Halls & Houses on Moorgate
Lane End House
Moorgate Grange
Moorgate Hall
Moorgate House
Red House
Swinden House
Whiston Grange
My Ordnance Survey map of 1901 shows a number of very nice houses, halls and granges, with substantial gardens and surrounded by fields and woods along Moorgate. Many of these were built in the 19th Century for the posh folks who no longer wanted to live in the middle of town. These are houses I know a little about but there were many other very nice properties indeed; Woodside, Moorland, Carnforth House with its range of glasshouses, Rotherstoke, South Grove House demolished to make way for South Grove School, which in its turn has made way for Moorgate Crofts Technology Park. The vicarage was a most substantial building still in use when I worked in Beatson Clark's offices next door in the early 1970s - we used to eavesdrop on the garden parties. It was sold and became, for a time, offices for an insurance company. After that it was unoccupied and vandalised. In 2007 the Vicarage has been redeveloped into apartments and more have been built in the gardens.
Lane End House, Sitwell Vale
I think this was belonged to Charles Rhodes who was a mining engineer. Down a private lane it still exists today.
Moorgate Grange
I've been doing a bit more reading and found mention of a Moorgate Grange which was home to John Guest, partner in Guest and Chrimes. By 1901 it was occupied by the Chrimes family. The image that I thought was Moorgate Hall is I think Moorgate Grange.
Moorgate Hall
A hall existed on the site right on the southern edge of town overlooking the Town Moor in Elizabethan times. William West, lawyer, legal adviser to the Feoffees of Rotherham and seneschal and chief steward of the Earl of Shrewsbury's south Yorkshire manors lived here until 1594. Obviously a man with a bob or two. His son, Francis West, was the next occupant.
The property was sold to Charles Tooker in 1627 and a new Moorgate Hall was built in on the site. This house was extensively remodelled by the architect John Platt in 1768 although many original features were retained. There were extensive grounds on either side of Moorgate which were connected by a tunnel under the road. It remained a private house until 1987, very private indeed behind its screen of trees - in fact so private I had absolutely no idea it was there.
In 1988 Moorgate Hall was offices for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Assurance Society. I can only find mention of this company on the web with reference to closed life funds so it has either shur doen or been taken over. I'm not at all sure who own or uses Moorgate Hall today.
Moorgate House
This became a children's home in the days when orphaned children were still sent to orphanages. A school friend lived here for several years after her parents were killed in car accident. I seem to remember that it was only for children of secondary school age, so her brother and sister who were much younger lived in another children's home on the other side of town. She was only able to see them under supervision and from time to time. Such was the commitment to keeping families together.
Red House, Sitwell Vale
One of three very nice houses built at Sitwell Vale. It was erected between 1878 and 1880 for Thomas W Badger a member of a well-known Rotherham family, prominent in legal circles. Thomas Badger got himself into financial difficulties and fled the country in 1882. The house was sold to William H Micklethwait and the Micklethwaits lived there until 1932. It was empty until was occupied by the National Fire service during the Second World War. This, Sitwell House and the land in between were bought by the United Steel Company in 1946. I believe that the house was demolished.
Swinden House, Moorgate
My map dated 1903 shows Sitwell House as one of three very nice house built at Sitwell Vale. This, Red House and the land in between were bought by the United Steel Company in 1946. It was renamed Swinden House after first director of research, Dr T Swinden. Swinden House was a research centre for the next 60 years, changing ownership in 1995 to British Steel PLC, and then again in 1999 to Corus PLC. In 2005 NAMTEC (The National Metals Technology Centre) moved into Swinden House which has been refurbished offering training and conference facilities.
I think that the present Swinden House, which is a Grade II listed Victorian property is the building previously called Sitwell House. Seems to be in the same postiton despite the name change; Wikipedia has it that it was the Red House but I don't think so!
Whiston Grange
Whiston Grange belonged to Frederick Parker Rhodes, solicitor. It was demolished to make way for a housing estate in the 1970s I think.