Category: Heritage

The inner lobby of the Queen’s Ground has distinctive mosaic/terrazzo tiling ‘Queen’s Ground Hotel’. To the left of the entrance, the Smoke Room (inter-war wording on exterior windows) has highly detailed decorated coving, possibly from the 1850s. The rear left inter-war room has panelling with bell pushes. On the front right, the original billiard room (inter-war wording on front windows with Wards ‘sheaf’ symbol above) includes a fine fireplace of inter-war design with copper interior fittings/hood. Look for the top right of the fireplace which has markings from hanging snooker chalks swinging into it. The rear right room was originally living quarters until the extensive 1973 refit when the pub was opened-up. It now includes raised seating around 3/4 size snooker table. At this time new bar fittings were installed and off-sales from the front area ceased. The back wall originally had a window. A flat roof extension was added and panelling replaced the window. There is a fine ‘Wards Fine Malt Ales Wines Sprits’ window (inter war) above the bar. Originally this window was above a double doorway. A 1913 plan (see image) shows the bar is on your left after passing through the lobby. Plans indicate some reconfiguring of the bar area to make the bar wider and allow slight reconfiguration of seating in the ‘big room’ at the front of the building (left room looking from Langsett Road). Other front room is a ‘billiard room.’ A 1939 plan shows no change to the three existing rooms – ‘Smoke Room’ at the rear left, ‘Tap Room’ (front left) and ‘Billiard Room’ (front right). A bottle store in the kitchen (rear right) is changed into a ‘Larder’ with a new window to Hatton Road and ‘Wooden Sheds’ in the yard are converted into ‘Bottles,’ Wash House’ and ‘WC’ (Fenton and Robinson, Chartered Architects, Sheffield). 1973 brings more changes (Jenkinson Palmer and Associates, Rotherham for S.H.Ward & Co.Ltd.). The bar is moved to its current location and the existing ‘Living Kitchen’ becomes a new ‘Billiard Room.’ The existing Billiard Room’ becomes part of the ‘Lounge’ which now extends across the full width of the building. In addition, inside toilets are built, as an extension, at the rear left of the building. A ‘Club Room’ continues to exist at the front right of the building. A 1982 plan indicates no changes since 1973. 1986 (Worksop Home Planners, see image) brought a catering kitchen, as an extension at the rear right of the pub. The name changed from ‘Queens Ground Hotel’ to ‘Queens Ground’ in the 1960s. The pub was in the same family for three generations. Landlord William Wild Banks in 1910, his widow became Landlord and the son followed. Fred Kelvey was Landlord from 1959 until 1985. The name originated from the cricket and athletics ground which was situated at the back of the pub. Dave Pickersgill The Queen’s Ground is located at 401 Langsett Road, Hillsborough, S6 2JL. Buses 31a, 57, 61, 62, 81, 82 and 85 all stop nearby, or you can get the Blue or Yellow trams to Hillsborough.

Congratulations to the Wellington – it has recently become part of the CAMRA National Inventory of Pub Interiors in the SRI (Some Regional Importance) category. There are now 21 Sheffield pubs listed in the three inventories: pubheritage.camra.org.uk. Built in 1839, the Wellington was the brewery tap for the A.H.Smith and Company, Don Brewery. In 1916, Tennants bought out Smiths, then following the 1962 takeover, Whitbread ran the pub.  The Wellington was refitted in 1940 and retains many fixtures in the three-roomed layout from that time. The previous layout included a ‘Smoke Rm.,’ ‘Small Tap Room,’ ‘Tap Room’ and ‘Public Bar.’  The servery was moved into the area previously occupied by the Small Tap Room; the former tap room on the front right had minor changes and became the smoke room and the rooms on the left of the door (smoke room, tiny public bar and the servery) were converted into the new Tap Room (Architect: Wiggul, Inott & Ridgeway for Messrs Tennant Bros.Ltd). A passageway from the front door to the lobby bar area has a terrazzo floor, inter-war tiling to two-thirds height and double internal doors with leaded glazed panels. The lobby bar has a terrazzo floor, and retains the 1940 ply panelled bar counter (but it has been pushed back some 18 inches in recent years) and bar back fitting. There is some modification to the bar back such as small mirror pieces from the 1960s, and fridges and a glass washer have replaced two-thirds of lower shelving. Note the unusual keyhole in the part of the bar on the right top section – was it to lock the staff hatchway in place? A 2016 refurbishment introduced shelving to both the left and right of the bar area, including the two stained glass windows above the lounge bar. The panelling on the walls of the lobby bar area and (painted) pine ceiling was installed in 1978 when new tenants, Gordon and Pauline Shaw, arrived. They left in 1983, having had a successful time, the (legendary) Highcliffe Folk Club taking up residence for a number of years. A door on the left with a leaded glazed panel in the top and the figure ‘3’ leads to the tap room with inter-war fixed seating around most of it and it retains the 1940 ply panelled bar counter with a dark stain added. The exterior has 1930s stained and leaded windows and the fireplace is Victorian-style. The piece of wall near the counter is a modern addition having closed a gap created when the lobby bar counter was pushed back. There are good exterior inter-war (Tennants) leaded windows. The front smoke room on the right has a wide gap to the lobby with more 1930s exterior windows but the fixed seating is post-war and has lost its fireplace. The terrazzo floor continues to the right with another door with 1930s stained and leaded windows and the figure ‘1’ and beyond is a terrazzo passage that goes past a door with the figure ‘5’ on it and the ladies’ toilet has a 1930s door and terrazzo floor (modern tiles); the gents’ toilet is modern. The late 1980’s saw the pub becoming run-down, many original features becoming hidden. It became a free house in 1993 under the ownership of Neil and Sheila Clarke. At that time, the walls and ceilings were yellow and the bar was covered with hardboard. This was removed and stripped back to bare wood, before stain and varnish were added. Over a period of some years, they renovated the building. The window frames were stripped and repainted, the wood was stained dark and varnished, the walls were papered and boarding was removed from the door to the toilets. They renamed the pub as ‘The Cask and Cutler,’ establishing the Port Mahon Brewery in 2000. In 2006, when they moved to France, Richard Appleton took on the pub, reinstated the old name and, after a two year pause, restarted and renamed the brewery, Little Ale Cart. The brewery has hosted a number of cuckoo breweries, most notably Steel City who were in residence from their inception in 2010 until 2013. Brewing ceased in 2016, when the pub was taken on by James Birkett, owner of two other Sheffield pubs, the Blake and the Sheaf View. It was closed for a period, redecoration and some refurbishment occurring. The pub reopened in late September 2016 as the brewery tap for the nearby Neepsend Brewery. Dave Pickersgill

The Rutland was built, in 1936, on the site of a previous pub. Plans from the time (Wm.Fenton, Architect, Sheffield for Duncan Gilmour and Co.), indicate that the footprint of the new pub moved about 10 m back, thus allowing the corner between Brown Street and Furnival Street to take up its current position. The new pub had a corner entrance, a vestibule leading into a public bar with a service bar. Before the Public Bar, on the right is a ‘Smoke Room,’ and on the left is a ‘Tap Room,’ both fronting onto the street. Upstairs is a club room. Off sales are available from an entrance on Arundel Lane, behind the ‘Service Bar’ (left rear). The remnants of this entrance can still be seen under the current-day window which is to the right of the ‘Off sales’ window. To the right of the ‘Smoke Room’ are both male and female ‘Urinals.’ The fact that these are not situated in the yard is an indication of the relative importance of this new build. 1952 plans (J.Foster, Architect for Duncan Gilmour and Co.) show the opening out of the public bar and smoking room into a larger Lounge Hall – see image. 1988 (L.B.Percival, Architect for Josuha Tetley and Son Ltd.) saw the lounge and tap room merged and the reconfiguration of the bar into its current position. In addition to a considerable amount of Art Deco-style interior glasswork (installed in 1952) and eight original exterior windows (including ‘Smoke Room’ (2) and ‘Off Sales’), the Rutland has a very impressive tiled exterior. ‘DUNCAN GILMOUR & Co. LIMITED. RUTLAND ARMS.’ Dave Pickersgill

A CAMRA member attending a recent branch meeting suggested to much agreement that we ought to get our correspondents to help us pull together a list of derelict pubs. All are closed and not in the best condition, some are for sale and could yet reopen as pubs given the right investment, others just waiting for redevelopment. So here are 15 examples our Pub Heritage Officer has come up with 1. Arbourthorne Hotel, Arbourthorne 2. Ball Inn, Darnall 3. The Boardwalk, Snig Hill, City Centre 4. The Botanical, Ecclesall Road 5. Burgoyne Arms, Langsett Road 6. Cannon Hotel, 30 Castle Street, City Centre 7. Cuthbert Bank, 164 Langsett Road 8. Fairfield, Neepsend Lane 9. Market Tavern, City Centre 10. Matilda, City Centre 11. Olde Harrow, 80 Broad Street 12. Queens Hotel, Scotland Street 13. Stockroom, Leadmill Road 14. Turf Tavern, Handsworth Road 15. Under the Boardwalk, Snig Hill, City Centre This is not a complete list – please add others!

Since the last issue of Beer Matters, there have been a number of local developments:

• Before Christmas, a letter was sent to Sheffield City Council (SCC) from Paul Ainsworth, the Chair of the National CAMRA Pub Campaigns Group expressing disquiet regarding their procedures and practices. An immediate response form SCC was the offer of a meeting in order to discuss this, and related, issues. A date was agreed, then, at short notice, cancelled by SCC. An alternative date has now been agreed. We will meet with Ccl.Jack Scott.
• the Cherry Tree – SCC refused the ACV application. We understand that the Carterknowle and Millhouses Community Group will resubmit. SCC planning committee have not yet met in order to discuss a planning application, from the Co-op, to demolish the building and replace it by a shop.
• before Christmas, Sheffield CAMRA submitted an ACV application for The University Arms. We have since received a nine-page letter from Pinsent Mason (an international law company employed by the pub owners, the University of Sheffield). We submitted a detailed response rebutting the assertions made in this letter. A decision from SCC was due by 17th.February.
• Carbrook Hall – we understand that (subject to contract), Punch Taverns have sold this pub to a locally based Leisure Company. Sheaf Valley Heritage Group have submitted a detailed ACV application. The heritage aspects of Carbrook Hall were described, in detail in the November 2016 edition of Beer Matters. They are also available online on the CAMRA Pub Heritage website: heritagepubs.org.uk

Dave Pickersgill, Pub Heritage Officer Dave Pickersgill, Pub Heritage Officer

The Fat Cat is a little-altered and typically detailed example of a mid-C19th. pub and former hotel in, what was, an industrial quarter close to central Sheffield. It has an excellent original layout: two downstairs rooms, a small central bar, mosaic in the doorway and a terrazzo floor passageway. Opened in 1850 and originally known as ‘The Kelham Tavern,’ the pub was renamed ‘The Alma,’ in 1856, after the Battle of the Alma River (SW Crimea) in 1854. It was taken over by Sheffield brewer, William Stones in 1912. A small entrance lobby with mosaic floor bearing the legend “CANNON ALES” leads into a corridor with terrazzo floor leading to a rooms on the left and a doorway to the servery on right. The entrance lobby also leads to a room on the right. The bar was up-graded in 1981 from a formica-topped surface. The three-sided servery has a canopy including coloured glass over, and a clock under, a rounded pediment. The latter is believed to be a payment settling kiosk obtained from a Co-op butchers in Rotherham. The left hand-room has bench seating on most of the walls. The Victorian style fireplace with tiled base was installed in 1981. The right-hand room has a Victorian green tiled, cast iron and wood surround fireplace at the rear and has bench seating on the outside walls. A 1914 plan (James R.Wigfull for Messr’s.Wm.Stones Ltd.) shows a pub layout which is similar to the current layout with three exceptions. 1914 has two entrances to the building: the current position and a second corner entrance. The current corner room is split into two rooms: a ‘public bar’ which is only accessible from the corner entrance and a ‘Smoke Room’ which is accessible from the central corridor. The bar has a rounded corner in the Public Bar. In addition, ‘Cottages’ are indicated at the rear of the pub. 1914 has these changing into ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals.’ There is also an upstairs ‘Club Room’ in the same position as to-days upstairs room. Plans approved in 1941 (Wigfull, Inott and Ridgeway, Sheffield) indicate that, with the removal of an internal wall, the corner ‘Public Bar’ has extended into the ‘Smoke Room’ and that the bar is squared off into the current layout. The corner entrance has also been removed. The pub became the Fat Cat on 29th.July 1981 when the building was bought, at auction, for £33,750 by Solicitor, Bruce Bentley and his business partner, Sheffield Polytechnic Economics Lecturer, Dave Wickett (1947-2012), becoming one of the first ‘Real Ale Freehouses’ in the UK. In 1989, Dave bought out the share owned by Bruce. Opening day (21st.August) saw queues down the street and the debut behind the bar of Diane Johnston. Diane has worked at the pub since and is currently Assistant Manager. A 1982 plan shows that the ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals’ have changed into an extended ‘Gents,’ and a new ‘Ladies W.C.’ and ‘Stores.’ The ‘Tap Room’ is now named ‘No-smoking room,’ the first such facility to be available in Sheffield – this fact was mentioned in the House of Commons by Bassetlaw MP Joe Ashton and therefore recorded in Hansard. In addition, the ‘Club Room’ is now ‘Function Room.’ In the 1980’s, an internal door in the right-hand room which led directly to the urinals was removed; customers were thus compelled to visit, via the corridor. This door had been installed at some point post-WW2. The Fat Cat has recently achieved SRI (‘Some Regional Importance’)on the CAMRA registry of Pub Interiors. There is a possibility of RI (‘Regional Inventory’). Hence, we would be interested in internal photos from earlier than 1981. If you have any, please contact myself: dpickersgill1@googlemail.com Dave Pickersgill

If you have bought a copy of the guide or are simply interested in the subject, an update sheet is now available.

The Lescar (Sharrow Vale Road, S11) is possibly unique in that 1909 plans include the addition of a new ‘Children’s’ Entrance’ on the side of the building. These include a reference to ‘Obscure Glass,’ – presumably so that the ‘children’ could not see into goings-on inside. An earlier 1898 plan indicates a three-roomed pub with a single bar. Additions the following year add a large dining room to the rear of the building. By 1913, the pub was owned by Mappins Masboro Old Brewery Ltd. 1955 plans, for Mappins, indicate that the Dining Room has become a ‘Concert Room’ and the bar has moved to its current position. The off-sales are behind the bar and the children’s entrance has become an entrance into the lounge. At this point it was planned to open out the Smoke Room with the use of RSJs. 1972 Plans indicate that this opening out did not occur. The current floor plan is otherwise identical to that in the 1955 plan. The pub currently has a lobby entrance, Tap Room at the front and L-shaped lounge at the rear, both served by a central bar. There is also a  separate function room, with own bar. There are some Art Décor features including door fittings and copious wood panelling. The lounge has two fireplaces, one probably original (left) and the other bought-in. The site, itself, was previously a water mill. At the peak, in the 19th.Century, the 10 km length of the River Porter from source to where it joins the River Sheaf in the city centre, had 21 mill ponds serving 19 water wheels.