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Report - - Sheffield Town Hall clock tower - July '14 | High Stuff | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Sheffield Town Hall clock tower - July '14

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Kaplan

Procrastinator
28DL Full Member


It seems like years ago that tablets first mentioned that scaffold had gone up around the Town Hall clock tower... Must have been March/ April time, while we were dicking about trying to climb something else... The scaff had gone up while restoration work was carried out on the stone work at the top of the tower. It stayed there, taunting us until, eventually, me and jazzywheelz timed it right (sort of) and managed to get up it.

Sheffield's fourth town hall is located on Pinstone Street. It was designed by the London-based architect E. W. Mountford and constructed over a seven-year period from 1890 to 1897, opening on 21 May 1897. An extension designed by F. E. P. Edwards was completed in 1923.

The design of the exterior echoed to a certain extent the architecture of the adjacent St. Paul's Church of 1720 (now demolished). 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. Bells were never installed in the clock-tower, but in 2002 an electronic bell sound system was added to provide hourly strikes and Westminster-style quarter chimes.[2]

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

I don't do heights.

I mean, I enjoy the view, but I get vertigo - not fear of heights (as is the common misconception) but actually feeling dizzy because of where I am - and whilst this isn't the tallest place we've explored it was certainly the most 'precarious' feeling and the top of the belvedere is the most uncomfortable I've felt on an explore. Pretty pleased with getting this one crossed off our list, and we're well on our way to topping all of Sheffield's tallest. JW's report and shots have already put mine to shame (damn that fisheye!), but here goes...

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A few weeks previous, we'd stood around like dickheads, trying to figure out how we were going to get up there without being caught. Eventually we realised that Sheffield is a bustling metropolis until well into the early hours so we decided to go for some scenic views from the chilled little Yorkshire Bank rooftop over the road that tablets had told us about an age ago.

A good few weeks later (and just as the top section of scaff was starting to come down) and we made our move.

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To be honest, I'm more than chuffed with myself for doing this one. Shonky scaff, a 120 year old shady as fuck ladder to hell, and a precariously sloping rooftop make for brown trousers time as far as Kaplan is concerned. Glad this motherfucker is crossed off "The List" and I can get back to scrambling around in pigeon shit for a while.

 

obscurity

Flaxenation of the G!!!
Regular User
some lovely shots there and well done for getting it done despite your vertigo :thumb
 

jazzywheelz

Boring Bearded Bastard
28DL Full Member
Some proper beauties there, mate. Cracking report all round :thumb

The sloping floor of that belvedere really was unnerving, but you're definitely getting better with the vertigo thing. Was a real pleasure doing this one. Probably my favourite bit of mischief this year so far.

This pic really makes me chuckle. I really couldn't figure out why I couldn't see my camera screen :laugh...

Onwards and upwards, pal ;)
 

super nerris

On A Mission....
28DL Full Member
Cracking shots mate, looks like you two will be the only ones to top this for many years to come!! I should of grown a pair haha
Well done guys!!!
 

rich_b1982

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I should of grown a pair haha Well done guys!!!

Think a few of us feel the same tbh. In fairness the majority of time the scaff was up there was no cover screens, so it would have been difficult to get done without being spotted.
 
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