Old Queen's Head facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Queen's Head |
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West front of the Old Queen's Head
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| Former names | The Hall at the Ponds |
| General information | |
| Type | pub |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Tudor |
| Location | Sheffield, South Yorkshire |
| Address | 40 Pond Street, S1 2BG |
| Town or city | Sheffield |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Estimated completion | 1475 |
| Owner | Thwaites Brewery |
| Technical details | |
| Material | timber frame |
| Designations | Grade II* listed |
The Old Queen's Head is a very old and famous pub located in Sheffield, England. It's special because it's a 15th-century building made with a timber frame, which means it's built with strong wooden beams. In fact, it's the oldest house-like building still standing in Sheffield! Today, it's a "Grade II* listed" building, meaning it's officially protected because of its important history and unique design.
A Look Back in Time
The Old Queen's Head was built around the year 1475. We know this because the first written record of the building is from 1582. This record was a list of everything owned by George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, a powerful lord.
At that time, the building was called "The hawle at the Poandes" or "Hall i' th' Ponds." It might have been a special hall where the Earl and his guests held big parties. They would have hunted wild birds in the nearby ponds.
These ponds were formed where the Porter Brook river met the River Sheaf. The ponds are gone now, but they gave their name to local places like Pond Street, Pond Hill, and Ponds Forge.
From Hall to Pub
By the early 1800s, the building was being used as a regular house. In 1840, a pub called the Old Queen's Head opened right next door.
Sometime after 1862, the pub grew bigger and took over the old "Hall i' th' Ponds" building. Later in the 1800s, some changes and additions were made to the back of the building.
Who Was the Queen?
The "Queen" in the pub's name most likely refers to Mary, Queen of Scots. She was held prisoner in Sheffield from 1570 to 1584.
The building has been a Grade II* listed site since 1952. This means it's a very important historical building. It was updated in 1993 when it was owned by the Tom Cobleigh pub company. Now, it is owned by Thwaites Brewery.
