19th-century Domestic and Commercial Properties in Sheffield

Domestic and commercial cellars and a bread oven in 19th century properties at Eyre Lane, Earl Street & Hallam Lane, Sheffield, written by Mark Bell and Ian Suddaby, was published in Volume 31 (pages 99-116) of the Hunter Archaeological Society's Transactions in 2021. This article details a programme of archaeological excavation which was undertaken at the site of the former Eon Works, a heat treatment steel works, located between Earl Street, Eyre Lane, and Hallam Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Our excavations recorded a block of back-to-back (or ‘blindback’) houses, various shops, and at least one public house, all centred around six courtyards. The properties on the site were occupied for around a century, from at least the 1830’s until the mid-1930’s, and included The Royal Hotel and Public House, an Oil and Fat Warehouse (later a cutlery works), a beer-house, a boot and shoemakers, a spring knife manufacturer, and a fried fish dealer.

Amongst our favourite discoveries was a brick oven that had been built into the rear of a cellar at No. 2 Hallam Lane. It was within a courtyard surrounded by the Royal Hotel, the three-storey properties on Earl Street, and shop buildings on the corner of Hallam Lane and Earl Street. We recorded the remains of the oven's base – large (2.5m in diameter), circular, bricks over stones – and an arched brick structure underneath, which we’ve interpreted as an alcove used to hold hot ashes raked out of the oven. Our oven was likely used commercially to bake the goods sold at the shopfront in the adjacent property, which was a bakery.

The bread oven

The bread oven

The bread oven

Beyond the excavations, CFA uncovered insights into the working class history of the area by utilising historical documents and maps to improve our understanding of the industrial population that lived and worked here. We found names and occupations of the area’s occupants, including a master shoemaker, a comb maker, labourers and joiners, and even a chandelier bronzer.

The Goad Fire Insurance Plan (1896)

Archaeological plan of the southwestern part of site.

We found a bounty of artefacts during our excavations, including pottery and clay pipes, which gave us a peek into the everyday life of the people who had occupied the site in the past.

You can contact the Hunter Archaeological Society for access, or get in touch with CFA Archaeology directly to receive a copy.