History, from Wiki…
Sheffield Old Town Hall was built in 1807–8 by Charles Watson, and was designed to house not only the Town Trustees but also the Petty and Quarter Sessions. The initial building was a five-bay structure fronting Castle Street, but it was extended in 1833 and again in 1866
In the 1990s, these courts moved to new premises, and since at least 1997 to present, the building remains disused
In 2007, it was named by the Victorian Society as one of their top ten buildings most at-risk.
Sheffield Old Town Hall was built in 1807–8 by Charles Watson, and was designed to house not only the Town Trustees but also the Petty and Quarter Sessions. The initial building was a five-bay structure fronting Castle Street, but it was extended in 1833 and again in 1866
In the 1990s, these courts moved to new premises, and since at least 1997 to present, the building remains disused
In 2007, it was named by the Victorian Society as one of their top ten buildings most at-risk.
Visited with Sed and Stranton, cheers guys… and many thanks to TheStig for the tips, I hope you get your re-visit soon.
I was a volunteer at a court before in my past, so this visit was well anticipated and overdue for me. I was eager to see what the inside of another Victorian court house was like, how it compared architecturally, and also to get a feel of the surroundings for the many various people who frequented the place… court officials, the volunteers, the public gallery, the witnesses and the offender.
I failed to find the “witness room†or any sign of it… but I’m sure it would have existed. Maybe if I had visited a couple of years back before the place deteriorated so much, I would have been luckier in my search. Anyone who has pics of the witness room, or the volunteers section then I would love to see them.
Anyway, an interesting day out… driving there in the early hours through conditions which saw us drive past 2 jack-knifed lorries on the M1 and watching another swerve his way haphazardly across the lanes in front of us into nearly becoming a third, causing me to slow down to a crawling pace in case of a “domino rally†effect…umpteen coffee stops, sub-zero temps whilst trying to keep warm in a pitch black building for hours waiting for daybreak, snowball fights and a go on the “tyre-swing ride†at Ski Village as well as a visit to the local pub before hitting the road again made for an eventful trip. I wish I had seen this place sooner, but Im still extremely glad I made the effort to go.
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I was a volunteer at a court before in my past, so this visit was well anticipated and overdue for me. I was eager to see what the inside of another Victorian court house was like, how it compared architecturally, and also to get a feel of the surroundings for the many various people who frequented the place… court officials, the volunteers, the public gallery, the witnesses and the offender.
I failed to find the “witness room†or any sign of it… but I’m sure it would have existed. Maybe if I had visited a couple of years back before the place deteriorated so much, I would have been luckier in my search. Anyone who has pics of the witness room, or the volunteers section then I would love to see them.
Anyway, an interesting day out… driving there in the early hours through conditions which saw us drive past 2 jack-knifed lorries on the M1 and watching another swerve his way haphazardly across the lanes in front of us into nearly becoming a third, causing me to slow down to a crawling pace in case of a “domino rally†effect…umpteen coffee stops, sub-zero temps whilst trying to keep warm in a pitch black building for hours waiting for daybreak, snowball fights and a go on the “tyre-swing ride†at Ski Village as well as a visit to the local pub before hitting the road again made for an eventful trip. I wish I had seen this place sooner, but Im still extremely glad I made the effort to go.
Cat.
