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The Old Queens Head pub in Pond Street Sheffield


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Guest cheekymonkey

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The Old Queens Head on Pond Hill next to Pond Street Bus Station in Sheffield

Sheffield's oldest surviving domestic building and always the subject of many a rumour about tunnels up to the castle, and hauntings..

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I read somewhere that the original name of this building was "The Hall in the Ponds". Mention of it appears in Bernard Cornwell's later "Sharp" novels. Due to Sheffield actor Sean Bean apearing as Sharp in a TV series and making the role his own Bernard Cornwell wrote about Sharp coming from Sheffield and drinking in the Hall in the Ponds in the later Sharp books.

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1 hour ago, Old rider said:

I read somewhere that the original name of this building was "The Hall in the Ponds". Mention of it appears in Bernard Cornwell's later "Sharp" novels. Due to Sheffield actor Sean Bean apearing as Sharp in a TV series and making the role his own Bernard Cornwell wrote about Sharp coming from Sheffield and drinking in the Hall in the Ponds in the later Sharp books.

If Sharp was drinking in the Hawle in the Ponds it must have been water, it was supposedly a laundry for the castle, which I personally doubt and it was not  a pub until the middle or later of the 1800s.

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Here's an extract regarding its ale related history from the Hunter Archaelogical Society article:

The records of the Sheffield Licensing Magistrates commence in 1872, when the hotel contained one bar, one parlour, one taproom, one kitchen, three bed­rooms, one yard and one stable. Our thanks are due to Mr. Leslie M. Pugh, the Licensing Magistrates' Clerk, for permission to peruse these.

The Corporation bought the property from Tennant Brothers Ltd. on 28th November, 1935, and leased it the following year to John Smith's Tadcaster Brewery Company Ltd.

Tennant Brothers had it from Thomas Berry & Co. Ltd., llth July, 1924, who had held it from 1884, when they acquired it from Truswell's Brewery Co. Ltd., the latter firm being in possession in 1872, when the Licensing Authorities' records began.

Turning to the Directories of Sheffield, it appears that, in 1864, James Pilley, a nail and rivet maker, was licensee of the Queen's Head Hotel in Pond Hill, as he was in 1860 and 1856, but in 1852 the Queen's Head does not appear in the directory and James Pilley has a beerhouse at 2 Pond Hill, also occupied by Joshua Ogden, butter dealer and mason.

In 1841, Pilley and his beerhouse are at 2 River Street, but in 1837 neither James Pilley nor the hotel are mentioned.

At the present time 3 River Lane is occupied by the more modern part of the Old Queen's Head, the postal address of the hotel being 40 Pond Hill.

Between 1847 and 1818 Thomas Battey figures prominently in the documents included in the title deeds of the property. He is recorded in the 1841 directory as a cart owner of Court 40, Pond Hill, and again in 1837; he died in or before 1847 as is indicated by a Conveyance dated 9th December, 1847, from Francis Hoole, solicitor, to John Matte, of property late belonging to Thomas Battey, deceased.

The 1841 directory names a John Mate, whitesmith and braziers' tools, &c., manufacturer of 18 River Street.

On 21st December, 1818, Thomas Battey and his trustee leased the property from Thomas Rawson, Esq., of Thomas Rawson & Co., brewers, Pond Street, one of the oldest breweries in Sheffield, now incor­porated in Duncan Gilmour & Co. Ltd., but we must not assume that the old Hall was a public house at the time it was in the possession of Thomas Rawson; indeed the meagre evidence outlined above would appear to suggest that it became the Queen's Head Hotel shortly prior to 1856, but that it, or the River Lane part of it, was a beer-house as early as 1841.

The full article is here:

This 1884 article states "It has, like so many other old houses, degenerated into a beershop"

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The Old Queens Head was open in 1853 and in the hands of James Pilley when he applied for a licence renewal in July of that year.

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3 hours ago, Edmund said:

The Old Queens Head was open in 1853 and in the hands of James Pilley when he applied for a licence renewal in July of that year.

Wasn’t Mr Pilleys licence issued in 1841? for the original Queens Head Hotel next door to the Old Queens Head, it’s original entrance can still be seen in this photo as you can see it was bricked up but its now a window, didn’t the renewal encompass the Queens Head we see now. I’m sure I remember a garage at the side of the pub in the 1950s & 1960s too.

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Yes, James Pilley was there in 1841 with his wife and Harriett and 2 year old son.  His profession was "Brewer".  The new part was the public area and the original "Hawle in the Poandes" building was the living area for the business.

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2 hours ago, Edmund said:

Yes, James Pilley was there in 1841 with his wife and Harriett and 2 year old son.  His profession was "Brewer".  The new part was the public area and the original "Hawle in the Poandes" building was the living area for the business.

Their  living area eventually became “The Old Queens Head”

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My second favourite pub in the world (Favourite is the Hardwick Inn near Hardwick Hall).

Drinking a pint of Nutty Black in that historic place is a treat.   Until the pandemic hit the food was excellent too and great value.  I hope we can be back there for a pint soon.

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I did read some archaeological evidence on the building. It was ruled out as a laundry. And was more or less a "lodge" and a grand one too, by the use of the word "hall" for the use of the Earls of Shrewsbury.  Plus the use of the fish ponds located by it "the ponds" of it's title. More or less a luxury place to rest up and enjoy all that good for a rich person in the 15th and 16th Centuries.   

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