John Street Conservation Area

John Street Conservation Area is situated approximately 1km from the City Centre, historically an area known as Little Sheffield. The area was originally a mixture of back to back housing surrounding courtyards, mixed with cutlery and small tool workshops.

The street pattern was of a semi-formal arrangement laying east to west. The general usage of the land has changed since the war, and slum clearance programmes led to the growth in light industrial and warehousing uses becoming predominant. 

A concentration of some former 11 metal trades buildings remain however, including the impressive and important Stag Works and Portland Works, both Grade II listed.

Some of the special interest that justified the designation of the John Street Conservation Area is: 

• very important area in the city with strong links to Sheffield's Metal Trades, in particular the cutlery industry and associated specialisms
• early 19th Century street patterns, predominantly east to west, with the boundary of the area defined by intersecting roads linking the main routes into the centre
• listed metal trades buildings including Stag Works, Portland Works (Grade II) 
• 2 to 4 storey brick buildings reflecting the 19th Century vernacular, with back of pavement development and courtyard features
• St Mary's Church, a Grade II* listed church and community centre
• several public houses typical of the past industrial area including the listed Albion Public House on London Road
• historic cobbled floors, stone kerbs and stone boundary walls
• reasonably flat topography with important views around and through the area

Date of designation

A local architect and archaeological contractor were appointed by us to prepare a Conservation Area Appraisal and study for 3 areas considered important in the growth of the Metal Trades industry in Sheffield. John Street was one of those areas.

This was eventually taken to Planning Board and was designated on 19 March 2007.