Leah’s Yard Sheffield: The history of South Yorkshire’s early 19th century former collection of industrial workshops now removed from Heritage at Risk register

The Victorian building used to be a collection of industrial workshops on Cambridge Street, Sheffield, and has been designated as a Grade II listed building due to its vital piece of history as part of Sheffield’s industrial heritage. It is currently going through renovation to bring it back to life and was removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register this year.

Sheffield played an important part in the Industrial Revolution as many of its significant inventions and technologies were produced in the city. During the 19th century, the city saw a huge expansion of its traditional cutlery trade including stainless steel and crucible steel being developed locally. This progression helped to increase the city’s population by tenfold.

Leah’s Yard also played a major part of the industrial movement, as it was the birthplace of many revolutionary products at the time. Here is everything you need to know about Leah’s Yard.

History of Leah’s Yard

The historic landmark was built in the early part of the 19th century as a collection of workshops for the manufacture of shears and various other hand tools.

It had many different traders and as such the building underwent many changes and extensions which are noticeable today.

During the 19th century, the Yard was utilised by a horn dealer, who provided the cutlery handle-making trade, Sheffield platers, knife manufacturers and silver stampers.

In the 1880s the building was known as the Cambridge Street Horn Works and in 1892, Henry Leah ran the building as a producer of die stamps for silverware and subsequently gave the building the name it has today.

Henry Leah shared the building at the time with Walter Walker & Co Ltd, who were piercers and stampers and the building was alternatively known as the Cambridge Stamping Works.

Near the end of the 19th century, steam power was established to run a grinding hull and drop hammers in a silver die stamping shop.

Buildings such as Leah’s Yard were so successful because they were fit for multipurpose workshops as well as accommodation for numerous metal industry trades on the same site. They also provided adaptable, cheap work space by collating buildings into a confined space.

By 1905, the workshops around the courtyard of Leah’s Yard were taken over by eighteen self-employed workers.

Recent history of Leah’s Yard

Until recent years, Leah’s Yard was left in a derelict state, as it had not been used for more than 20 years when the lower floor was used as a shop. The building is situated between two public houses: The Benjamin Huntsman and The Tap and Tankard.

In 1998, Leah’s Yard was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register due to the disintegration of the internal staircase. However, following the progress of a £6 million renovation project to bring it back to life, it has now been removed from the register.

It is set to reopen to the public in mid-2023 and will be a destination for independent retail and immersive experience which will delve into the history of Sheffield’s finest traders, makers and creators.

It will host various events throughout the year and on the upper floors there will be studios, workshops and office spaces for local businesses.