Leah's Yard
Encyclopedia
Leah’s Yard is a former collection of small industrial workshops situated on Cambridge Street in the city centre of Sheffield
in South Yorkshire
, England. Although now in a run down state, the building has been designated as a Grade II* listed building because of its importance as an example of Sheffield’s industrial heritage.
and other hand tools. As was typical with small works of this type Leah’s Yard had many different trade occupants and as such the building underwent many alterations and additions which are evident today. Throughout the 19th century the yard was used by a horn
dealer (who supplied the cutlery handle making trade), Sheffield platers
, knife manufacturers and silver
stampers
. In the 1880s the building was known as the Cambridge Street Horn Works. In 1892 Henry Leah took over the building as a producer of die
stamps for silverware, giving the building the name that it is known by today. Sharing the building at that time was Walter Walker & Co Ltd who were piercers and stampers and the building was alternatively known as the Cambridge Stamping Works.
At the end of the 19th century steam power was introduced to run a grinding
hull and drop hammers in a silver die stamping shop. The key to the success of buildings such as Leah’s Yard was that they could be adapted to provide accommodation for a number of different metal industry trades on the same site. They provided adaptable, cheap work space by crowding buildings into a confined area. By 1905, the workshops around the courtyard of Leah’s Yard were occupied by eighteen Little mester
s whose trades included dram flask manufacturer, hollow ware and silver buffers, palette knife
makers, steel fork manufacturer, silver ferrule
maker, brass
and nickel silver
turners, electroplate producer
and a cutler
.
s to give plenty of natural light for the workmen.
development of the city centre. However because of central Government cutbacks work on the Sevenstone project has been postponed until 2011 at the earliest.
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. Although now in a run down state, the building has been designated as a Grade II* listed building because of its importance as an example of Sheffield’s industrial heritage.
History
Leah’s Yard was constructed in the early part of the 19th century as a works for the manufacture of shearsScissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
and other hand tools. As was typical with small works of this type Leah’s Yard had many different trade occupants and as such the building underwent many alterations and additions which are evident today. Throughout the 19th century the yard was used by a horn
Horn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
dealer (who supplied the cutlery handle making trade), Sheffield platers
Sheffield plate
Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles. These included buttons, caddy spoons, serving utensils, candlesticks and other lighting devices, tea and coffee services, serving dishes and trays, tankards and...
, knife manufacturers and silver
Silver (household)
Household silver or silverware includes dishware, cutlery and other household items made of sterling, Britannia or Sheffield plate silver. The term is often extended to items made of stainless steel...
stampers
Stamping (metalworking)
Stamping includes a variety of sheet-metal forming manufacturing processes, such as punching using a machine press or stamping press, blanking, embossing, bending, flanging, and coining. This could be a single stage operation where every stroke of the press produce the desired form on the sheet...
. In the 1880s the building was known as the Cambridge Street Horn Works. In 1892 Henry Leah took over the building as a producer of die
Die (manufacturing)
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...
stamps for silverware, giving the building the name that it is known by today. Sharing the building at that time was Walter Walker & Co Ltd who were piercers and stampers and the building was alternatively known as the Cambridge Stamping Works.
At the end of the 19th century steam power was introduced to run a grinding
Grindstone (tool)
A grindstone is a round sharpening stone used for grinding or sharpening ferrous tools. They are usually made from sandstone.Grindstone machines usually have pedals in which to speed and slow the stone to sharpen metal to the point of perfection....
hull and drop hammers in a silver die stamping shop. The key to the success of buildings such as Leah’s Yard was that they could be adapted to provide accommodation for a number of different metal industry trades on the same site. They provided adaptable, cheap work space by crowding buildings into a confined area. By 1905, the workshops around the courtyard of Leah’s Yard were occupied by eighteen Little mester
Little mester
A little mester is a self-employed cutlery worker who rents space in a factory. The term is used almost exclusively to describe the craftsmen of the Sheffield area, and is mostly archaic as this manner of manufacture peaked in the 19th century and has now virtually died out...
s whose trades included dram flask manufacturer, hollow ware and silver buffers, palette knife
Palette knife
A palette knife is a blunt tool used for mixing or applying paint, with a flexible steel blade. It is primarily used for mixing paint colors, paste, etc., or for marbling, decorative endpapers, etc...
makers, steel fork manufacturer, silver ferrule
Ferrule
A ferrule is a name for types of metal objects, generally used for fastening, joining, or reinforcement...
maker, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
and nickel silver
Nickel silver
Nickel silver, also known as German silver, Argentann, new silver, nickel brass, albata,, or alpacca, is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver...
turners, electroplate producer
Electroplating
Electroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...
and a cutler
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
.
The building
The front of the Leah’s Yard building which faces onto Cambridge Street has a carriage entrance within it, this opens up into a small rear courtyard surrounded by small two and three storey brick workshops. There are external wooden staircases to give access to the upper floors and large casement windowCasement window
A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a...
s to give plenty of natural light for the workmen.
Present day
Today Leah’s Yard stands in a derelict state, it has not been used for over 20 years when the lower floor was used as a shop. The building is located between two public houses on Cambridge Street, The Benjamin Huntsman and The Sportsman. The Benjamin Huntsman was constructed recently with older buildings being cleared to make way for the pub. The Leah’s Yard buildings were left standing because of their listed building status and it is now planned to restore and refurbish them as part of the SevenstoneSevenstone
Sevenstone is the marketing name of the project formerly known as the New Retail Quarter/NRQ which involves the demolition and rebuilding of an area of Sheffield, England between the Devonshire Quarter and The Moor Gateway. Sheffield City Centre has suffered from the collapse of steel making and...
development of the city centre. However because of central Government cutbacks work on the Sevenstone project has been postponed until 2011 at the earliest.