Regular pigeon shooting competitions were also held in the early 20th century. There was even a report of a horse race meeting being held there in June 1906. It seems that a bookmaker and his clerk took several bets on the favourite that was about to run in the Redmires Stakes “on the Three Merry Lads ground” but the two were seen running off before the race started. They were just about to get into a cab when they were caught by one of the policemen attending along with several punters who had also given chase. They were brought back to the course and made to pay out when the favourite won. They did not have enough money to pay out in full and began tearing up the winning tickets and were arrested. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 26th June 1906 reported the initial appearance in court. A surety was found for £5. The clerk appeared at the trial, but the bookmaker himself was reported as having fled to Canada. The clerk was acquitted because he had only been paid five bob for his work and had not kept amy of the bet money which disappeared with the bookie.
Sheffield Harriers also made the pub a starting point for their regular cross-country runs, but the annual Hallamshire steeplechase was open to all. The runners were handicapped by those thought to be slower being given so many yards head start. It sounds as though it was something of a no-holds-barred event as the report of the 1901 finish stated that two runners entered the run-in together elbowing each other for thirty yards before one fell over yards from the line allowing the other to win, In June 1904 there were 24 starters who turned out to brave the 3 ½ mile course over rough ground in front of what was described as a large crowd. Only two finished, the race was won by the 6/4 favourite, with the only other finisher coming in 10 yards behind. When the soldiers from the camp took over the event in May 1915 the distance was extended to seven miles. Over 150 were started by Colonel Mainwaring. Around 130 finished the course
Like all rural pubs, the Three Merry Lads was the location for several inquests in the 19th century. In 1876 an inquest was held in respect of an old man, Joseph Martin, who died of exposure in snowy conditions, after wandering from the workhouse in Ecclesall Bierlow to an area a little beyond the inn. Another was held when a butcher who had been drinking at the premises was found to have frozen to death when he got lost on his way back. Another inquest was narrowly avoided in 1892 as will be seen from the following story.
Benjamin Lomas who lived in Crimicar Lane was drinking in the kitchen with two friends. A man called David Wragg, whom he did not know) came in at around 10 o’ clock and the four were chatting amicably when there was an explosion at Lomas’ left foot. It seems as though Wragg’s gun had gone off accidentally and Lomas was shot in the foot. Wragg ran away and Lomas was taken to hospital where he had his right toe and part of his foot amputated. Commendably he bore no ill will against his assailant.
A strange incident occurred in June 1920 when a man was discovered leaning against a wall near the inn with his throat cut. He was alive but weak and after saying that his name was Walter Bradshaw and that he came from Ilkeston, he would not say anything about his injury. After investigation, a razor and two large pools of blood were discovered in Canterbury Lane, near Fulwood Church, and a young lad from Stanage near the reservoirs claimed to have seen him there with the injury on that day. Why his movements followed such an erratic course from Fulwood to Stanage and then back to Lodge Moor, were never explained. The man was taken to hospital and survived but what really happened that day was never known.
The inn itself came up for sale in 1900 following the death of the owner and long term licensee, John Thompson Richards. It was described as being the “Old-established and well-accustomed Free beerhouse known as the “Three Merry Lads” ….. together with the Cowhouse, Piggery, Outbuildings and Grass Field, the total area being about 2 acres.
The house contains :- Taproom, Bar, Parlour, Snug, Living Room, Kitchen, Good Cellars and Four Bedrooms.”
The tap room it seems was the old cowshed that had been first drafted into service as the pub. There were two further grass fields available comprising a little under 2 acres. Presumably this was the old fighting field.
Because the premises were so far out it was not unusual for licensing laws to be stretched a little. There were several cases of licensees being fined for the establishment being kept open outside authorised hours including once‘ during the hours of Divine Service’ on a Sunday.
By 1903 the Chief Constable was so annoyed with the establishment that it was placed on a ‘black list’ and in December of that year he went so far as to oppose an application for the licence to be transferred to Fred Marsden. The application was granted and the sympathetic chairman stated that the house was on the outskirts of the city and was somewhat difficult to manage, particularly on Sundays, when people went out there, and hoped that the new tenant would be most careful in his management of the place.
In 1981 a correspondent wrote in to the Sheffield Daily Telegraph with a story about when he was stationed at Redmires Camp in 1914 with the 12th Yorks and Lancs.
The colonel and his adjutant’s horses were stabled behind the 3 Merry Lads, Betty Langley was the Colonel’s groom. She and the adjutants groom would spend much of their time in the alehouse when not required,
The Colonel’s horse developed a cough. When he came to discuss the matter Betty Langley suggested an old remedy. The horse should infuse the fumes from hot beer while under a blanket. The Colonel asked how much beer and she replied that about a gallon a day for about a week should be enough. The Colonel gave her a note to that effect to redeem at the inn. It seems the horse never got to experience the fumes.
In more modern times, there is a report of ‘The Headstone Headache’ run just before Christmas in 1985. It was the sixth such annual event. What was unusual about the 4 ½ mile race was that the runners started and finished at the Three Merry Lads but could take any route they chose over the boggy ground to the stone and back. Notwithstanding the ground and very windy conditions, the winner was a London Doctor who had once worked at the Childrens’ Hospital in Sheffield. His preparation for the event was running the streets of London where he said his nearest similar ground to the course was Regent’s Park.
In 1934 the Water Authority in charge of the Redmires Reservoirs wanted to close the public house along with nearby farms like Fulwood Booth, Ocean View, and the Grouse and Trout which had long since ceased to be licenced premises. The childrens’ holiday home, Fairthorn Green, was also seen as a pollution threat. All above-named were demolished, but the Three Merry Lads survived due to public demand and the fact that it is a considerable distance away from the reservoirs. In March in the same year, wine on-licences were granted to both William Ellis of the Three Merry Lads and to James Nicholson of the neighbouring Sportsman Inn. By the time this photo was taken you will see that The Three Merry Lads was a Tetley establishment. I would guess that the photo was taken in c1972.
Here is how it looks in March 2026
THE SPORTSMAN
The above is the companion advertisement to that for the Three Merry Lads. It appeared next to it in the Green ‘un of 11th March 1949, The Sportsman was promoting John Smith’s beers while the Three Merry Lads was owned by Ind Coope and was therefore promoting its main brand, Double Diamond. The tea- room that could cater for 100 guests just having snacks is rather unusual for a pub. but the children’s playground indicates that the establishment was trying to attract families, whilst the Three Merry Lads was catering more for drinking men in 1949.
Notwithstanding this, there is a later description of the Sportsman in ‘Traditional Singing in West Sheffield 1970-1972’ by Ian Russell. He describes it as having “Small cosy rooms heated by coal fires where working men in work clothes could relax, sing and play pub games. All that went in 1974 when the Brewery decided that more money could be made by making just one open space serving keg beer rather than hand-pulled pints. The Three Merry Lads just down the road had gone the same way a couple of years previously.
The Sportsman also began life as a beer-only establishment. The first reference to it that I have found comes from 1859 when an inquest was held there on Goody Perkins of Redmires, who had died after falling downstairs while helping her husband hang a flitch of bacon over the stairs at home. Other inquests followed in 1866 following the suffocation of four months old Eliza Lomas, who suffocated in the bed she shared with her mother and four-year old brother. Other inquests took place in 1885 on a young man, William Ogden, who drowned himself in the Redmires reservoir and a further inquest was held in 1901 on the body of a four week old baby, Dorothy Gregory.
In 1861 the Sportsman was the location for a pigeon race described as a pigeon flying sweepstakes At the licensing session for 1868 Thomas Greaves was granted renewal of his licence for the Sportsman, despite having a conviction for stealing planks from the Hallamshire Rifle’s nearby encampment. In the same year he had chickens stolen from his establishment, but in the previous year he had been commended for bringing a group of men to justice. It seems as though ten of them were well refreshed when they arrived at the Sportsman at around 21.30, Thomas Greaves suggested that they should be on their way to Sheffield and refused to serve them. In response they went outside and hurled large stones at the windows, breaking them and some of the goods inside. They were fined and ordered to pay the cost of repairs (£2 3/-) between them or face time in prison in default.
Later, yet another Marsden, who was a subsequent landlord there, acquired the old racecourse and was advertising its excellent grass for sheep or cattle grazing in the period leading up to WW1. The landlord, Arthur Marsden, is also reported as having “a bicycle of by-gone date, somewhat broken down and out of order and of little use” which he kept outside the pub. In 1901, a young lad wheeled it away but ended up in court. The front wheel was produced in evidence to show how decrepit the machine was. The magistrate let the lad off with a caution.
The event that appears most often in reports about the Sportsman was the annual meeting of the Fulwood Farmers and Ploughing Association, which included ploughing matches and their show. In 1912 the ‘show dinner’ for members and friends was held at the Sportsman while the Redmires ploughmen were dispatched to the Three Merry Lads for their ‘hearty’ supper. This was the usual arrangement at around that time
Back in June 1897, following the death of Samuel Price, the owner, the Sportsman had come up for sale. It was described as:-
“All that valuable and old-established Free Beerhouse ….. together with the Stabling, Cowhouses, Outbuildings, and a Close of excellent Grass Land containing 2 acres 2 roods and 27 perches.”
The house contained “Taproom, Smokeroom, Parlour, Kitchen, Two Bedrooms, Clubroom, Boxroom and good Cellaring.”
Two other fields in the occupation of Zenas Marsden were also available in a separate lot. The purchaser and new landlord became the same Zenas Marsden who answered the teetotal vicar of Fulwood’s question as to why he had taken over the public house with the astute comment that Jesus himself spent his time amongst publicans and sinners and if he didn’t have it someone else would!
Auctions of agricultural equipment and produce were regular events at the ale-house around the turn of the 20th Century.
In May 1914, the Sheffield and Hallamshire Motorcycle Club held their annual reliability trial which finished at the Sportsman. Shortly afterwards Redmires camp became a training ground for WW1 Soldiers. This directly sabotaged an application to transfer the full liquor licence from the defunct Grouse and Trout, as the Magistrates felt that wines and spirits would be too much temptation for the soldiers in training, so the application was refused in 1915.
The pub’s sports teams figured regularly in the dart and football sections of local newspaper reports from the late 1930’s but a press report from the Sheffield Independent of 3rd June 1935 shows that the Sportsman’s future was at risk. This is what was said in the report (which might be differently expressed these days.)
“Another item of capital expenditure (by the Sheffield Corporation Finance Committee) is one of £10,000 for the purchase of about 66 acres of land at Redmires in connection with a proposed Colony for Mental Defectives. In this connection it is stated that the Committee has given instructions that the Sportsman’s Inn and adjoining land should not be bought without the further approval of the Council.”
The facility was intended to replace an existing establishment at Hollow Meadows. It does not seem as though this went ahead.
The Crosspool Sheep Dog Association also held trials in the field in June 1950. It was reported that some ‘international’ champions had entered.
In more modern times, in December 1963, a floodlit golf driving range was added to the Inn’s attractions. George Thompson, a master builder, was the man behind the venture. The press report on the project’s opening event states
“Mr Thompson is certainly taking a gamble with the English climate of ours, but he is starting with three stalls to be supplemented later with three more. Four large floodlights have been installed.”
I suspect that the venture was short-lived.
Riding for the Disabled organised a ride that began at the Sportsman in March 1984 and in August 1981, none other than John Noakes (of Blue Peter fame) opened the fete held on the Sportsman’s field where 90% of the proceeds were to go towards renovation of the old Ranmoor Vicarage and conversion into a community resource centre for which £55,000 needed to be raised. The other 10% was to go to the Lodge Moor Hospital Spinal Unit Sports Club Appeal.
The field adjoining the Sportsman seems to have been a popular venue in the 1980’s. In May 1985 it hosted the annual meeting of the Morgan Sports Car Club, to which all Morgan drivers were invited and admission was free to all.
This is the Sportsman when it was selling John Smith’s ales. I would guess this was how it looked in 1972 as it is contained in Mr Russell’s thesis concerning pub-singing in the early 1970’s.
Here is the 2026 version
I have only reported events at the two pubs up to the late 80’s. Hopefully someone will publish another update in a further hundred years or so…….