Mount Pleasant, Sheffield
Encyclopedia
Mount Pleasant is an 18th century mansion situated on Sharrow Lane in the Highfield
area of the City of Sheffield
in South Yorkshire
, England. The house stands just under two km south of the city centre and is a grade II* listed building, it has been described as “one of the best 18th century houses in Sheffield”. The adjacent former stables and coach house are also Grade II* listed.
were an eminent family of Derbyshire
landowners who owned a large ironworks at Eckington
. The house was constructed in 1777 using the architect John Platt (1728-1810) of Rotherham, who was also involved in masonry work at Clifton Hall
and Wentworth Castle
during his career. When first built the mansion stood in a rural situation within sight of the centre of Sheffield, surrounded by farmland at the top of a slight gradient overlooking the valley of the River Sheaf
. The Sitwells owned Mount Pleasant for less than 20 years as in 1794 it was sold to Samuel Broomhead Ward who was to become Master Cutler
in 1798. By the 1850s the family of Thomas Tillotson, a Sheffield merchant were living at Mount Pleasant, after that the building was utilised for various purposes including being an asylum
for a time. In 1874 Mount Pleasant became the Girls’ Charity School when it was relocated from its original location in St James Row at the side of Sheffield Cathedral
. In 1927 the school was renamed the Mount Pleasant School for Girls.
Mount Pleasant was requisitioned for use by the Government during World War II
and after the War the building continued to be used by various Government departments with the Ministry of Works Engineering Department, the Ministry of Fuel and the Ministry of Transport
all having office space there. Mount Pleasant was designated a listed building in May 1952. By 1961 there was just the National Assistance Board and the Drivers Examiners Department using the buildings with the latter using the old stables and coach house buildings as offices. When the building was vacated by the government it fell into a state of near ruin during the late 1960s and early 1970s but was restored in the mid 1970s and converted into a Community centre
with the stables used as a Youth club
known as The Stables Connexions Centre.
slate
roof. It has three stories with a full-height canted
bay window
on the south side. Most of the windows are of the sash
design. The most decorative side of the house is the shorter east elevation which has its middle three bays brought forward and given a pediment
. There is a palladian window on the first floor set in an arch with a balustrade
below. The ornamental doorway has Corinthian
columns and a pediment. The former stables and coach house are of similar build to the main house being constructed of red brick with stone dressings incorporating sash windows.
Sheffield Central ward
Central ward—which includes the districts of Broomhall, Highfield, Sharrow, and the city centre—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It covers the central area of the city, an area of 4.8 km2. The population of this ward in 2001 was 17,300 people in 7,300...
area of the City of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England. The house stands just under two km south of the city centre and is a grade II* listed building, it has been described as “one of the best 18th century houses in Sheffield”. The adjacent former stables and coach house are also Grade II* listed.
History
Mount Pleasant was built by Francis Hurt Sitwell. The SitwellsSitwell Baronets
The Sitwell Baronetcy, of Renishaw in the County of Derby, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 3 October 1808 for Sitwell Sitwell, Member of Parliament for West Looe...
were an eminent family of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
landowners who owned a large ironworks at Eckington
Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington is a town in North East Derbyshire, 7 miles north of Chesterfield and 8.5 miles south of Sheffield on the border with South Yorkshire.Eckington has a population of 11,152....
. The house was constructed in 1777 using the architect John Platt (1728-1810) of Rotherham, who was also involved in masonry work at Clifton Hall
Clifton Hall, Nottingham
Clifton Hall is a country house in the village of Clifton, Nottinghamshire . As well as being a Grade I listed building, the hall is part of the Clifton Village Conservation Area. While the history of the place stretches back to the 11th century, the hall was remodelled in the late 18th century in...
and Wentworth Castle
Wentworth Castle
Wentworth Castle is a stately home and estate near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. It was originally the seat of the Earls of Strafford. An older house existed on the estate, then called Stainborough, when it was purchased by Thomas Wentworth, Lord Raby , in 1711...
during his career. When first built the mansion stood in a rural situation within sight of the centre of Sheffield, surrounded by farmland at the top of a slight gradient overlooking the valley of the River Sheaf
River Sheaf
The River Sheaf is a river in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its source is the union of the Totley Brook and the Old Hay Brook in Totley, now a suburb of Sheffield. It flows northwards, past Dore, through the valley called Abbeydale and north of Heeley...
. The Sitwells owned Mount Pleasant for less than 20 years as in 1794 it was sold to Samuel Broomhead Ward who was to become Master Cutler
Master Cutler
The Master Cutler is the head of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire established in 1624. Their role is to act as an ambassador of industry in Sheffield, England. The Master Cutler is elected by the freemen of the company on the first Monday of September of each year and the position taken in the...
in 1798. By the 1850s the family of Thomas Tillotson, a Sheffield merchant were living at Mount Pleasant, after that the building was utilised for various purposes including being an asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
for a time. In 1874 Mount Pleasant became the Girls’ Charity School when it was relocated from its original location in St James Row at the side of Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral
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...
. In 1927 the school was renamed the Mount Pleasant School for Girls.
Mount Pleasant was requisitioned for use by the Government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and after the War the building continued to be used by various Government departments with the Ministry of Works Engineering Department, the Ministry of Fuel and the Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
all having office space there. Mount Pleasant was designated a listed building in May 1952. By 1961 there was just the National Assistance Board and the Drivers Examiners Department using the buildings with the latter using the old stables and coach house buildings as offices. When the building was vacated by the government it fell into a state of near ruin during the late 1960s and early 1970s but was restored in the mid 1970s and converted into a Community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
with the stables used as a Youth club
Youth club
A youth club or youth social club is a place where young people can meet and enjoy activities such as football, soccer, basketball, table tennis, or video games, and other religious, sports activities are frequently sponsored by a community center....
known as The Stables Connexions Centre.
Architecture
Mount Pleasant is brick built with stone dressings and a hippedHip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof. It has three stories with a full-height canted
Cant (architecture)
Cant is the architectural term describing part, or segment, of a facade which is at an angle to another part of the same facade. The angle breaking the facade is less than a right angle thus enabling a canted facade to be viewed as, and remain, one composition.Canted facades are a typical of, but...
bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
on the south side. Most of the windows are of the sash
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
design. The most decorative side of the house is the shorter east elevation which has its middle three bays brought forward and given a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. There is a palladian window on the first floor set in an arch with a balustrade
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
below. The ornamental doorway has Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns and a pediment. The former stables and coach house are of similar build to the main house being constructed of red brick with stone dressings incorporating sash windows.