3rd December 2022.
Looking at the photos for today’s blog I was wondering why there weren’t exciting ticking trips to Birmingham and Tamworth and Newcastle at the start of the year. Then I remembered the train strikes.
So you’ll have to make do with some more Sheffield, as I explore the area south of the city,
an area packed with an ornate Budgens,
London Road’s ethnic eateries, and the New Era Square, a Anglo-Chinese collaboration near Bramall Lane that promises to bolster Sheffield’s paltry collection of 3,703 Asian restaurants.
Looks great.
And round the corner from New Era you get cat art,
and an authentic cat cafe where you can stroke moggies while sipping Mild macchiato.
Spurred by Boak and Bailey’s exploration of lesser-known Sheffield recently, I’m determined to complete my series
“ALL THE PUBS IN SHEFFIELD ON FOOT“,
but recent GBG entry the Beer Engine was firmly closed at 4pm opening, despite (or perhaps because of) an enthusiastic crowd of micropub tickers.
So, I kept walking, past Bramall Lane into antique and coffee quarter of Heeley, home to a couple of Guide regulars I haven’t visited for 20 years.
I can recall the walk from Sheffield station to the Sheaf View at dusk back then, and it’s almost unchanged.
Is there anything more inviting (other than a Chung Hwa takeaway) than that golden light luring you into a backstreet pub ?
After the Blake and the Wellington, this is Neepsend’s third pub and I feel a bit sorry for it. How had it taken me two years to pay a return visit ?
It’s wonderful, perhaps not quite as classic an interior as its north Sheff sister pubs, and perhaps feeling more a local than a beer destination pub. Notably, there’s a fair few well-behaved dogs.
But they’re fine lines, and the Sheaf is selling a lot of cask in fine surroundings.
Most folk are at the bar; I drink a pint of something pale (obvs) from Neepsend far too quickly and have a pint of the Ashover Rainbow’s End, both cool and rich and typically Sheffield (NBSS 3.5).
I really didn’t want to tell you about the pork pie, as you’ll think I must be putting on weight this year and not able to fit into that nice jacket I bought for the Will Hawkes interview, but it’s too late now.
At least I walked off 57 calories on the way home.
retiredmartin 
Sheffield feels like quite a large city from these posts. Interesting how many neighborhoods you have to visit. The fourth photo makes the neighborhood look quite large.
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I brought my Dad over from Waterbeach to Sheffield for the day in the summer of 2021 and that was his observation, Dave.
The neighbourhoods feel very distinct to me, and all have good clusters of pubs, parks and, er, pastries.
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You can never have too many pastries.
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Thanks for this – I’ll use it as encouragement in my so far feeble attempts to go to the Sheaf View more often. It had to close for damage repairs after an arson attack on the front door – which caused fire and smoke damage to quite a large portion of the main bar area – about 18 months ago, and when they reopened I went along to show my support. But haven’t been back since.
You’re right in your observation about the difference between this one and the Wellington and the Blake Hotel, but it’s still a fine pub. And my excuse, that it’s on the other side of the city, is made to look even more pathetic by your effort from even further north.
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My attempts were even more feeble till then. I’d forgot the fire; you wouldn’t know.
It’s certainly a fine pub, just different. Perhaps the difference is comparable to the one between, say, the City Arms and the Hare & Hounds in Manchester.
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Probably not as damaging as the 1989 fire in the aforementioned Crown and Kettle.
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