Description

SHEFFIELD

SK3587SW PINSTONE STREET
784-1/24/594 (East side)
28/06/73 Town Hall

GV I

Town hall. 1890-97. By EW Mountford. Rear addition 1923, by
FEP Edwards, in the same style. Ashlar, with hipped, gabled
and pyramidal slate roofs with various prominent coped side
wall and ridge stacks. Renaissance Revival style.
EXTERIOR: 3 and 4 storeys plus basements and attics. Windows
all have stone cross mullions. Rectangular plan with corner
tower and small inner courtyard.
Symmetrical west front has steep pitched roof topped with a
2-stage octagonal domed lantern, central entrance gable and
projecting gables at each end. Entrance bay has ornate shaped
gable with figure and niche, and is flanked by octagonal
turrets topped with domed lanterns. Bow fronted first floor
balcony with open balustrade, and behind it, a round-arched
opening with hoodmould and sculptured crest. In the recess,
two 3-light windows. Above, 3 round-arched windows with
fanlights separated by pinnacled buttresses passing through a
cornice, and a balustraded balcony on brackets. Below, steps
to a round-arched entrance flanked by paired Tuscan columns
with heavily block-rusticated bases. Ornate wrought-iron
gates.
On either side, 2 storey wings with sillbands, and a low
relief frieze of figures between floors. Wreathed main frieze
and pierced balustrade. First floor has on either side 3
pedimented 3-light windows and below, 3 round-arched 4-light
windows with a balustrade before them.
End bays have on the first floor a canted oriel window with a
4-light Ipswich window under a segmental pediment. Above, a
canted balustrade with pierced central section and dies with
pinnacles. Coped gables with finials and round-arched opening
flanked by octagonal turrets topped with domed lanterns.
Ground floor has a round-arched 4-light window with basement
opening below. At the left end, a canted hipped projection
with plinth, first floor cornice and balustrade. 2 storeys
plus basement; 3 window range. On the first floor, 3
round-arched single light windows, with a similar window to
the angle and the left return. Below, 2 pedimented cross
casements, flanked to left by a pedimented niche, then another
window to the return. Basement has 2 small single mullion
windows.
Square corner tower, 3 stages, has string courses, traceried
frieze and cornice. Second stage has 3 vertical strips,
corresponding to the mullions of the 2 superimposed windows.
Third stage has on each side a scroll pedimented panel with
clock, and below it, 2 round-arched openings and a balcony
with balustrade on scroll brackets. Above again, an open
round-arched arcade topped with a pinnacled balustrade. Above,
on each side, a pinnacled gabled dormer with 2 round-arched
openings and balustrade. The tower is topped with a domed
octagonal cupola with round arches and a swept-roofed
octagonal lantern with a standing figure.
Right return, to St Paul's Square, has to left the main gable
with 2 pedimented windows and above, 2 cross casements
flanking the central stack. Below, 2 round-arched windows. To
right, a canted 2 storey bay window facing to the rear, with a
2-light window flanked by 3-light windows.
To right again, a square block with parapet and pyramidal
roof, 2 storeys; 2 window range of 3-light windows. In the
centre, a swept shaped gable with segmental pediment. First
floor has 3 elliptical arched traceried 4-light windows with
buttresses between them, and above, a figure niche flanked by
single mullion windows. Below, buttressed ground floor with
three 4-light windows. To right again, symmetrical block, 4
storeys plus attics; 7 window range. First floor has 2-light
windows with cornices and balconies, second floor has smaller
2-light windows with cornices, third floor has plain 4-light
windows. Above the parapet, 3 shaped-gabled dormers with
pinnacled flanking buttresses and 4-light windows with
crosslets above them. Ground floor has a round-arched arcade
with 3-light windows. At each end, an octagonal turret with
traceried balustrade, then a recessed bay with a single
window, and beyond, large octagonal stair towers with conical
roofs topped with domed lanterns. Left tower has multi-gabled
parapet, right tower a pierced balustrade.
Left return, to Surrey Street, has a double gabled projecting
centre, 6 windows, and slightly projecting end gables. 4
storeys plus attics; 14 window range. Centre has a slight
recess with two 4-light windows and above, 2 round-arched
openings with balustrade, and above, two 4-light windows.
Above the parapet, 2 round-arched dormers with wooden cross
casements. Ground floor has 2 smaller 4-light windows.
Flanking projections have swept shaped coped gables with
broken segmental pediments and finials. Left gable has two
4-light windows and above, 2 similar windows with ogee arched
central lights and scroll pediments. Above, a round-headed
niche flanked by single 4-light windows and above, in the
gable, a pedimented cross casement flanked by single corniced
cross casements. Ground floor has two 3-light windows. Right
gable has similar fenestration, but with a scroll-pedimented
Doric portico to left, with steps to a round-arched doorway
with rusticated voussoirs. To its right, the ground floor
window is replaced by a double door.
Wings have three 3-light windows with segmental and gabled
pediments, and above, 3 dormers, the central one gabled, the
others round-arched. Ground floors have, to left, three
3-light windows and to right, a single 3-light window, then
steps to an underground public toilet, protected by a
balustrade. Beyond, projecting end bays have traceried coped
gables with buttresses and pinnacles. First floor has 2 cross
casements, and between them a bracket supporting the bow
fronted first floor oriel. This has a 5-light window and
balustrade. Above, a 4-light window with central glazed door.
Ground floor has 2 cross casements.
At the left end, an octagonal stair tower with multi-gabled
parapet and conical roof topped with a domed octagonal
lantern. 3 windows on each floor, those to the third floor
with segmental pediments.
Rear elevation 5 bays, has a central 2 storey canted oriel
with 3 windows on each floor, flanked by single bays with a
4-light window in each floor, and swept shaped gables. Above
the balustrade, 3 hipped dormers. Ground floor has 3 moulded
round-arched entrances with keystones, flanked by single
doorways. On either side, single bays with 2 windows on each
floor, and above, single box dormers. On the ground floor, 2
windows and beyond, single doorways with mullioned overlights
under segmental pediments.
On the left side, to Surrey Street, a lower 3 stage square
stair turret with swept segmental pedimented gable. Upper
stage has a 3 bay arcade of Doric piers on scroll brackets,
with 3 single mullion windows. Ground floor has an elliptical
arched door, and intermediate stages small slit lights.
INTERIOR has entrance hall with rich carved decoration by
Pomeroy. Square stairwell with marble and alabaster panelling
and round-headed blind arcade at first floor level, open on
the entrance side to a vaulted passage. Moulded cornice with
coved plasterwork ceiling and hammer beam clerestory roof.
Stone staircase with landings around 3 sides, with alabaster
balustrade and moulded marble handrail. On the first landing,
a seated statue of the Duke of Devonshire, 1900, by Onslow
Ford. On the right side, a 2 bay polychrome round-arched
arcade with central marble pier. Entrance side has a
round-arched arcade with larger enriched central arch and
coffered flanking arches. Above, round-arched arcade with
serpentine alabaster balustrade.
Ground floor has coffered round-arched corridors with
pilasters and round-arched doorways with half-glazed doors.
First-floor council chamber has half-height framed wall
panelling with blind arcading above, and cross beam ceiling.
At the front, a dais with a central aedicule framed by paired
Ionic columns with broken swan neck pediment, with a coat of
arms in a panel. On the opposite side, a 5 bay round-arched
arcade, the upper parts of the 3 central bays opening onto a
public gallery with traceried front. Flanking arches have
windows above and glazed screens below. Original oak desks,
chairs and fittings. Mayor's parlour and ante room are fitted
in the same style.
This building is an outstanding and well preserved example of
the late C19 Town Hall, and of Mountford's work. Edwards'
addition of 1923 is outstandingly sympathetic.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Yorkshire: The West
Riding: London: 1967-: 453).

Listing NGR: SK3536187189

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Sheffield Town Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7492762

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  For the Record