Barkers Pool Garden

[Sheffield History]

Here's a picture showing showing Barkers Pool Gardens, Sheffield, looks to be about 1960's/70's and a different view from the usual one of the city hall

[RichardB]

Donated to the City by J G Graves, so I believe

[Sheffield History]

Let's hope it stays throughout all the 'development' in the city centre

[Guest Noise Heat Power]

Lovely little picture there - and it shows an example of one of the things I've long found peculiar/interesting about Sheffield.

The thing is, this is a picture showing one of Sheffield's main central open spaces- Barkers Pool. It was surrounded by a grand concert hall, grand cinemas, and it contains the city's central war memorial. But look over at the buildings at the top of Cambridge Street - they're barely more than small cottages.

The same was true a little further down the hill, opposite the Town Hall. There you had the city's most imposing civic building, with its main shopping streets radiating off in all directions, but at the junction of Fargate and Leopold Street, where Orchard Square now stands, you had a row of tiny cottages with H.L. Brown on the corner.

When you think about the central squares in other large northern cities, the buildings seem rather more fitting. Albert Square in Manchester, Castle Street/Water Street in Liverpool, City Square in Leeds for instance.

Just an observation really, but even at a fairly young age I used to notice this apparent discrepancy.

[docmel]

Let's hope it stays throughout all the 'development' in the city centre

Unfortunatly the fountain dissapeared many years ago - I think when the Grand Hotel was pulled down - certainly during the Josephines development in the 70's

[docmel]

Oh - and to be even more 'picky' I think that the actual area and side street is not called Barkers Pool - the actual pool was further up and across towards John Lewis - this little area in the pic and down the side of the City Hall is called Balm Green

[Sheffield History]

[syrup]

Found this on Google that is interesting from way back.

http://sucod.shef.ac.uk/sucod/gallery/arc2...Barkerspool.htm

[Guest tsavo]

Interesting syrup. but Barkers pool was still in evidence in the 1960s. This from a posting under Gaumont Cinema.

Barkers Pool was one of the original town resevoirs and still runs under the area today. I worked at the Gaumont in the first half of the 1960s and had to check the water levels on a daily basis. During a stage production of the Bruce Forsyth Show the pump controlling the water level failed. The orchestra pit quickly flooded and the band played the first house with their feet in three inchs of muddy water. The show must go on......!

[dunsbyowl1867]

More info on Barkers Pool :

A prominent place on the list of Sheffield's benefactors

should be given to one whose name has been familiar for

centuries, and is destined to live for centuries yet to come, but

of whom we know absolutely nothing. In Barker, or Barker's,

Pool, we have the first attempt to give to the inhabitants,

beyond the wells situated in various parts of the town, a

constant supply of pure water. The tradition is that one

Barker, of Balm Green, took steps to make some sort of

reservoir for the storage of the water supplied by springs, and

it puts the date of the enterprise in the year I434. All we know

certainly is that in the year named there was a " Barker of Balm,"

and that there had been a " William Barkar " in I379. " Barker

Powle" is mentioned in a deed of I567, and in I570 the Burgery

was "amerced" in the sum of 3s. 3d., paid as a fine, or rent, to

the Lord of the Manor, for the pool.

From this date until I786, the cleansing and keeping in

order of the pool was acknowledged as one of the specific

charges upon the town property. Indeed we may bring it to

a later date than this; for after the pool, superseded by a more

efficient water supply, had been removed as a nuisance in I793,

the Town Trustees (I825) put up a pump near, and this

remained, though in its latter days unused, until I876.

A glance at the plan on page 153* explains far better than

words the topography of the space we call Barker Pool as it

was when on the eve of being rebuilt. The pool was not, as

many suppose, where Pool Square is. It was on the site of

the property above (west of) that; bounded by the square on

the east; by the main thoroughfare on the south; and by what

lS now called Balm Green, but which is properly Flint Well,

on the north. Across its west end ran a passage leading to

Flint Well. This still exists. There abutted on the north

and west walls of the pool some mean tenements, insanitarily

suggestive. The pool was an oblong, walled space, about 36

yards by 20, not quite right-angled, for it was slightly wider at

its upper than at its lower, or eastern end. It did not run

exactly on the lines of the present erections, which were placed

over it corner-wise, with a frontage due south, not south-west,

as was the case with the pool. Thus its lower, or south-

eastern corner, where the entrance gate was placed, facing

Fargate, projected over what is the present footpath, opposite

the offices occupied by Messrs. Cocking formerly Alderman

Mycock's house.

Above the pool, and separated from its western wall by

the narrow lane before mentioned, two detatched blocks of

property, divided by a " jennel," filled the space to Blind Lane

(Holly Street). The southern of these was of erratically

irregular shape. Starting opposite the west corner of the pool,

it ran sharply, in a south-westerly direction, to the top of Coal

Pit Lane. It will thus be seen that it lay right across what

was destined to be the entrance to Division Street. As a

matter of fa~, it obstructed direct access to that street later

than I823. This obtrusive block had at some time been

dumped down in promiscuous fashion on Balm Green, despite

the wise resolve of the Burgery to keep the sources of supply

free from contamination by decreeing (I658): " That the parcel

of ground lying and being before the newe dwelling house of

George Flint, and at the south end of John Stones house, in

Balm greene, shall not bee lett to any person whatsoever, nor

be made use of at any time hereafter for any purpose whatso-

ever, but that the same henceforth shall continue wast as

formerly." It took more than a century to wipe out the ill

consequences of a departure from that decision, and to get

back the open space we see to-day. After the encroachment

on " the waste," the old name was applied, as is shown on the

plan, to two sides of the obliterated green.

As early as I572 we read of expenditure in walling the pool,

in making a shuttle to run off the water into the channels by

which it was conducted to the lower parts of the town, and so

to the river. This channel necessitated the provision of a

"little bridge," railed, by which foot passengers could cross;

and the maintenance of this, together with repairs to the pool,

and " feyinge," that is cleansing it, was a constant duty.

In I6I5 Ellis Young, who had been Town Collector and

Churchwarden, gave £5 if the people of Sheffield would

make a channel to convey the water from Barker Pool

down the town, where need shall be. And the accounts

show that considerable work was done at the pool at that

time. "Worke about Barker poole sough" and " Opening

the sow at the poole" are subsequent entries, and on old maps

the space in Fargate, about the position of the Monolith,

is marked as ~ Sough mouth." The corner hard by, of

Pinsoncroft (or Pinchercroft) Lane (Pinstone Street), was

known as Colley Nook.

In I63I Robert Rollynson, mercer, a notable benefactor,

made improvements in the pool so extensive as to amount to

a reconstruction. Accorz,ding to the tablet to his memory,

formerly in the chancel of' the Parish Church, he, " at his own

cost, made a large pool, walled in, at the upper end of the

town, to receive water from certain springs, which may be let

out to run down the channels upon any occasion of fire." In

I672-4 large sums were laid out in further enlarging and

improving this important source of supply, and frequent

charges for locks and keys show how jealously it was guarded

against intrusion and defilement. At the same time, "The

way against it and the trowes in the Colepitt lane " were put

in order.

lt would appear that Barker Pool was, on occasion, used

for ducking termagants, for in the constables' accounts for

I654 there is a charge for "bringing the cuck stoole (from

Lady's Bridge) up to Barker Poole."

REMINISCENCES OF SHEFFIELD by R. E. LEADER

CHAPTER 08 - STREETS, SHOPS, WELLS, AND MARKETS

********************************************************************************

***********************

This out of copyright material has been transcribed by Eric Youle, who has * * provided the transcription on condition that any further copying and * * distribution of the transcription is allowed only for noncommercial * * purposes, and includes this statement in its entirety. Any references to, * * or quotations from, this material should give credit to the original * * author(s) or editors. *

[Bayleaf]

Donated to the City by J G Graves, so I believe

That's right, yet another gift we should be grateful for. Apparently his aim was to create a garden and prevent any further development and so preserve the setting of the City Hall. Unusually for one of his gifts, there was normally no public access allowed.

[neddy]

And just a bit more from The Sheffield Water Works,

Reservoir in Barker’s Pool

The first distinctly artificial work in Sheffield for purposes of public water supply was the construction by a person named Barker, who lived in Balm Green, of a reservoir in what is still known as Barker’s Pool. The water was carried from the reservoir in pails or barrels.

Mr. Rollinson , a mercer in Sheffield, who died in 1631, built a wall round the reservoir , and otherwise added to it’s utility. In 1672, large sums were laid out in enlarging, and still further improving, this source of supply. In 1786, the reservoir was nearly square, and occupied a very considerable space in Barker’s Pool. Near the wall of this reservoir John Wesley stood and preached to one of his largest congregations.

A further occasional use to which Barkers Pool was put was for ducking termagants, for which purpose the “Cuck-stool” was brought up from Lady’s Bridge.

On occasion’s of fire, the water was let off, and allowed to flow through the channels in the middle of the streets, and, to make it available, leathern buckets were hung in the Church and the Town Hall.

This is the first recorded instance of definite means having been provided for making the public water supply in the event of fire. No doubt at that time such means were of extreme value, many of the houses being constructed largely of wood, and liable to be set on fire owing to the general use of candles and lamps.

The reservoir having ceased to be used for it’s original purpose became a receptacle for rubbish and a public nuisance.

In 1793 it was finally closed, the name alone remaining

[SteveHB]

The Gardens as they look today.

^ Not sure what this is about^ was it a year when some major changes were made to the Garden,

like the fountain being removed perhaps ?

About the NCWGB.

The organisation for women that since 1895 has been active with a wide range of concerns to improve the quality of life for all, especially for women.

As well as having both members in Branches and Individual Members, more than 40 women's organisations are affiliated to NCWGB. Together with NCWs from sixty different countries, NCWGB is affiliated to the International Council of Women.

Post Edited 24/09/08

1355 hrs

[dunsbyowl1867]

The ornamental garden was presented to the city by Alderman J.G. Graves on 29th December 1936!

[SteveHB]

The ornamental garden was presented to the city by Alderman J.G. Graves on 29th December 1936!

Upppp's" I should have worded my post differently."

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Stuart0742]

Upppp's" I should have worded my post differently."

Thanks for pointing that out.

Found this 1970's view of Barkers Pool Gardens

[SteveHB]

Found this 1970's view of Barkers Pool Gardens

Nice work Stuart.

Looking at what was on the bill at the Gaumont, I can make out 'LIVE AND LET DIE' (James Bond 007)

Date of Release ..

World Premiere 5th July 1973 at the Odeon Leicester Square, London.

[Stuart0742]

Nice work Stuart.

Looking at what was on the bill at the Gaumont, I can make out 'LIVE AND LET DIE' (James Bond 007)

Date of Release ..

World Premiere 5th July 1973 at the Odeon Leicester Square, London.

The other film is Tom Sayer also 1973