Sheffield Town Hall

Last updated

Sheffield Town Hall
Sheffield Town Hall (27475677653).jpg
Sheffield Town Hall & Peace Gardens
Sheffield Town Hall
Record height
Tallest in Sheffield from 1896 to 1965 [I]
Preceded by Cathedral Church of St Marie
and St John's Church
Surpassed by Arts Tower
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeGovernment
Classification
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated28 June 1973
Reference no. 1246902
Location Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
Coordinates 53°22′49″N1°28′10″W / 53.3803398°N 1.4694321°W / 53.3803398; -1.4694321
Completed1897
Opening1897
Owner Sheffield City Council
Height
Roof61 m (200 ft)
Top floor61 m (200 ft)
Technical details
Floor count6
Design and construction
Architect(s) Edward William Mountford

Sheffield Town Hall is a municipal building on Pinstone Street in the City of Sheffield, England. The building is used by Sheffield City Council, and also contains a publicly displayed collection of silverware. It is a Grade I listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The current building, commissioned to replace the Old Town Hall, was designed by the London-based architect Edward William Mountford in the Renaissance Revival style and constructed between 1890 and 1897. [1] The building was opened by Queen Victoria, using a remote control lock from her carriage, on 21 May 1897. [2] The turning of the key in the lock triggered a light in the building which was the signal for three concealed men to open the gates. [2]

An extension designed by F. E. P. Edwards was opened by the Prince of Wales on 29 May 1923. [2]

The gardens were first laid out in 1938, following the demolition of St Paul's Church. Originally named St Paul's Gardens, they were immediately nicknamed the "Peace Gardens", marking the contemporary signing of the Munich Agreement. [3]

An extension designed in the Brutalist style was added to the east of the Peace Gardens in 1977; nicknamed The Egg-Box after its appearance, it was demolished in 2002. [4]

Exterior

The design of the exterior echoed to a certain extent the architecture of the adjacent St. Paul's Church of 1720 (now demolished). [5] During construction, the building was criticised for its expensive embellishments. The exterior is built of Stoke stone from the Stoke Hall Quarry in Grindleford, Derbyshire and is decorated with carvings by F. W. Pomeroy. [1] The friezes depict the industries of Sheffield, and the 64-metre-high clock-tower is surmounted by a statue of Vulcan. The clock, by Potts of Leeds, was provided with striking and chiming trains, [6] but bells were never installed in the clock-tower so they remained unused. In 2002 an electronic bell sound system was added to provide hourly strikes and Westminster-style quarter chimes. [7]

Interior

The entry contains displays relating to HMS Sheffield [8] and leads to the Main Entrance Hall with a grand marble staircase. This also has an Electrolier an electric chandelier, part of the original lighting of the building. [9] The walls include friezes including a depiction of the slaying of the Dragon of Wharncliffe. [10] On the first landing is a statue of the first Lord Mayor Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk. [11]

The first floor has a gallery running its length which can be divided into four sections by means of powered oak panels descending from the ceiling. The south room is the Lord Mayor's Parlour which is kept permanently divided. [2] On the same floor is the oak-panelled Council Room and its antechamber, which has above its door the advice "Be Ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves", a quotation from the Bible (Matthew 10:16). [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Manchester, England

Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. It is the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments. The building faces Albert Square to the north and St Peter's Square to the south, with Manchester Cenotaph facing its southern entrance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Council House</span> Municipal building in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England

Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The 200 feet (61 m) high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides over the Old Market Square which is also referred to as the "City Centre". It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morley Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Morley, West Yorkshire, England

Morley Town Hall is a municipal facility in Morley, West Yorkshire, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Morley Town Council, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Portsmouth Guildhall is a multi-use building in the centre of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It is located in a pedestrian square close to Portsmouth and Southsea railway station. Constructed in 1890, the building was known as Portsmouth Town Hall until 1926. It was heavily damaged by bombing during the Second World War and largely rebuilt during the 1950s by the English architect Ernest Berry Webber. It now operates as a concert, wedding and conference venue. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradford City Hall</span> Municipal building in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England

Bradford City Hall is a 19th-century town hall in Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building which has a distinctive clock tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England

Halifax Town Hall is a grade II* listed, 19th century town hall in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It is notable for its design and interiors by Charles Barry and his son, Edward Middleton Barry, and for its sculptures by John Thomas. The town hall is also the headquarters of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Richmond</span> Municipal building in London, England

The Old Town Hall, Richmond on Whittaker Avenue in Richmond, London is a former municipal building which from 1893 to 1965 served as the town hall for the Municipal Borough of Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossop Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Glossop, Derbyshire, England

Glossop Town Hall, Market Hall, and Municipal Buildings is a complex in the centre of Glossop, Derbyshire, providing offices for High Peak Borough Council, a retail arcade, and covered market. The Town Hall was constructed in 1838 and significantly extended and altered in 1845, 1897 and 1923. The Town Hall building was designed by Weightman and Hadfield of Sheffield for the 12th Duke of Norfolk. It is constructed from millstone grit ashlar and topped with a distinctive circular cupola and clock. It is Grade II listed, forming a group with the market and Municipal Buildings to the south, and rows of shops to High Street West either side which were also part of Hadfield's design, and which marked the transition of Howard Town from a satellite industrial village to a freestanding urban entity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burton upon Trent Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Burton upon Trent Town Hall is a municipal building in King Edward Place, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Lancaster, Lancashire, England

Lancaster Town Hall is a municipal building in Dalton Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It was built in 1909 and is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berwick Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Berwick, Northumberland, England

Berwick Town Hall is a municipal facility in Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colchester Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Colchester, Essex, England

Colchester Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Colchester, Essex, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Colchester City Council, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wakefield Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England

Wakefield Town Hall is a municipal building in Wood Street in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It remains a venue for weddings and civil partnerships but is no longer the headquarters of Wakefield Council which is now based at County Hall. The town hall is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Shields Town Hall</span> Municipal building in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England

South Shields Town Hall is a Grade II listed building on Westoe Road in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England. It serves as the headquarters of South Tyneside Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Preston, Lancashire, England

Preston Town Hall is a municipal building in Lancaster Road in Preston, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Preston City Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashington Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Ashington, Northumberland, England

Ashington Town Hall is a municipal building in Station Road in Ashington, Northumberland, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Ashington Urban District Council until 1974, is now the base of Ashington Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launceston Guildhall and Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Launceston, Cornwall, England

Launceston Guildhall and Town Hall is a municipal building in Western Road in Launceston, Cornwall, England. The building, which was the meeting place of Launceston Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ossett Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Ossett, West Yorkshire, England

Ossett Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Ossett, West Yorkshire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Ossett Borough Council until 1974, is a grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England

Hyde Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Street, Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Hyde Borough Council, is a grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colne Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Colne, Lancashire, England

Colne Town Hall is a municipal building in Albert Road, Colne, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Colne Town Council, is a grade II listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Town Hall, Sheffield (1246902)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Town Hall". Sheffield City Council. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Harman, Ruth; Minnis, John, eds. (2004). Sheffield. Pevsner City Guides. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 94–96. ISBN   978-0-300-10585-8.
  4. ↑ "Can you remember the 'Egg Box' – and when Sheffield's Peace Gardens used to look like this?". The Star. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "St Paul's Church, Sheffield". Chris Hobbs. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Potts, Michael S. (2006). Potts of Leeds: Five Generations of Clockmakers. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Mayfield Books. p. 130.
  7. ↑ "Electronic bells to ring in change at town hall". Yorkshire Post. 10 December 2002. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "HMS Sheffield Memorial Plaque". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Detail of an electrolier in the staircase hall of Sheffield Town Hall". Historic England. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. ↑ Anderton, Anne (16 September 2017). "Discovering Intérieurs Anglais: The Art of Bedford Lemere & Co" . Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sheffield Town Hall;Statue of the 15th Duke of Norfolk". The Courtauld Gallery. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  12. ↑ The Baptist Magazine. Vol. 25. Baptist Missionary Society. 1833. p. 292.
Records
Preceded by Tallest building in Sheffield
1896 – 1965		Succeeded by
Arts Tower
78 m (256 ft)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.