Mystery

I believe the ground was used as allotments. It's been many years since I was in that area, but I'm sure that's what it was.

If my memory serves me right, I believe on Chesterfield  Road, there were at least two areas of allotments going towards Pleasley.. I feel this was the first of them...

I have just checked a map from 1914 and the whole area between Bould Street and Albion Street as far as the map permits is indeed allotment area. The map cuts off just short of the Chesterfield Road junction so I can not see if there was anything built there, but I would say it was just the way it is now. Allotments.

Thanks for the comments. 

I wondered if there was a building on there at some point as there is some kind of entrance to a driveway maybe.

There are some gates there too.  Thanks again, James.

It seems that council allotments had those type of entrances. I always remember the one on Littleworth in the 1950's, which had the same type of stone wall and a wide entrance, I think the gate was a metal one.  I can see how it could be mistaken for the entrance to a driveway. My Grandfather had an allotment on Chesterfield Road. Mansfield had several allotments scattered around the area, especially in the 19th century.

Thankyou all for your information. I really appreciate it.

All I can ever remember this land being is allotments, it stretches back to Broomhill Lane and there used to be an entrance on there, which took you all the way down to Chesterfield Road, gated at either end. I would think that this land has possibly never had another use prior to the Brownlow Road development going ahead.

You're right John they did run through to Broomhill Lane I remember them when I went to Broomhill Junior School, I left there in the summer of 1958 there was an unmade track that ran from Broomhill Lane to the top of Albion Street. In summer at 4pm we would leave school (no 3-30pm finish in those days) and walk that way to Chesterfield Road and go to the old Sills quarry that was behind the Pheasant Inn to catch frogs, newts and lizards, every stone you turned over there was a lizard hiding under it, sadly it's filled in now and built on.

You seem a knowledgeable guy Peter,I often thought this area had been a quarry (side of Pheasant pub,tyre place etc) due to the visible rock faces but was never sure. Stone outcrops in so many places, and not far under the surface, hence the reason for so many stone quarries in the locality I imagine.