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,[1] it has been described as "one of the best 18th century houses in Sheffield".[2] The adjacent former stables and coach house are also Grade II* listed.
The south side of the house.
Historyedit
Mount Pleasant was built by Francis Hurt Sitwell. The Sitwells were an eminent family of Derbyshire landowners who owned a large ironworks at Eckington.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] 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. In 1868 the committee of the West Riding County Asylum at Wakefield acquired a five-year lease on Mount Pleasant and used it to alleviate overcrowding at their main hospital. As an asylum, Mount Pleasant accommodated approximately 75 residents with eight staff, in 1872 all residents were transferred to the newly built South Yorkshire Asylum at Wadsley.[6] 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.[7]
The more decorative eastern side of the house.
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.[8]
Architectureedit
Mount Pleasant is brick built with stone dressings and a hippedslate roof. It has three stories with a full-height cantedbay 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.[9]
Referencesedit
^Sheffield Council website. 2010-07-24 at the Wayback Machine Lists all listed buildings in Sheffield.
^"Pevsner Architectural Guides - Sheffield", Ruth Harman & John Minnis, ISBN0-300-10585-1, Page 224, Gives this quote and details of architecture.
^www.sitwell.co.uk. 17 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine Gives details of Sitwell family.
^www.rotherhamweb.co.uk. Gives details of John Platt.
^www.rotherhamweb.co.uk. Gives list of Master Cutlers.
^"A History Of Middlewood Psychiatric Hospital", F.T. Thorpe, No ISBN, Page 6, Gives details of building as an asylum.
^"Sheffield’s Remarkable Houses", Roger Redfern, ISBN0-9519148-3-9, Page 46, Gives history of Mount Pleasant.
^"A Popular History Of Sheffield", J. Edward Vickers, ISBN0-906787-04-1, Pages 173 & 174, Gives history of Mount Pleasant.
mount, pleasant, sheffield, mount, pleasant, 18th, century, mansion, situated, sharrow, lane, highfield, area, city, sheffield, south, yorkshire, england, house, stands, just, under, south, city, centre, grade, listed, building, been, described, best, 18th, ce. 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 1 it has been described as one of the best 18th century houses in Sheffield 2 The adjacent former stables and coach house are also Grade II listed The south side of the house History editMount Pleasant was built by Francis Hurt Sitwell The Sitwells were an eminent family of Derbyshire landowners who owned a large ironworks at Eckington 3 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 4 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 5 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 In 1868 the committee of the West Riding County Asylum at Wakefield acquired a five year lease on Mount Pleasant and used it to alleviate overcrowding at their main hospital As an asylum Mount Pleasant accommodated approximately 75 residents with eight staff in 1872 all residents were transferred to the newly built South Yorkshire Asylum at Wadsley 6 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 7 nbsp The more decorative eastern side of the house 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 8 Architecture editMount Pleasant is brick built with stone dressings and a hipped 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 9 References edit Sheffield Council website Archived 2010 07 24 at the Wayback Machine Lists all listed buildings in Sheffield Pevsner Architectural Guides Sheffield Ruth Harman amp John Minnis ISBN 0 300 10585 1 Page 224 Gives this quote and details of architecture www sitwell co uk Archived 17 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine Gives details of Sitwell family www rotherhamweb co uk Gives details of John Platt www rotherhamweb co uk Gives list of Master Cutlers A History Of Middlewood Psychiatric Hospital F T Thorpe No ISBN Page 6 Gives details of building as an asylum Sheffield s Remarkable Houses Roger Redfern ISBN 0 9519148 3 9 Page 46 Gives history of Mount Pleasant A Popular History Of Sheffield J Edward Vickers ISBN 0 906787 04 1 Pages 173 amp 174 Gives history of Mount Pleasant Historic England Mount Pleasant 1270937 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 6 October 2010 Gives details of architecture 53 22 02 N 1 28 38 W 53 3671 N 1 4772 W 53 3671 1 4772 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mount Pleasant Sheffield amp oldid 1151171989, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
