December brought news that the Market Tavern (Exchange Street, S2 5TR) is to be demolished. While asbestos removal work was in progress, it was discovered that the chimneys were structurally unsound.
The pub opened in 1797, was rebuilt to follow a new street line in 1909 and then completely rebuilt by Sheffield brewery, Thomas Berry & Co. in 1914. Opinion is divided regarding the origin of the then ‘Rotherham House’ name. Either this was due to ownership by Rotherham-based, Bentleys Brewery, or proximity to the start of the Rotherham tram service.
1961 plans illustrate the installation of a Wimpy Bar on the front of the pub (N.W.Oldfield, Architect & Surveyor for Tennant Brothers Limited: see Sheffield Archives: MC/DC/235 ). Introduced to the UK in 1954, Wimpy is a multinational hamburger restaurant chain.
In 1968, the pub became the ‘Old No.12,’ a Berni Inn, one of a chain of British steakhouses, established in 1955. Berni Inns, a forerunner of today’s pub restaurants, provided Tudor-looking false oak beams and white walls. 1982 saw a take-over by Mecca and a change of name to the Garden. In 1995, it was sold to Whitbread and rebranded as Beefeater/Brewers Fayre.
The pub closed in 2006.
It seems that the demolition, on 10th January, took place, in error: Sheffield City Council told Now Then magazine: “Our initial belief was that the top turret on the building had collapsed under its own weight on the morning of 10 January.”
“New information has since come to light which shows the demolition company were instructed in error at 11:53am to continue with demolition. As a result of this order, our understanding is the turrets fell because of the recommenced demolition works.”
The full story is available at: https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/explosive-new-evidence-shows-sheffield-city-council-did-not-tell-truth-about-collapse-of-historic-pub-market-tavern-castlegate