Old Town Hall/Courts, Sheffield, July 2017

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HughieD

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1. The History
The building was commissioned to replace Sheffield's first town hall, which had opened in 1700 next to the parish church. The Old Town Hall was designed by Charles Watson and built in 1807–08. It was designed to house the Town Trustees and the Petty and Quarter Sessions. Initially building had five bays and faced Castle Street, however, it was extended in 1833 then again in 1866 to plans drawn up by Sheffield architect William Flockton (1804–64) and his partner George Abbott. The most grandiose feature was the new central clock tower over a new main entrance. At the same time the building's courtrooms were linked by underground passages to the neighbouring Sheffield Police Offices. The first Town Council was elected in 1843 and took over the lease of the Town Trustees' hall in 1866. The next year the building was extensively renovated and the clock tower designed by Flockton & Abbott was added although Flockton was no longer alive to witness its construction.

By the 1890s Sheffield's administration had again outgrown the building, and the current Sheffield Town Hall was built further south. The Old Town Hall was again extended in 1896–97, by the renamed Flockton, Gibbs & Flockton, and became Sheffield Crown Court and Sheffield High Court. The drinking fountain on the Castle Street side of the building was added at this time. In 1973 the Old Town Hall was made a Grade II listed building. In the 1990s the courts had moved to new premises just round the corner. Since 1997 the building has been empty and remains in a poor state. In 2008 the Victorian Society named the building as one of its top ten buildings most at-risk. More recently a campaign group, The Friends of the Old Town Hall was formed (in November 2014) with the aim of getting the building's owner G1 London Property to state its intention for its future use. In September 2015 the building was put for sale with an asking price of £2 million. The sale brochure was withdrawn from the internet after about ten days. It’s now currently back on the market again, this time with Fernie and Greaves but, strangely, does not appear on their website.

2. The Explore
Yet another “externals only” from Sheffield from me. This place will be familiar to a lot of you. And as anybody who has been round here in the past will know, entry has always been, erm how shall we put it, challenging to get into this place. Been watching it for ages and regret not being in a position to be able to take advantage when the place was presented on a plate. Since then it’s been heavily sealed. So admitting defeat, one day when I was in town with a bit of time on my hands, I decided I’d take some pictures of the outside on my phone. Given enough came out and it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting in this place in the near future, I thought I’d put up a report.

3. The Pictures

35503180332_f54605f88d_b.jpgLaw Courts 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

34862914793_aec397bf30_b.jpgLaw Courts 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

34830916564_e90e79e36b_b.jpgLaw Courts 03bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

Some lovely stonework over the main entrance:

35671993375_81e0069dc4_b.jpgLaw Courts 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35284503960_082bd50c68_b.jpgLaw Courts 16 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35541099021_7e2cb0c07a_b.jpgLaw Courts 17 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35671960085_e918bf8be0_b.jpgLaw Courts 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A sneaky peek inside:

34830846904_b879863eeb_b.jpgLaw Courts 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And the legendary former ‘entry’ point no longer an option:

35284946790_cf84ed5324_b.jpgLaw Courts 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Pretty secure round this side:

35671859905_aa5b00c315_b.jpgLaw Courts 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

34830769334_d0c7f99614_b.jpgLaw Courts 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr

One for the peeling-paint fans:

35502985612_2f62653525_b.jpgLaw Courts 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And another:

35502553892_7747f23b2a_b.jpgLaw Courts 19 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Secure here too:

35284817750_92c5b904c6_b.jpgLaw Courts 11 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Round the back, but no way in:

35541373131_d7be95d028_b.jpgLaw Courts 12 by HughieDW, on Flickr

34830990694_d9ec59d03d_b.jpgLaw Courts 20 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Drain-pipe decay:

35632135056_e79592a9bc_b.jpgLaw Courts 13 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35632036066_e3acc25cfe_b.jpgLaw Courts 14 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The lovely late-1800s public fountain:

34862443173_ac0c745465_b.jpgLaw Courts 15 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a final overall view of this Victorian gem:

34830334774_d8f0886ea4_b.jpgLaw Courts 18 by HughieDW, on Flickr
 
You have a different set of photos compared with other explorers posts, you've added a bit more detail in yours. Still an impressive building.
 
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I loved this place when I went. Good to see the cells again :)
 
Ive got some photos of the old Castle Market before it was demolished. A very kind security guard let me have a wander and take some shots while I was doing some work there. Ill post them later.
 
Super pics. Still gobsmacking that nothing's been done with the place.

Cheers man. Much appreciated.

Ive got some photos of the old Castle Market before it was demolished. A very kind security guard let me have a wander and take some shots while I was doing some work there. Ill post them later.

Get them posted up!
 
Well if its any consolation (just a weeny bit, I feel your pain too, theres a lot of us hurting out there lol) thats the best external study I've seen of the place HD!

Its got sum gorgeous masonry.

Well you managed to get into the cells didn't u??? I mean them shots aren't taken wiv sum gymnastics and getting ur lens in via the door or windows are they???
 

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