Sheffield Town Hall, Sheffield

Sheffield Town Hall, Sheffield (must see)

On a bright May morning in 1897, Queen Victoria was waiting in her carriage. Her hand was poised over a remote control lock. At a signal, she turned a key in the lock. A window of the new Town Hall of Sheffield lit up, and three men opened the Town Hall gates. The new Sheffield Town Hall in England was officially open for business.

The New Town Hall is a replacement for the Old Town Hall, which still stands, unused on Castle Market to the north. Queen Victoria's New Town Hall, home of the City Council, is on Pinstone Street. This Town Hall is the fourth one for Sheffield, designed by architect Edward W. Mountford in the Renaissance Revival style.

The architecture resonated with the style of neighboring Saint Paul's Church of 1720 since being demolished. The exterior is of Stoke stone adorned with friezes of the industries of Sheffield. The 210-foot clock tower is topped with a statue of the god Vulcan. There are no bells. The bell sounds of the tower are electronic.

Inside there is a memorial to the HMS Sheffield, a warship lost in the Falklands War. Beyond the entrance is a grand marble staircase. Friezes on the walls celebrate the killing of the legendary Dragon of Wantley. On the first floor are an oak-paneled gallery, the Lord Mayor's Parlour, Council Room, and an antechamber.

Above the antechamber door is the Bible quote: "Be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Ships, dragons, serpents, and doves; all that in the Sheffield Town Hall.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Sheffield. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Sheffield Town Hall on Map

Sight Name: Sheffield Town Hall
Sight Location: Sheffield, England (See walking tours in Sheffield)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Sheffield, England

Create Your Own Walk in Sheffield

Create Your Own Walk in Sheffield

Creating your own self-guided walk in Sheffield is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Sheffield's Historical Buildings

Sheffield's Historical Buildings

Part of Sheffield’s great heritage is manifested in buildings. The presence of historical sites, some rather imposing like the Sheffield Town Hall and City Hall, presiding over the area, and the others like the Church of St Marie, somewhat hidden from view in a built-up neighbourhood, provides a colourful illustration of the city's glorious past.

Constructed over a time-span ranging from...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Sheffield Introduction Walking Tour

Sheffield Introduction Walking Tour

Sheffield takes its name from the river Sheaf, which runs through the city. Field, of course, is an open space. The city sits at the confluence of the rivers Don and Sheaf. Don is the master stream. Its tributaries are the Loxely, Porter Brook, Rivelin, and Sheaf. There were settlements in this area as far back as 12,000 years ago.

After the Romans, settlements were Anglo-Saxon and Danish. With...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Industrial Revolution Heritage Walking Tour

Industrial Revolution Heritage Walking Tour

Steeped in history, the city of Sheffield is famed for its contribution to the Industrial Revolution, largely due to the development of stainless steel. Indeed, the “Steel City” of the United Kingdom, it was internationally renowned as a major hub of steel manufacturing during the 19th century. So much so, in fact, that George Orwell once famously referred to it as “the ugliest town in the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles