
Woodseats

Woodseats is a district of Sheffield, South Yorkshire in the Graves Park ward. Historically, Norton Woodseats () was a village that straddled Derbyshire Lane running from Four Lane Ends to Bolehill (now part of Graves Park), originally in Derbyshire but since 1901, part of the City of Sheffield.
The name "Woodseats" comes from the Old English "Wodesettes", which means a 'fold in a wood'. Nether Woodseats itself was little more than a cluster of cottages around a road called 'The Dale' close to the intersection of Woodseats Road and Chesterfield Road (A61) and Upper Woodseats, near the Abbey Lane and Chesterfield Road junction.
The first annual Woodseats Festival took place in July 2006.
Schools.
There are two schools in the Woodseats area: "Abbey Lane Primary School" and "Woodseats Primary School".
Public houses.
Current public houses.
There are a number of public houses situated on Chesterfield Road:
Cinemas.
Woodseats once boasted two cinemas but neither of these are still in existence.
The Woodseats Palace
Situated on Chesterfield Road the Woodseats Palace opened in 1911 and closed some time in the late 1950s. The building subsequently became a supermarket under various names until it was eventually bought by the Wetherspoons chain and is now The Woodseats Palace public house.
The Chantrey Picture House
Situated on Chesterfield Road this building was subsequently used as offices for a number of years by the construction company Gleesons.
Churches.
Churches in Woodseats include: "St Chad's Parish Church", "Woodseats Evangelical Church", "Woodseats Baptist Church" and "Woodseats Methodist Church" .
Our Lady of Beauchief and St Thomas of Canterbury.
A Roman Catholic church situated at the boundary of Woodseats and Meadowhead. Our Lady of St Thomas was founded at the request of local Catholics who had been meeting at the Big Tree public house due to the lack of a suitable church in the area. The first building was erected in 1910 and remained as a temporary structure until the existing building was erected and opened in 1932.
St Chad's Church.
The first stone of the building was laid on 3 August 1911. The nave and aisles were built first and the church was consecrated on 25 July 1912, costing £5,100. The chancel, vestries and organ were added in 1933 and cost £4,460. The original design of the building was modelled on 14th century English designs and is the only Anglican church designed by the Catholic architects Hadfield & Hadfield.
The church was built using local rubble for the walls, Bath stone for the window tracery and nave arcade, and Westmorland slates for the roof.
The Vicarage was built in 1914 for £1,800 and is one of the last large vicarages to be built.
Today St Chad's Church , situated on Linden Avenue, is a lively church which seeks to serve the community.
It has regular Sunday services at 9am and 11.00am as well as youth activities, small groups and a thriving Third Age Ministry reaching out to older people in the community.
Other notable buildings.
Other places of note include: "The Double Six Youth Club" and "Woodseats Scout Unit".
The Roddick Building.
Woodseats Medical Centre, Woodseats Library, Lloyds Pharmacy.
Opening in 2017, The Roddick Building is built on the site of the old Woodseats Library. Built as a community hub by the owners of the Medical Centre, it houses both the Public Library on the ground floor, the Medical Centre on the second floor and offices related to the Medical Centre on the third floor. There is also a Lloyds Pharmacy attached next to the main entrance.
The building is step free access, with the Library being on the bottom floor, and with two lifts serving the Medical Centre, there are two Disabled Parking bays but the rest of the parking is for Staff only.
Woodseats Police Station.
A station which used to have an incident desk, Woodseats Police Station lost this amenity in the mid-2000s. The station is a manned station, but has no public access. It is the base for the Sheffield South West Policing Team.
Sport.
Woodseats is currently represented by two footballing teams; Woodseats FC and Woodseats B FC. Both currently compete in the Sheffield & District Fair Play League.
Parks.
Graves Park is situated around the area. Trees rise up on the hillside and the park is home to two playgrounds, tennis courts, golf course, animal farm, waterfall wood, and a large waterfall.
In popular culture.
In the 1977 film "The Price of Coal", a reference is made to a militant colliery at Woodseats where the officials are Communists and would not endorse a visit by royalty. In fact, there was no colliery at Woodseats at the time.