Globe Works

Globe Works is a purpose-built cutlery and edge tool works incorporating the owner's house, now converted to offices and workshops. It was built in 1825 by Messrs G A Wall, with later 19th-century workshop ranges added subsequently. The complex was partially demolished around 1970 and suffered fire damage in 1978, but was restored between 1988 and 1990.

Construction and Layout

The buildings are constructed of coursed squared stone and brick, with ashlar dressings. The roofs are slate, except for the five-bay range facing the narrow courtyard on the north-west side of the site, which has an asbestos roof. Stone and brick stacks are positioned throughout.

The works follow a triple courtyard plan on a large rectangular site fronting the east side of Penistone Road. The front range faces Penistone Road, with a rectangular courtyard to its rear. Workshop ranges flank the sides of this main courtyard, and a cross range (now partially demolished) originally separated the main courtyard from a second courtyard to the north-east. A central covered cart entrance in the cross range originally linked the two yards. A workshop range and engine house stand on the north-west side of the second courtyard. This second courtyard was originally a large rectangular space with two boilers and a free-standing building, but the south-eastern side now belongs to the adjacent Cornish Works and is separated by a brick wall. A covered cart entrance with workshop above at the north end of the second yard links it with a narrow courtyard running along the north-west boundary wall. Two workshop ranges are built back-to-back with the two ranges on the north-west side of the main and second courtyards respectively.

Front Range

The front range is a nine-bay building of coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings in the Classical Revival style. It has two storeys with a basement and a central attic storey. The centre section of three bays is higher and projects slightly, topped by a pediment and flanked by two bays on each side. Beyond these are slightly projecting pedimented pavilions at each end.

The front elevation features a rusticated basement, sill bands, a ground-floor impost band, and a cornice. The first floor has six-over-six light sash windows flanked by short, paired Ionic pilasters carrying shallow segmental arches. The ground floor has three-over-six light round-headed sashes, and the basement has similar windows with segmental-arched heads. The central attic has three six-pane sashes.

The right return (south-west side elevation) has three first-floor six-over-six light sash windows, the right one being smaller. The first bay of the ground floor has a three-over-six light round-headed sash window. A central doorway has a half-glazed door with fielded mouldings and a fanlight beneath a semi-circular Doric portico. It is approached by a 20th-century ramp that replaced the original steps and ramp. To its right, at basement level, is a covered cart entrance with a depressed arch, imposts and keystone.

At the rear is a central, slate-hung, overhanging gable, renewed in 1989, with four glazing bar windows. Below it is an L-plan external stone staircase. On the right, the north-west side of the rear elevation has a three-storey, three-bay wing with a rounded right corner that projects slightly into the yard. It has renewed three-over-six light sash windows on the ground floor and six-over-six light sashes above, with an enlarged hoist door in the central bay of the second floor. A second L-plan external staircase stands in the right corner of the rear elevation.

Main Courtyard Ranges

Attached to the rear of the south-east corner of the front range is a three-storey workshop range flanking the south-east side of the main courtyard. It is built of squared stone coursed through from the front range on the external elevation. The first and second floors of the external elevation have four closely spaced windows with a similar, more widely spaced window at the east end (the ground floor is not visible). The second floor also has a smaller inserted window at the east end. Windows are mainly four-light casements without glazing bars, with projecting stone sills and stone lintels that are wedge-shaped on the second floor. The east end of the courtyard elevation has a brick gable wall, formerly an internal wall of the partially demolished cross range. The first floor has three similar, closely spaced casement windows, with a door with sidelight to the right, and four similar windows above, the right one blocked. On the ground floor are two 20th-century garage doors.

Attached to the rear of the north-east corner of the front range is a five-bay workshop range flanking the north-west side of the main courtyard. It is built of squared stone bonded with the adjoining cross workshop range. Originally of three floors, the second storey of both ranges had been demolished by 1970 and was rebuilt around 1988-90. The five-bay range has five-light glazing bar casements on the upper floors and on the ground floor, from the left, two three-light glazing bar casements, a window divided by an off-centre mullion into a two-light and a three-light glazing bar casement, and a four-light casement to the right. There are projecting sills with wedge lintels on the ground floor and monolithic stone lintels on the first floor. A covered walkway in the north corner leads through to the narrow, north-west yard.

Cross Workshop Range

The cross workshop range is squared stone on the main courtyard elevation, with a brick rear elevation facing into the second courtyard. It is now of four bays, the central cart entrance and that part of the building to its south-east having been demolished prior to 1970. On the ground floor are four original hand forges with a row of four doorways, each with an adjacent window. The doorways in the second and third bays have been blocked and the second-bay window altered to a round-headed form. Both windows and doorways have monolithic stone lintels, with projecting stone window sills on the ground floor and a sill band on the first floor. The upper floors have four five-light glazing bar casements, with two-light casements on the ground floor. The rear elevation has projecting brick stacks between the bays for forge hearths, and there are two ridge stacks. The partially rebuilt outer gable wall shows evidence of two bearing boxes at first-floor level.

Back-to-Back Ranges and Engine House

A brick workshop range is built back-to-back with the workshop range on the north-west side of the main courtyard. The present second storey was rebuilt around 1988-90. Projecting brick stacks are visible on the ground floor.

Two further back-to-back ranges lie beyond, one facing south-east into the second courtyard, the other facing north-west into the narrow courtyard. The south-east facing range is of four bays and has been rendered, with a double-pitched slate roof. It has large, three-light windows on both floors, with glazing bars on the first floor. The window in bay one of the first floor has been reduced in height, and a hoist doorway inserted in the third bay. The five-bay range to its rear is built of brick with squared stone quoining at its west corner, and a mono-pitch asbestos roof with a continuous row of skylights to its front elevation. The ground floor has segmental-arched openings which originally reached down to the ground. On the first floor are large windows with soldier lintels; the window frames have been removed.

Adjoining the north-east side of these ranges is a single-bay engine house with a tall round-headed window facing into the second courtyard. The roof has been truncated and is now mono-pitch, leaning against the workshop ranges. On the north-east side of the engine house is a two-storey brick building with a cart entrance linking the second courtyard and the narrow courtyard, and workshops above reached by external steps at its west corner.

Interior Features

Features of note in the front range include a cantilevered wooden stair with cast-iron lotus balusters and moulded handrail, and a coffered domed ceiling with central skylight above. The main rooms have moulded and enriched cornices and span beams, with several fielded six-panelled doors.

The two back-to-back ranges adjoining the engine house both have fire-proof brick-vaulted ground floors with cast-iron semi-circular beams supported on circular columns. The dividing walls between the ranges and the engine house have large openings with heavy stone surrounds for bearing boxes for primary power transmission from the adjacent engine.

The beam floor of the engine house has been floored over, but the ashlar blocks which would have supported the entablature beam remain in the side walls.

Historical Significance

Globe Works was identified as being of special architectural and historic interest during a thematic survey undertaken by English Heritage to assess the best surviving examples of buildings associated with Sheffield's metal manufacturing and metal working trades. It was identified as being of particular importance as the earliest known surviving purpose-built integrated cutlery and edge tool works to retain both front display range and workshop ranges.

Large purpose-built cutlery and edge tool works are very distinctive to the industrial identity of Sheffield, which during the 19th century became known throughout the world as a centre of excellence in the manufacturing and processing of steel. Against the loss of many such buildings in the late 20th century due to the severe decline of the industry, Globe Works is a highly significant survivor at the vanguard of such integrated urban works. It demonstrates the layout and building types of such a complex, including rare examples of specific workshop types as well as the more generic cutlers' workshop. Approximately eight sites in Sheffield survive retaining evidence of individual hand forges or grinding hulls (rooms), or both. Globe Works has four hand forges, and the only known remaining example of urban back-to-back grinding hulls. The complex clearly meets the criteria for listing of pre-1840 industrial buildings at a national level. The early date of the works, architectural quality of the architect-designed front range, survival of hand forges and particular design of the grinding hulls justify the upgrading of Globe Works to Grade II* from the previous Grade II listing in the light of an enhanced appreciation and understanding of Sheffield's industrial metal-working buildings. Globe Works also has strong group value with the adjacent Wharncliffe Works, Green Lane, Cornish Works and Cornish Place on Cornish Street, Brooklyn Works, Green Lane Works, and The Former Ball Inn on Green Lane, Ball Street Bridge, Kelham Weir, William Brothers of Sheffield (former Ebenezer Wesleyan Chapel), South Parade, and The Fat Cat Public House, Alma Street.