Memorial and enclosure to Godfrey Sykes 80 metres north-east of Mappin Art Gallery

Memorial and railings,1871 designed by James Gamble incorporating components designed by Godfrey Sykes. Terracotta manufactured by M H Blanchard and Sons.

MATERIALS: a terracotta column on a stone pedestal with an urn finial and relief panels of copper patinated and varnished to resemble bronze, surrounded by cast-iron railings.

DESCRIPTION: not inspected, information from other sources. The terracotta column is enriched and elaborately decorated with a moulded base and a Corinthian capital. Immediately above the moulded base is a narrow relief band of olive branches. Above this, the column has three bands depicting the 'Three Ages of Man' in relief, separated by fluted bands with decorative foliage. The top figurative band shows infancy with children playing and a swaddled baby held by an angel; the middle band shows adulthood with a wedding ceremony; and the bottom band shows old age with bearded men shown thinking, travelling and pointing the way. Beneath the capital is a carved band of acanthus leaves. The column is topped by a circular, moulded pedestal with a bronzed urn and stands on a high, square pedestal with a moulded plinth on a square base.

The pedestal has four framed bronzed relief panels. The front, west, panel bears the inscription in raised letters: THIS MONUMENT WAS / ERECTED IN THE YEAR / 1871 BY THE INHABIT / -ANTS OF SHEFFIELD / IN MEMORY OF GODFREY / SYKES THE COLUMN / PLACED UPON THIS / PEDESTAL IS HIS / WORK. The rear, east, panel bears the inscription in raised letters: GODFREY SYKES BORN / AT MALTON IN THE / YEAR 1824 A PUPIL AND / AFTERWARDS MASTER / IN THE SCHOOL OF ART / OF THIS TOWN HE WAS / CALLED TO LONDON IN / THE YEAR 1859 TO SUPER / -INTEND THE DECORA / -TION OF THE SOUTH / KENSINGTON MUSEUM / AND DIED THERE 1866. The south side panel shows a medallion with a bust of Sykes in relief, and the north side panel depicts an artist’s palette, brushes and canvas in relief.

The memorial is surrounded by a square enclosure of decorative cast-iron railings with larger corner posts with shaped finials standing on a square stone platform with rounded kerbs.