The Ponderosa is an open area containing some sports pitches and is used as a recreation ground. It was created through the clearance of terraced housing. Some back-to-back/ courtyard housing also existed within the polygon. The 1st edition map of 1855 shows the area covered by allotments called 'Hanging Bank Gardens' and 'Canada Gardens'. On the 1808 Fairbanks plan of the Sheffield, the southern part of the area is occupied by a series of four small feeder dams for the 'Old Great Dam' (Crookes Valley park lake). The dams were built soon after the enclosure of the area from Crookesmoor common, as part of the Nether Hallam award.