The Hammerton Street Council School

 

A virtue at Hammerton Street Council School

After spending two very productive days out exploring the geology, historic architecture and building stones in the S2 postcode district of Sheffield, where I encountered two more Sheffield Board Schools, I decided to spend a few hours exploring the area around Attercliffe on the following Sunday – starting at the Grade II Listed former Hammerton Street Council School in Darnall.

 

A general view of the front elevation

During a trip to Crookes in February 2021, primarily to obtain a piece of Crawshaw Sandstone, I discovered the work of the architect WJ Hale at the Wesley Hall, the Crookes Congregational Church and St. Luke’s Wesleyan Church.

 

A general view of the north elevation

Following this with a trip to Walkley, to see his Bole Hill Board School and the Walkley Board School by Innocent and Brown – with whom Hale had trained - I was particularly looking forward to seeing this school, which is considered to be one of his finest works.

 

A general view of the rear elevation

Built in the Art and Crafts style and completed in 1904, it is one of the last schools commissioned by the Sheffield School Board before it was abolished and it again makes use of the Crawshaw Sandstone from Bole Hill for general walling, with massive Stoke Hall stone for the dressings.

 

A detail of the south elevation

As with his churches in Crookes and also at Banner Cross, there is an emphasis on tower like buttresses with overhanging corniced flat caps and prominent towers with square pinnacles topped with square domes.

 

The caretaker's house

Like very many of the other Sheffield Board Schools, it also has a separate caretaker’s house, which is set on the north-west corner of the playground and is built in the same architectural style and materials as the main school.

 

Details of gate piers

Irrespective of the age of the schools and the architect responsible for their design, one of their characteristic features is the marking of the separate entrances for boys, girls and infants with inscribed coarse grained gritstone gate piers.

 

The Hammerton School datestone

Another common feature of the Sheffield Board Schools is to have their name and date carved in massive sandstone and, although the extravagant crests of the Innocent and Brown schools have by this time disappeared, the datestone here is a fine example of stone carving.

 

A detail of the north elevation

 

To my mind, the most impressive features of the school are the numerous virtues - carved in relief within a wreathed cartouche - which are placed at the heads of the buttresses on the three principal elevations, with less ornate designs used for the rear elevation.

 

Examples of virtues on the rear elevation

At the time of my visit, the current owners of the building, Al-Huda Academy, were working on the building and, after I introduced myself to tell them why I was interested in photographing it, I was invited to have a look at its interior.

 

A view of the main hall

Although there was no stonework to see, with the roof timbers and plaque being the most interesting feature within the main hall, it is one of the least altered buildings by WJ Hale and it is maintained in excellent condition. 

 

A plaque in the main hall