Report - William Rowland Ltd., Sheffield, August 2023

[albino-jay]

Superb yoinkage

 

[dansgas1000]

Love the clocks. Looks quite colourful in the first few pics aswell. I like it!

 

[Calamity Jane]

Liking the film pics, and those clocks are rather special. Pissed to read they been nicked

 

[tarkovsky]

Love the clocks. Looks quite colourful in the first few pics aswell. I like it!

Yeah it’s quite a colourful place actually

 

[HughieD]

Sheffield just seems to keep giving at the moment. Top stuff again @tarkovsky

 

[jezzyboo]

loved the old fashioned lift as well as the clocks some great shots in there

 

[tarkovsky]

Sheffield just seems to keep giving at the moment. Top stuff again @tarkovsky

loved the old fashioned lift as well as the clocks some great shots in there

Thanks both.

 

[Verti]

The "reserved space for reject" clock photo is my favourite of the whole lot.

Shame about the thievery, but times are tough for people I guess.

 

[tarkovsky]

The "reserved space for reject" clock photo is my favourite of the whole lot.

Shame about the thievery, but times are tough for people I guess.

Thanks! (and the missing word is ‘materials’ just for completeness). I do wonder if there might have been some other less heavy stuff piled up there before I arrived - someone had definitely been in before because some little bits were already missing, like the presumably original control panel for the lift etc. There was also a note from a local archeologist / historian who had been given legit access, so he may have taken some stuff for archive purposes.

I think it’s now been ascertained that the clocks have been ‘saved’ from the metal thieves, who had already dismantled one of them. So they’re apparently not in the building any more, but will continue to tell the wrong time, and look really cool, somewhere else - rather than ending up on some scrap pile in return for 50p.

 

[dweeb]

First off good to see this.
I was 17 and hungry for derpage, and with little to no Internet content back then jumped on a train (child's ticket lol) and just went wandering around that area.

Back then there was a lot of dated epic around those streets, and even some tool and cutlery manufacture going on. I remember looking at Rowlands clock and big key trade sign, steel bar rolling out of the door on flat beds. I thought it was nice to see a traditional firm still operating with men in cow gowns wandering about outside.
These days I find that area rather depressing and soulless. Sheffield aren't bad at preserving buildings as far as cities go, but a lot of the humble industrial buildings round there have vanished, along with the pub with its epic signage. Seems to be a mix of student, migrant and budget accommodation but lacking any kind of amenities to support it. It was never a beautiful area, but had a traditional feel to it. I imagine in 15 years it'll look worse than it ever did, usually the way with those developments.

I think it's odd Rowlands didn't take the clock with them when they moved. Either way it's destined to be flattened for yet more accommodation so the clocks are better out of there than left for the nibbler.

 

[DustySensorPhotography]

That's really nice mate, seems totally untouched - really liked the photos from when it was active too

 

[tarkovsky]

First off good to see this.
I was 17 and hungry for derpage, and with little to no Internet content back then jumped on a train (child's ticket lol) and just went wandering around that area.

Back then there was a lot of dated epic around those streets, and even some tool and cutlery manufacture going on. I remember looking at Rowlands clock and big key trade sign, steel bar rolling out of the door on flat beds. I thought it was nice to see a traditional firm still operating with men in cow gowns wandering about outside.
These days I find that area rather depressing and soulless. Sheffield aren't bad at preserving buildings as far as cities go, but a lot of the humble industrial buildings round there have vanished, along with the pub with its epic signage. Seems to be a mix of student, migrant and budget accommodation but lacking any kind of amenities to support it. It was never a beautiful area, but had a traditional feel to it. I imagine in 15 years it'll look worse than it ever did, usually the way with those developments.

I think it's odd Rowlands didn't take the clock with them when they moved. Either way it's destined to be flattened for yet more accommodation so the clocks are better out of there than left for the nibbler.

Always good to read your Sheffield reflections, don't disagree with anything here!

 

[tarkovsky]

That's really nice mate, seems totally untouched - really liked the photos from when it was active too

Cheers!

 

[JaffaTB]

Had a visit this weekend, the clocks have indeed gone, also the pictures that are hung in the office next to the main entrance were no longer on the wall, one was smashed up in the second warehouse part and the other just randomly placed somewhere else, the 2 of the factory in action and the aerial view are still intact though, more grafitti and signs of drug use now though sadly, i quite liked this explore especially the lower offices and the ones just at the top of the stairs