Henry Leah and Sons

The ghosts of our ancestors, the ‘little mesters’ of yesteryear, are circling over Leah’s Yard, eager to see what has become of their old workshops. Soon, the gates be thrown open again, and, finally, this important part of Sheffield’s history, will have been reborn. The latest stage of the Heart of the City redevelopment is scheduled to open as a new creative and retail hub later this summer.

Gosling’s map of 1736 shows a rural scene, with Coalpit Lane, sometimes referred to as Cowpit Lane (later Cambridge Street), having views across open country to the east towards Alsop Fields and west over Sheffield Moor. Fifty years later, the land on the opposite side of the lane had been developed with the addition of Burgess Street and Cross Burgess Street.

Industrial development gathered pace in the middle of the nineteenth century and was known for its traditional fine metal and cutlery making. The oldest buildings in Leah’s Yard date from the early part of that century when George Linley created a small shear and tool manufacturing workshop in 1825. The houses in front were converted to offices and shops, and the complex grew with piecemeal additions.

James Morton, a horn dealer, became the sole occupier about 1842, and later maps identify the site as the Coalpit Lane Horn Works. By 1890, the site had extended into an L-shape behind the Sportsman Inn.

The arrangement of Leah’s Yard, with workshops around a central courtyard, was typical of the industry and in particular small craft workshops. The courtyard was accessed through a central cart entrance from the converted houses.

From the 1890s, the site was occupied by Henry Leah and Sons, a manufacturer of die stamps for silverware, later joined by other ‘little mesters’ all connected with the cutlery trade.

Henry Leah, originally from Chesterfield, died in April 1893, leaving the business to his two sons, Harry Wilson Leah (died 1939) and Louis Thomas Leah (died 1942). The Leah family remained in part of the complex until the 1970s when it was absorbed into Spear and Jackson and the site was sold in the 1990s.

Although the frontage was occupied for a time by small shops, Leah’s Yard was abandoned and fell into disrepair, the frontage subsequently propped up by scaffolding for years and obliterating much of Cambridge Street.

It has been completely restored and a source tells me that most units have been taken up. Already confirmed are the artist, Pete McKee; Hop Hideout beer and tasting room; Gravel Pit plant, art, and gift shop; the Chocolate Bar café; Mesters’ Market, selling locally produced food and drink; The Yard Gallery, highlighting the city’s artistic talent; La Biblioteka book shop; Ferrio automation; and Sheffield Hospitals Charity.

Planning permission has been submitted for Leah’s Yard on Cambridge Street to be transformed into a new creative hub for independent businesses, with a slew of independent stores set to surround a public courtyard.

The venue will be operated by Tom Wolfenden, CEO of SSPCo, and James O’Hara of the Rockingham Group, who were appointed to the project by Sheffield City Council.

If approved, Leah’s Yard will be refurbished true to its current form, with a courtyard surrounded by small boutique shops, with the first and second floors hosting approximately 20 independent working studios.

The oldest buildings on the Leah’s Yard site are the two former houses fronting Cambridge Street that date from the early nineteenth century. The industrial legacy of Leah’s Yard began with George Linley in 1825 as a small shear and tool manufacturing complex during the early nineteenth century. The houses fronting the street were later converted to offices and shops, and the complex as a whole is characterised by piecemeal additions and alterations dating from the nineteenth and twentieth century.

Cambridge Street was known for its horn works, and James Morton, a horn dealer, became the major sole occupier about 1842.

Leah’s Yard was occupied from about 1891-92 by Henry Leah and Sons, a manufacturer of die stamps for silverware. By 1911 there were 23 occupants (little mesters) on site producing slightly different goods, and undertaking different processes yet all contributing to the cutlery trade.

The site was predominantly used for production associated with the metal trades well into the mid to late twentieth century. The Leah family remained in part of the complex until the 1970s when they merged with Spear and Jackson; they sold the site in the 1990s. The Cambridge Street frontage of the complex had been used as shops in its last few years of occupation, and takes into account the former Sportsman public house and Chubby’s recently closed takeaway.

As part of Heart of the City II, Leah’s Yard will sit alongside the upcoming Cambridge Street Collective and Bethel Chapel developments – both currently under construction – that will feature a contemporary food hall, cookery school, fine dining experience and live entertainment spaces.

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