Sheffield Town Hall

{{about|the current one|the previous one|Sheffield Old Town Hall}}

{{Short description|Municipal building in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England}}

{{Infobox building

|name = Sheffield Town Hall

|image = Sheffield Town Hall (27475677653).jpg

|image_size = 250px

|caption = Sheffield Town Hall & Peace Gardens

|highest_region = Sheffield

|highest_start = 1896

|highest_prev = Cathedral Church of St Marie
and St John's Church

|highest_end = 1965

|highest_next = Arts Tower

|location = Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

|coordinates = {{coord|53.3803398|-1.4694321|region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|status = Complete

|start_date =

|completion_date = 1897

|opening_date = 1897

|building_type = Government

|antenna_spire =

|roof = {{convert|61|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|top_floor = {{convert|61|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|floor_count = 6

|elevator_count =

|cost =

|floor_area =

|architect = Edward William Mountford

|structural_engineer=

|main_contractor =

|developer =

|owner = Sheffield City Council

|management =

| classification = {{Designation list

| embed = yes

| designation1 = Grade I Listed Building

| designation1_offname =

| designation1_date =28 June 1973

| designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1246902|short=y|postscript=none}}

}}

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.{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall, Sheffield|num=1246902|access-date=11 April 2020}}

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. The building was opened by Queen Victoria, using a remote control lock from her carriage, on 21 May 1897. 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.

An extension designed by F. E. P. Edwards was opened by the Prince of Wales on 29 May 1923.{{cite web|url=http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out--about/tourist-information/visitor-attractions/heritage/town-hall |title=Town Hall|publisher=Sheffield City Council|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715225051/http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out--about/tourist-information/visitor-attractions/heritage/town-hall |archivedate=15 July 2010 |accessdate= 19 August 2010}}

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.{{cite book |editor1-last=Harman |editor1-first=Ruth |editor2-last=Minnis |editor2-first=John |year=2004 |title=Sheffield |series=Pevsner City Guides |place=New Haven |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-10585-8 |pages=94–96}}

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/can-you-remember-egg-box-and-when-sheffields-peace-gardens-used-look-retro-photo-gallery-67109|title=Can you remember the 'Egg Box' – and when Sheffield's Peace Gardens used to look like this?|work=The Star|date=22 May 2019|access-date=11 April 2020}}

Exterior

The design of the exterior echoed to a certain extent the architecture of the adjacent St. Paul's Church of 1720 (now demolished).{{cite web|url=https://www.chrishobbs.com/sheffield/stpaulschurchsheffield.htm|title=St Paul's Church, Sheffield|publisher=Chris Hobbs|access-date=9 August 2020}} 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. 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,{{cite book |last1=Potts |first1=Michael S. |title=Potts of Leeds: Five Generations of Clockmakers |date=2006 |publisher=Mayfield Books |location=Ashbourne, Derbyshire |page=130}} 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.{{cite news|title=Electronic bells to ring in change at town hall|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/local-stories/electronic-bells-to-ring-in-change-at-town-hall-1-2445520|access-date=27 December 2013|newspaper=Yorkshire Post|date=10 December 2002}}

Interior

The entry contains displays relating to HMS Sheffield{{cite web|url=https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/249440/|title=HMS Sheffield Memorial Plaque|publisher=Imperial War Museum|access-date=9 August 2020}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/item/BL13725H|title=Detail of an electrolier in the staircase hall of Sheffield Town Hall|publisher=Historic England|access-date=9 August 2020}} The walls include friezes including a depiction of the slaying of the Dragon of Wharncliffe.{{cite web|url=https://rylandscollections.com/2017/09/16/discovering-interieurs-anglais-the-art-of-bedfeord-lemere-co/|title=Discovering Intérieurs Anglais: The Art of Bedford Lemere & Co.|first=Anne|last=Anderton|date=16 September 2017|access-date=11 April 2020}} On the first landing is a statue of the first Lord Mayor Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk.{{cite web|url=https://www.courtauldprints.com/image/166306/mountford-edward-william-ford-edward-onslow-sheffield-town-hall-statue-of-the-15th-duke-of-norfolk|title=Sheffield Town Hall;Statue of the 15th Duke of Norfolk|publisher=The Courtauld Gallery|access-date=11 April 2020}}

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. 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).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YeURAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA292|title=The Baptist Magazine|volume=25|page=292|year=1833|publisher=Baptist Missionary Society}}

File:Sheffield-town-hall-first-lord-mayor-statue.jpg|Statue of the first Lord Mayor of Sheffield

File:Sheffield-town-hall-staircase.jpg|Staircase at Sheffield Town Hall decorated for Christmas

File:HMS Sheffield plaque, Sheffield Town Hall.jpg|HMS Sheffield plaque 1941

File:Sheffield Town Hall stairs.JPG|Staircase, with statue of the first Lord Mayor

File:Wharncliffe Dragon.JPG|Slaying the Wharncliffe dragon

File:Sheffield Town Hall Electrolier Oct 2017.jpg|Electrolier

File:Sheffield Mayors Parlour.JPG|Lord Mayor's Parlour

File:Sheffield Town Hall Council.jpg|Council Chamber

File:Sheffield Town Hall Council sign.jpg|Above the door to the Council Chamber

File:Sheffield Town Hall Council Chamber.jpg|Council Chambers

File:Sheffield Town Hall Mayors Parlour Room.jpg|Mayors Parlour Room

File:Sheffield Town Hall Stairs.jpg|Main stairs