As Fargate and the surrounding areas are now fully trussed up for Christmas, in this month’s column Heritage Sheffield founder Richard Phipp’s talks us through some of the famous street’s history and its eyecatching 19th century architecture.
The fairy lights are up, the market stalls are aglow and there’s a distinct earthy aroma of chestnuts in the winter air. It must be Christmas on Fargate!
You’ve had your bratwurst, browsed the kiosks for a trinket or two and now it’s time for a pint of German Pilsner or a hot mulled wine. It’s a lively time on one of our city’s best-preserved Victorian streets and it is reminiscent of times passed when the crossroads outside the Town Hall were the heart of 19th and early 20th Century Sheffield. Whilst you soak up the festive atmosphere in the December chill, it’s worth having a good nosey at your surroundings.
The Town Hall, Sheffield’s third, takes centre stage. It looms large over the streets below and is the epicentre of governance and decision making in the city. If you are standing at the top of Fargate, gazing up at the 61m high clock tower, then you are sharing a spot with thousands before who have witnessed royal visits, civic receptions and political demonstrations. The hall, designed by E. W. Mountford, is a brilliant example of Victorian Gothic architecture and adorned with the carvings of many Sheffield trades, all watched over by the celestial figure of Vulcan. The Town Hall was officially opened on the 21st May 1897 by Queen Victoria during her Diamond Jubilee year. It was the first time a sitting monarch had visited the city. Crowds amassed around the hall, bunting crisscrossed overhead down Fargate and ceremonial arches were erected on both Pinstone Street and Barker’s Pool for the occasion. The gilded gates of Sheffield’s largest civil building were officially open! Another royal engagement that attracted more than 30,000 residents to Town Hall Square was the King’s announcement over the radio of Victory in Europe Day in 1945. Wild celebrations continued throughout the night and a woman dressed in the red, blue and white of the Union Jack scaled the hall’s gates and led the hordes in verses of the ‘Land of Hope & Glory’. The building continues to draw people in, whether it’s for celebrating their football team’s promotion or calling for action against the world’s ills.
On the corner of Surrey Street and Fargate is another grand Victorian addition to the cityscape. Sadly, what we knew as the Yorkshire Bank is now vacant but it was a multifunctional hub for Sheffielder’s in the late 1800’s. Erected in 1889 for the Yorkshire Penny Bank, it housed a temperance restaurant and hotel above, known as the Albany Hotel. Temperance establishments prohibited the consumption of alcohol and at this time it was a growing movement, especially in Sheffield as the indulgence in ale and spirits was rife amongst those in the steelworks and light trade industries. I very much doubt the new owners will resurrect a 21st century Albany Hotel! In true Gothic style, gargoyles keep a watchful eye on the shoppers below from their fifth storey perch. Opposite the Town Hall is the home of HL Brown, that luxury Sheffield jeweller whose timepieces seduce the passer-by. They occupy what is known as Yorkshire House, an 1884 construction by Sheffield’s own Flockton & Gibbs. The building has an intriguing link to the Royal family for it is emblazoned with the coat of arms of the Prince of Wales. It used to be the showcase furniture shop for cabinetmakers Johnson & Appleyard, one of the most respected in the business outside of London. On top of their illustrious regal customer, they could boast a clientele that included the Duke of Norfolk and the Archbishop of York. They furnished the homes of Sheffield’s wealthiest with the finest crafted pieces. They also fitted the oak fixtures in the city’s council chambers across the street. The family business lost momentum in the 1910s with the death of Joseph Appleyard, the company’s head, which eventually resulted in the Appleyard’s selling the entirety of their shares in 1941. The masonry panel is a nice acknowledgement that whilst the metal industries were in full swing other businesses were thriving in a booming city.
The former furniture store and its counterpart across Barker’s Pool, now used by Barclay’s Bank, also share a tale. At one time they were both occupied by the same company and deserve a mention in the city’s musical story. Now named the Town Hall Chambers, the five storey building was erected in 1885 and was renowned for its links with Wilson Peck & Co., thought to have been the city’s longest operating music shop. As the company’s flagship store, it must have enthralled the musician and ball room goer alike, with notes from its grand pianos and organs resonating across the square. Although temporarily obscured, there is a ‘ghost sign’ still visible between the chambers and the soon to be Radisson Blu. When Johnson & Appleyard’s cabinet business vacated their premises across the road Wilson Peck’s moved in, expanding their production and making this rather a musical enclave. Amidst this eclectic mix of services, brought about by Sheffield’s increased population and its demand for the finer things in life, the square became the perfect location to celebrate the late Queen’s life. When she passed away in January 1901, plans to honour the Royal who had opened the Town Hall were set in motion. E. W. Mountford, the architect behind the Town Hall, would judge 72 designs for a monument to Queen Victoria which was unveiled by her daughter, Princess Beatrice, on the 11th May 1905. The Sheffield public once again flocked to Town Hall Square in their thousands, miniature Union Jack flags in hand, to celebrate yet another occasion of pomp and pageantry. Alfred Turner’s statue was relocated to Endcliffe Park in 1930 as the city centre was adapted to deal with the increasingly popular motor car.
There are no more grand showrooms or enticing typeface signs but amongst the gaggle of Christmas shoppers, the mince pie connoisseurs and the spiced wine sippers that head to Fargate during the festive period, it’s easy to imagine times past. Here’s to a very merry Christmas, Sheffield!
