Old Queen's Head

The Old Queen's Head is a historic public house at 40 Pond Hill in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its identity is closely linked to a fifteenth-century timber-framed building that is regarded as Sheffield's oldest surviving domestic structure and is protected as a Grade II* listed building. The present pub business developed around this older building rather than beginning with its original construction. The timber-framed structure is generally dated to approximately 1475. Its earliest known documentary reference is later: an inventory made in 1582 for the estate of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, described the property as “The hawle at the Poandes” or “Hall i' th' Ponds.” The building was associated with an estate landscape that included ponds near the meeting of the Porter Brook and the River Sheaf. Those ponds have disappeared, but their historical presence remains reflected in local place names such as Pond Street, Pond Hill and Ponds Forge. The building may have served as a banqueting hall connected with the earl's estate and with hunting wildfowl in the nearby ponds. By the start of the nineteenth century, however, it was being used as a house. A pub named the Old Queen's Head opened in the adjoining building in 1840, and after 1862 the pub was expanded into the older former hall. This combination of an operating pub and a medieval domestic structure is central to the venue's character. The reference to a queen in the pub's name is commonly associated with Mary, Queen of Scots, who was held in Sheffield between 1570 and 1584. The historical association contributes to the venue's heritage positioning, although the available reference material does not establish that it was the definitive reason for the name. Alterations and additions were made to the rear of the building during the late nineteenth century. The property received Grade II* listed status in 1952, recognizing its particular architectural and historic importance. A refurbishment took place in 1993 while the pub was controlled by the Tom Cobleigh pub company. It was later controlled by Thwaites Brewery. By 2024, the Old Queen's Head was part of the WJS Pub Group. Today, the Old Queen's Head functions as a traditional pub and hospitality venue. Its offer is based on drinks, pub food and an experience built around the preservation and presentation of a highly significant historic building. The business operates in a city-centre context, while its differentiation comes less from a proprietary product line than from the combination of historic architecture, local identity and conventional pub services. The supplied reference material does not provide verified details about current menus, pricing, trading hours, ownership structure, financial performance or the identities of current managers.

The Old Queen's Head occupies a building whose origins reach back to approximately 1475. It is a timber-framed structure and is identified as the oldest surviving domestic building in Sheffield. The earliest known written evidence does not date from the fifteenth century but from 1582, when an inventory of the possessions of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, listed the property under names translated as “The hawle at the Poandes” or “Hall i' th' Ponds.” The property formed part of the earl's estate. Its position near ponds created where the Porter Brook met the River Sheaf has led historians to suggest that it may have been used as a banqueting hall for hunting parties, particularly those associated with wildfowl. The ponds themselves no longer exist, but they influenced the area's historical naming. Pond Street, Pond Hill, formerly known as Pond Well Hill, and Ponds Forge all preserve elements of this earlier landscape. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the former hall was being used as a house rather than clearly operating as a public house. The pub associated with the Old Queen's Head name opened in the neighboring building in 1840. At some point after 1862, the pub expanded into the older hall, bringing the historic structure into the operating footprint of the venue. Further changes, including rear alterations and additions, were made during the late nineteenth century. The name is generally linked to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned in Sheffield from 1570 until 1584. The association is consistent with the pub's historic branding, although the available sources do not document the exact naming decision. The building's architectural importance was formally recognized when it was listed Grade II* in 1952. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the Old Queen's Head continued as a pub while changing operational control. It underwent refurbishment in 1993 under the control of the Tom Cobleigh pub company. It was subsequently controlled by Thwaites Brewery. By 2024, the venue was reported as part of the WJS Pub Group. These changes indicate shifts in business control, but the reference material does not specify transaction dates, ownership terms or the names of individual operators. The modern Old Queen's Head is therefore both a hospitality business and a heritage property. Its commercial offer is that of a traditional British pub, while its principal distinctive asset is the preserved fifteenth-century building and its connection to Sheffield's historic townscape. Its Grade II* status places constraints and responsibilities around the building's treatment, although detailed information about later conservation work, current management and present-day operations is not established by the supplied sources.

• 2024

  Part of WJS Pub Group

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  The pub was reported as being part of the WJS Pub Group.

• 1993

  Refurbishment under Tom Cobleigh

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  The venue was refurbished while it was controlled by the Tom Cobleigh pub company.

• 1952

  Grade II* listing

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  The building was designated Grade II*, reflecting its special architectural and historic interest.

• 1862

  Expansion into the former hall

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  After 1862, the pub expanded into the older building that had previously been known as Hall i' th' Ponds.

• 1840

  Old Queen's Head pub opens

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  A pub using the Old Queen's Head name opened in the building next door to the historic hall.

• 1582

  First known written record

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  An inventory of the estate of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, recorded the property as “The hawle at the Poandes” or “Hall i' th' Ponds.”

• 1475

  Construction of the timber-framed building

  [1]Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org

  The surviving timber-framed building is generally dated to approximately 1475.

A heritage-led traditional pub in central Sheffield, differentiated by its fifteenth-century timber-framed building, Grade II* listed status and association with the city's early history.

• Hospitality · 1840

  Pub services

  The core offering is traditional public-house hospitality, including a venue for social drinking, informal gatherings and food-and-drink service. The business is differentiated primarily by its historic setting rather than by a proprietary packaged product range.

• Beverages

  Beer, cider and other alcoholic drinks

  As a traditional pub, the Old Queen's Head's beverage offer is understood to center on beer, cider and other alcoholic drinks, supplemented by non-alcoholic refreshments. Specific brands, taps, menus and current pricing are not established by the supplied reference material.

• Food service

  Pub food

  Food service forms part of the venue's typical pub proposition. The available sources do not identify a verified signature dish, menu format or current culinary concept, so this entry is limited to the general traditional-pub food category.

• 1993

  RefurbishmentOther

  Background

  The venue was operating under the control of the Tom Cobleigh pub company.

  Action taken

  The pub underwent refurbishment.

  Aftermath

  The venue continued operating as a pub; the available source does not specify the scope or cost of the work.

  Source

• 1862

  Expansion into the historic hallStrategy

  Background

  The original pub operated next to a much older building associated with Hall i' th' Ponds.

  Action taken

  After 1862, the pub expanded its premises into the former hall.

  Aftermath

  The historic building became part of the pub's operating identity and physical venue.

  Source

• 1840

  Opening of a pub under the Old Queen's Head nameOther

  Background

  The historic timber-framed building was being used as a house by the beginning of the nineteenth century, while a separate adjoining building later became the site of the Old Queen's Head pub.

  Action taken

  A pub opened in the neighboring building in 1840 under the Old Queen's Head name.

  Aftermath

  The pub later expanded into the fifteenth-century hall, linking the commercial venue with the surviving historic structure.

  Source

1. 1Old Queen's Headen.wikipedia.org