Sheffield City Sculpture Stroll
This is a walking tour of the city centre, stopping at various places. The tour begins and ends at Fitzalan Square.
There is a convenient tram stop across a busy road. Take care crossing the road; what looks like it may be a dual carriageway actually has traffic in both directions.
1. KING EDWARD VII
The 2.9 metres high bronze statue is by Alfred Drury (1857-1944) and it was unveiled on 27 October 1913. The statue sits on top of an Aberdeen Kemnay Granite plinth (4.27 metres high, with decorative bronze reliefs on the sides of the plinth. Look to see if you can spot these details on the panels.
One of the side panels represents Philanthropy – represented by a stately, graceful woman presenting the Crippled Children’s Institute to a local dignitary with interested spectators, one of these being a poor little cripple, obviously anticipating benefit from the Institution. Also, a poor woman and baby and an old man. Also featured are two nurses with the mother receiving the baby back, cured.
Front Panel consists of two figures - Fame and Truth holding the inscription “Edward VII 1841-1910” Fame is portrayed with wings, as it flies throughout the land; Truth is represented by a serene figure with eyes uplifted to the source of the Truth.
A variety of figures on the remaining panel are symbolic of Unity, representative of indigenous people from India, China, North American, New Zealand and Australia.
2. THE WHITE BUILDING
T2ThHE WHITE BUILDING.
As you stand facing Edward VII, look to your right at The White Building, designed by local architects Flockton and Gibbs (1908). The frontage features prominent relief friezes showing ten typical Sheffield trades including cutlery making and silversmithing, by local architectural sculptors Tory & Sons.
The figures were modelled in the low relief frieze by the brothers Alfred and William Tory, were then sent away to be modelled in white faience.
The White Building is Grade 2 Listed by Historic England.
Crossing over Arundel Gate and passing the Crucible on our left, we turn into Tudor Square.
3. MERCURY
High up on the dome of the Lyceum Theatre in Tudor Square stands Mercury, Roman Messenger of the gods, shown as a nude male figure, his left foot rests on a globe-like base the right leg is raised behind him as though in flight.
For counter balance the left arm is flung out sideways from his body. Typically he wears a winged helmet and ankle ties and a staff with entwined snakes called a caduceus. Here, instead of the caduceus he is holding high a flaming torch.
Sculptured by Wendy Wall it was installed in June 1990. Standing 1.8 metres high it is made from copper and fibreglass. It was commissioned by Sheffield Theatres Ltd to replace the original figure when the Lyceum underwent extensive renovations.
"Pebbles"
Note the stunning public landscaping. giant pebble shaped raised beds carved from Yorkshire stone and huge cast bronze shapes. The stone beds suggest larger than life Bonsai containers. plants include specimen conifers, multi stem birch and herbaceous perennials. They are fine examples of art, design and horticulture.
Warning, they can get hot in the sun.
Theatres galore.
There are three theatres in Tudor Square: the Lyceum, the Crucible and the Library Theatre.
The Lyceum Theatre which opened in 1897 was designed by W.G.R. Sprague. Now Grade II listed, it is his only surviving design outside London. Incorporating a traditional
proscenium arch, it seats over a thousand.
It closed in 1968, was threatened by demolition and stood derelict. After a £12 million refurbishment, it re-opened in 1990 and today hosts touring productions.
The Crucible (famous for snooker) opened in 1971. Its name refers to the crucible steel that Sheffield is famous for. It is built in the round and this creates a
definite atmosphere in the auditorium. Over the years some of the productions here have gone on to West End Theatres.
Another notable claim to fame is that the Crucible staged the European Premiere of the Musical Chicago with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse.
The Library Theatre is a small acting space under the Central Library used by amateur groups. It was opened in 1934.
In 2025 the Sheffield Theatres portfolio expanded to include the Montgomery Theatre on Surrey Street. In recent years a great deal of money has been spent here to modernise it and bring the facilities into line with modern requirements. There is now a lift. The theater holds 414.
Read more about James Montgomery below.
4.THE WALKING MAN
This is one of no fewer than four works by Sheffield’s own George Fullard.
Slightly less than life - size he wears a tightly buttoned coat; the collar is open and turned up. The man’s stride swings his full length coat slightly forward whilst the backward tilt of his upper body creates a counter motion.
His hands are by his sides and not clearly defined but his bare head is very distinctive being sharply featured and set on a long neck. The base is integral to the sculpture and set into a low concrete block.
This bronze statue was first cast in 1957 and stands 1.78 metres high on a cement base. It has been re located many times in the city centre over the years, becoming a firm favourite with the general public and was variously seen with a cigarette between his lips, a beer can under his arm and a traffic cone on his head.
It was exhibited the year it was made at the “Looking at People” Exhibition which travelled to Moscow. Just 12 years after the end of the World War II the emaciated tragic figure brought back memories of concentration camp survivors up and heroically walking again.
The Winter Gardens
A temperate urban glass house and one of the largest to be built in the UK during the last 100 years. The architects were Pringler Richards & Sharratt and the structured timber (gulum) arches were made in Germany. It is home to 2500 tropical palms and cacti. It is a stunning green world in the heart of the city.
Hanging Sculpture.
Look up near the entrance of the Millennium Gallery and there hangs a stainless steel mobile which moves in the balmy air. It depicts a variety of things that make up Sheffield e.g. famous buildings, rivers, areas etc.
5. RAIN
These nine polished stainless steel spheres of differing sizes dominate the space between the Winter Gardens and the Peace Gardens as part of “The Heart of the City” regeneration scheme in 2006.
The sculptor, Colin Rose, wanted water to be included thus each sphere is set in a shallow concrete pool. A skin of water flows constantly over them. The water catches the reflections of the passers by and the neighbouring buildings around them. The spheres are lit at dusk.
They also represent raindrops and the water which has nourished historically and continues to nourish the city’s development. Sheffield Architectural Metalworkers fabricated the spheres which were then polished over a period of six months using hand held buffers to produce the mirror finish.
6. THREE SCULPTURES BY GEORGE FULLARD
This trio of sculptures cast in bronze can be seen in the stone forecourt of The Upper Chapel Unitarian Church, Norfolk Street. They were donated by Irene Fullard the sculptor’s widow and the Fullard family attended their siting, in May 1985.
The Running Woman (right) clutches with clenched fists a scarf around her neck. She runs on high heels, her legs skeletal with a gap between her tibia and fibula. Her dress is plastered in folds behind her showing a sense of movement. Her head is misshapen, mouth agape and hair streaming behind her. The face has some cubist elements, being composed of different planes and viewpoints.
Mother and Child (left) is more static. Modelled in 1956 and cast in 1984 a mother sits on a stool with a child on her lap. She wears a hat, a scarf and shoes with large heels. The child, a boy, is wearing a romper suit and beret. He appears to be trying to climb off her knee and his mother’s hands are restraining him but otherwise she passively stares ahead seemingly unaware of his existence. This is a much more naturally rounded sculpture than the others and in an art historical sense is a modern interpretation of “La Pieta” Much of Fullard’s work of the 1950’s depicts women or women with children. The fashion of the time greatly interested him. John Berger an expert on Fullard explains “he deals with modern life […] looks at, watches and ponders […] makes up the reality of one woman and her child during one second of their
lives”.
The Angry Woman (centre) is tense with anger. She stands with her feet apart, her left arm flung out and the right one tight by her side, Even her skirt is rigid, spread wide and flattened and is in sharp contrast to the small head and tight facial features. Her body expresses the emotion. Set
amongst gravestones and shrubbery, there are seats where you can sit and contemplate these excellent exhibits.
Now retrace your steps up Norfolk Street and turn right along Surrey Street, passing the Town Hall on your left and the Montgomery Theatre on the right. Carry on past Barclays Bank on the left and into Barker's Pool.
Barker's Pool
Named after a John Barker who had a pond here in the 15th Century fed by a natural spring. It's possible that this spring was what caused the organ lift to fill with water in the days of the Regent Cinema on the left. Later this was renamed the Gaumont before being demolished and a 2 screen Odeon took its place. Today there are square water features incorporating fountains. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to spot ducks paddling in these features.
7. CAT AND BIRD
On the right hand side is Pool Square where there is a small garden. Hidden within the shrubbery are just two are two of many animal stoneworks by Vega Bermejo in Sheffield; a cat keeping its eye on a bird. Dating from 1988 these are made from Derbyshire Gritstone.
Other examples of this artist’s work can be found at Victoria Quays (Heron and Fish), Queens Road (Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter) and Meadowhall Retail Park (The Marble Players)
8. HORSE AND RIDER
Set back from Barker's Pool is the stainless steel Horse and Rider by David Wynne. Standing nearly 4 metres tall. The statue stands on a concrete plinth faced in black granite.
This work was cast at Steel Castings Research and Trade Association on East Bank Road.
This was presented to the people of Sheffield in 1978 by the family of the late Hyman Stone who was a local solicitor and by the creators of its immediate surroundings, the Gauntlet Development, the builders of the Fountain Precinct behind the artwork..
9. THE COVID MEMORIAL
Further up Barker's Pool is the Sheffield Covid Memorial. Designed by George King Architects for Sheffield City Council. This was unveiled in 2023. The Sheffield Covid Memorial is inspired by the beauty and strength of the willow tree. The sculpture is formed from bent stainless steel tubes which represent the branches of the tree, twisting and turning before coming together to create the trunk, a symbol that as a community we are stronger together and that by supporting each other we can withstand adversity.
The willow tree has a lithe and supple structure; it bends to accommodate strong winds and adverse weather instead of breaking, meaning it has become a symbol of resilience. Architecturally the form of the willow tree with its far-reaching branches hanging down to the ground creates a welcoming, sheltered, protected space underneath which can be used for people to gather, remember and leave flowers on anniversaries. The monument dates from 2023.
Within the tubes are holes which are used to tie on labels bearing the names of victims of the Covid epidemic.
10. THE WOMEN OF STEEL.
Above the City Hall is the city's memorial to the Women of Steel, a bronze sculpture of two women depicted arm in arm expressing solidarity in tribute to the women of Sheffield who worked in the city's steel industry during the First and Second World Wars. A work of the sculptor Martin Jennings, it was unveiled in June 2016. Women of Steel was given the Keith Hayman Award in the Sheffield Design Awards 2016 and the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association's 2017 Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture.
The sculpture was commissioned by Sheffield City Council. The project cost £150,000 of which £102,000 was paid for the sculpture. The unveiling was attended by 100 women who had worked in the steelworks.
11. THE WAR MEMORIAL.
Of the various artworks in Barkers Pool, the oldest is hard to miss. It stands as a Monument to the Fallen in the First World War. The flagpole is a hollow steel mast nearly 33 metres long and this weighs over 9000 Kilograms.
Four bronze figures of servicemen stand above panels showing the emblems of local regiments, Sheffield's coat of arms and the Navy, Merchant Navy, Army and Air Force.
The four figures are of ordinary soldiers with their heads bowed and rifles reversed; two have moustaches and two are clean shaven. They are slightly less than life size. Their backs are to a central column which becomes a flagpole above their heads.
The figures were designed by G. Alexander, the memorial by C. Carus-Wilson. The bronze base of the memorial is round, 5.33 metres high and two metres in diameter.
The original design included four female figures between the soldiers but this was amended in order to save money.
Walk past the Women of Steel and the City Hall. Continue through to West Street. Here you have a choice. Either cross the road and take a tram down to Fitzalan Square or stay on this side of the tracks and walk down.
Church Street and High Street
West Street continues as far as the junction, after which it becomes Church Street. On the left side at number 20 Church Street stands Cairns Chambers, with decorative exterior stonework by Frank Tory including a sundial and a four-foot statue of Earl Cairns, a former Lord Chancellor.
Further down, on the right, is the Cutlers’ Hall. The Arms of the Company of Cutlers include an elephant's head, a nod to the animals whose tusks provided ivory for knife handles. There has been a building on this site since 1832. The current building is Grade II listed.
Take a close look at the door handles to see more elephant heads.
Notice that there is a plaque set into the pavement commemorating Stan Shaw BEM, one of Sheffield’s “Little Mesters” who produced pocket knives. He died aged 94 in 2021.
Sheffield Cathedral stands on Church Street. The Cathedral is a Grade I listed building; construction started in 1430 although a church has existed on the site since the 12th century.
The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, also known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914.
There was talk of redesigning the Cathedral so it ran in a North to South orientation. This would have meant extending it over the forecourt. The Second World War put an end to these plans although there has been work to enlarge the west end and a new entrance was built. The Cathedral is home to the Archer Project which works with the homeless and vulnerable in Sheffield to help them find ways out of homelessness and exclusion.
12. THE JAMES MONTGOMERY MONUMENT
This bronze life-sized standing figure of James Montgomery “The Christian Poet” (1771-1854) sits on a granite pedestal in the Cathedral Precinct. It was moved here in 1971 from the overgrown General Cemetery where it was erected in 1860.
Designed by John Bell (1811-1895), with monies raised by Public Subscription, raised through Sheffield Sunday Schools.
Montgomery had strong associations with the religious life of Sheffield, edited the local newspaper, wrote over 400 hymns, including the Christmas Carol Angels From The Realms of Glory, and campaigned for humanitarian causes.
As well as this monument carrying his name, there are various streets named in his honour both in Sheffield and in other places as well including Wath-Upon-Dearne. In Sheffield, the Montgomery Hall on Surrey Street (formerly the meeting hall of the Sunday Schools Union) was named in his honour in 1886.
Further down, on the corner of Fitzalan Square was the Marples Hotel where seventy people were killed in a direct hit during the Sheffield Blitz.
And by reaching Fitzalan Square, you’re now back at the beginning of the stroll. We hope you’ve enjoyed this insight into our city. If so, and you’d like to send comments and feedback please get in touch via sheffvisartschair@gmail.com .
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