Sheffield, Hammerton Street, School

Sheffield has one of the best surviving collections of early board schools in England, unparalleled outside London. Following the 1870 Education Act, Sheffield’s newly elected School Board vigorously set about constructing new schools, completing 39 before its demise in 1903. Charles J. Innocent (1839-1901) was appointed architect to the Board and he, together with his partner, Thomas Brown (c. 1845-81) were responsible for 19 of the 22 schools built between 1873-1881. The first of them and, it was claimed by the architects, the first commenced under the 1870 Act, was Newhall School, Sanderson Street. By 1877, attendance at the new schools had reached 31,000.

Hammerton Street School, Ouseburn Road

1904, probably the most impressive of Hale’s schools but now sadly derelict. Hale’s favourite motifs were present; buttressing with decorated Glossary Term caps, battered chimneys and the contrasting surfaces of rock faced stone and smooth Stoke ashlar Glossary Term. While generally eclectic Arts and Crafts Glossary Term in its style, Hammerton Street revealed a new interest in the possibilities of the Baroque Glossary Term; exaggerated keystones and strongly modelled entrance bays with a deep frieze Glossary Term supported by short columns combine with advancing and receding planes to give a great deal of life to the building. This flirtation with Baroque Glossary Term rhetoric was to see much more obvious expression four years later in the tower of Victoria Hall.

Hale displayed great confidence in his handling of the ventilation towers with their pagoda roofs broken by capped piers. Medallions set in laurel leaves were intended to instil virtues considered appropriate for each sex; boys had Courtesy, Courage and Chivalry while the girls got Purity, Sincerity and Modesty. Both were deemed to require Grace, Honour, Truth, Justice, Sympathy, Patience, Reverence, Godliness, Gratitude, Generosity, Friendship and Gentleness.

Inside, the senior department assembly hall had classrooms grouped around it with glazed movable sashes between hall and classroom; the infants’ department had a similar arrangement with movable partitions.http://www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk…l-designs.html

We did not gain access due to it being part occupied, we spoke with local people one talked as it being a daughter being raped and seemed quite angry at its current state, talking with others seems there are objections to future plans for its future use, we are not sure to its listed status, it does not come up on the 57 buildings at risk published 2008 by English Heritage for Sheffield.