Barker's Pool
Encyclopedia
Barker's Pool is a public plaza and street in the centre of the City of Sheffield
, England
. The focus of Barker's Pool is the Grade II listed 90 feet (27.4 m) First World War memorial that was unveiled on 28 October 1925. The Grade II* listed Sheffield City Hall
is on the north side of the plaza facing a branch of the John Lewis Partnership
, formerly Cole Brothers
to the South.
One of the earliest known references to Barker's Pool comes from the records of the Burgery of Sheffield
for 1570. The name Barker's Pool may derive from a "Barker of Balme" mentioned in a deed dating from 1434. At this time the area was known as Balm Green and was on the edge of the town. Sheffield historian Sidney Addy suggests that the name Balm Green indicates that this site was formerly used for the cultivation of the herb lemon balm
.
The reservoir was reconstructed and extended by Robert Rollinson before 1631, and was demolished in 1793 when three new reservoirs were constructed at Redmires in nearby Lodge Moor.
In addition to supplying drinking water, the location of Barker's Pool at the highest point in the town allowed water released from the reservoir to be guided through channels that ran along the centre of the town's streets:
Terraced properties and shops which once occupied one side of the square were demolished in 1912 to make way for the Albert Hall Cinema which opened the following year, but was destroyed by fire in 1936. The Regent Cinema continued at the same site, later to become the Gaumont (this has also since been demolished). Other terraced properties and shops at the other side of the square were demolished around 1923 to make way for the construction of the Sheffield City Hall, which opened in 1932.
In 2005 the square was renovated and relaid in Yorkshire stone
. Two glass-cased fountains were installed outside the City Hall; these are illuminated at night, and several seated areas are also illuminated in colours that match the ground lighting of the nearby Millennium Square
. The renovation won Gold in the 2006 Town Centre Environment Awards, run by the BCSC, held on November 7, 2006 in Manchester
. Barkers Pool was one of two projects in Sheffield City Centre
to be nominated, the other being the Station
gateway at Howard Street
.
, which will see a new John Lewis
store being built on the site of the current fire station, and the current one at the north of Barkers Pool demolished to make way for two new building, including a large four-floor department store, to be let as a single unit.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The focus of Barker's Pool is the Grade II listed 90 feet (27.4 m) First World War memorial that was unveiled on 28 October 1925. The Grade II* listed Sheffield City Hall
Sheffield City Hall
Sheffield City Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Sheffield, England, containing several venues, ranging from the Oval Concert Hall which seats over 2,000 people to a ballroom featuring a sprung dance floor...
is on the north side of the plaza facing a branch of the John Lewis Partnership
John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned UK partnership which operates John Lewis department stores, Waitrose supermarkets and a number of other services...
, formerly Cole Brothers
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
to the South.
History
Sheffield Town Trust
The Sheffield Town Trust, formerly officially known as the Burgery of Sheffield, is a charitable trust operating in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.-Mediaeval period:...
for 1570. The name Barker's Pool may derive from a "Barker of Balme" mentioned in a deed dating from 1434. At this time the area was known as Balm Green and was on the edge of the town. Sheffield historian Sidney Addy suggests that the name Balm Green indicates that this site was formerly used for the cultivation of the herb lemon balm
Lemon balm
Lemon balm , not to be confused with bee balm, Monarda species, is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region....
.
The reservoir was reconstructed and extended by Robert Rollinson before 1631, and was demolished in 1793 when three new reservoirs were constructed at Redmires in nearby Lodge Moor.
In addition to supplying drinking water, the location of Barker's Pool at the highest point in the town allowed water released from the reservoir to be guided through channels that ran along the centre of the town's streets:
Terraced properties and shops which once occupied one side of the square were demolished in 1912 to make way for the Albert Hall Cinema which opened the following year, but was destroyed by fire in 1936. The Regent Cinema continued at the same site, later to become the Gaumont (this has also since been demolished). Other terraced properties and shops at the other side of the square were demolished around 1923 to make way for the construction of the Sheffield City Hall, which opened in 1932.
In 2005 the square was renovated and relaid in Yorkshire stone
Yorkstone
Yorkstone is a term for a variety of sandstone, specifically from quarries in Yorkshire that have been worked since medieval times, but now applied generally. Yorkstone is a tight grained, Carboniferous sedimentary rock...
. Two glass-cased fountains were installed outside the City Hall; these are illuminated at night, and several seated areas are also illuminated in colours that match the ground lighting of the nearby Millennium Square
Millennium Square (Sheffield)
Millennium Square is a modern city square in Sheffield, England. It was created as part of the Heart of the City project that began in 1998 and has become a central feature in Sheffield’s redeveloped city centre...
. The renovation won Gold in the 2006 Town Centre Environment Awards, run by the BCSC, held on November 7, 2006 in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Barkers Pool was one of two projects in Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Centre—often just referred to as town—is a district of the City of Sheffield, and part of the Sheffield Central ward. It includes the area that is within a radius of roughly of Sheffield Cathedral, and is encircled by the Inner Ring Road—a circular route started in the late 1960s...
to be nominated, the other being the Station
Sheffield Midland station
Sheffield station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a railway station in Sheffield, England and is the busiest station in South Yorkshire...
gateway at Howard Street
Howard Street (Sheffield)
Howard Street is a street in the city centre of Sheffield, England. It provides a short link between Sheaf Square and one of the great road arteries, Arundel Gate. The street was pedestrianised in 2006 so as to provide safe haven to pedestrians using the railway station...
.
Future developments
The area is earmarked to be developed as part of SevenstoneSevenstone
Sevenstone is the marketing name of the project formerly known as the New Retail Quarter/NRQ which involves the demolition and rebuilding of an area of Sheffield, England between the Devonshire Quarter and The Moor Gateway. Sheffield City Centre has suffered from the collapse of steel making and...
, which will see a new John Lewis
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
store being built on the site of the current fire station, and the current one at the north of Barkers Pool demolished to make way for two new building, including a large four-floor department store, to be let as a single unit.