Outside Sheffield Cathedral was this Victorian Post Box. It is said that there is a post box within 1/2 mile of 98% of the population. Easier to do now we largely live in towns and cities. The first post box was on Jersey in 1853 and on the mainland in Carlisle much later in 1856. Then there was no set design until 1859 and it was designed by John Wornham Penfold and is this hexagonal design with acanthus leaves on the top as does this one. The design was again changed in 1879 to the design we have today. They were originally painted a dark green but the red became standard after July 1874.

 

The Cutlers Hall is opposite the Cathedral and has been on this site since 1638. The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire was founded by Acts of Parliament in 1624 and 1638. This is the third building on the same site and was completed 1832 and looks very swish inside, and is Grade II* Listed. You maybe able to make out that it has a polished steel door.

Just up the street is the Old Stone House pub. It says White and Sons, late Thomas Aldam 1795. The building dates from 1840 and Thomas Aldam a wine and spirits importer lived here from the late 1840's to 1858. Eventually the business passed to J.B. White and sons who were also wine, spirit and cigar importers and were a long established business in Chesterfield. They started in 1795, hence the date Where the two windows are was the offices of the business and by 1913 the rear of the building had become the Stone House Pub as it says above the left hand door. It was the go too place in the 1980's but the rear of the building was taken for the development behind in 2005 and it seems that it hasn't prospered since then.

Further up Glossop Road is the Somme Barracks. Above the gate is the inscription of 1st W Y R E  (Vols) The 1st West Yorkshire Royal Engineers Volunteers. They moved here in 1882 when the volunteer regiment bought a large house with grounds as the home of the Officers and NCO's Mess. It was found to be inadequate and these barracks were opened in 1907, all paid for by private subscription, being a volunteer regiment. On the ground floor was an armoury with workshop, surgery, orderly room, lecture room, canteen and waiting rooms. In the basement is the band room and in the roof space is the Quarter Masters stores. There was also a riding school here at one time too. In WWI the corp fought at the Somme and the barracks were renamed to honour this. The Grade II building is now home to the University of Sheffield Officer Training Corp.

Web had left the centre of Sheffield to walk up to the Botanical Gardens. The Sheffield Botanical and Horticultural Society was formed in 1833 and by the following year they had sold enough £5 shares to purchase 19 acres of land from the snuff manufacturer Joseph Wilson. The land was south facing farm land but by 1836 it had opened to the public with an entrance fee charged. 12000 visited in the first year. The Pavilion was erected at the same time as the park was constructed and were refurbished in 2005.

One of the original turnstiles is still in place. At the end of the 1800's the Sheffield Town Trust took over the site and abolished the entrance fee.

There is a bear pit at the gardens too, and remarkably it actually had two resident bears when the grounds opened in 1836. Unfortunately in 1876 a child fell in and following this incident they bears were moved out. I don't know what happened to the child though.

It was glorious in the sunshine and there were loads of kids and their Mums about. Plus many older folk. There was even a group of about ten, well spaced out, that with their folding chairs seemed to be having a committee meeting or a book club or something similar.

When we got back to the boat I finished polishing the port side and later we will go and get water that requires raising a lift bridge into the basin and back out. We are leaving in the morning so have to turn round anyway.