Bishops' House facts for kids
Bishops' House is a very old house in Sheffield, England, with a wooden frame that you can see from the outside. This style is called half-timbered. It was built around the year 1500 and is located at the edge of Meersbrook Park. It's one of only three houses of this type left in the whole city.
The house is now a museum where you can see what life was like hundreds of years ago. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it is officially recognized as a very important historic site that must be protected.
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The Story Behind the Name
The house got its name from a popular story. People said it was built for two brothers, John and Geoffrey Blythe, who were both important religious leaders called bishops.
However, historians have not found any proof that the brothers ever lived in the house. The name might just be a local legend, but it has stuck with the house for centuries.
History of the House
The Blythe Family
The first person we know for sure lived here was William Blythe. He was a farmer and also made scythes, which are long, curved blades used for cutting crops. Records show he was living in the house in 1627.
The Blythe family owned the house for many years. The last family member to live there was Samuel Blyth, who passed away in 1753. After he died, his sons sold the house.
New Owners and Changes
After the Blythes, the house was sold to a man named William Shore. For a long time, it was rented out to farmers. At some point, the large house was divided into two smaller homes so that a farmer and his worker could both live there with their families.
In 1886, the house became the property of the city of Sheffield. For almost 90 years, different people who worked for the city's parks department lived in the house.
Bishops' House as a Museum
By the 1970s, the house needed repairs. After being carefully restored, it opened as a museum in 1976. Now, everyone can visit and learn about its history.
Inside, you can see what a home looked like in the 16th and 17th centuries. Two of the rooms are decorated in the Jacobean style, which was popular in the early 1600s.
Today, a group of volunteers called the Friends of Bishops' House manages the museum. They keep it open for the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also organize school visits so students can learn about local history.
See also
In Spanish: Bishops' House para niños
- Listed buildings in Sheffield
