Catalogue description Hollow Meadows

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Hollow Meadows farm had been purchased in c. 1854 by the Sheffield Poor Law Guardians, with the aim of setting up a land colony using the workhouse poor as labour. Sheffield Corporation erected a truant school there, certified for 90 children in 1879. It became an Industrial School in 1910, where the boys were mainly employed in market gardening in the 20 acres of land adjoining the school. It closed in c. 1922. In 1948 the premises, which accommodated 104 patients, were taken over by Sheffield No 2 Hospital Management Committee. It later had accommodation for 108 male mentally subnormal patients, taking in youths over 16 from Thundercliffe Grange. A survey of late 1952 determined the patient accommodation as 87 by night and 98 by day. In 1959 plans were first put forward to develop Aughton Court, Grenoside and Thundercliffe Grange Hospitals to permit Hollow Meadows and Middlewood Hospitals eventually to close. Hollow Meadows was closed between 1977 and 1981.

In December 1959, following conversion, the former Commonside Sanatorium for tubercular cases, which had closed some two years previously, re-opened as a hostel for around 22 working male mental defectives from Hollow Meadows Hospital. It was vacated in early 1985, but the property was retained by Sheffield Health Authority for future use.