Description and History of Site:-
Building of local sandstone, roofed with stone slates. Large number of windows to provide maximum light for knife-grinders. Houses 2 grinding hulls (workshops) that are powered by one overshot waterwheel, 5.5m diameter and 2m width. The wheel spokes, hubs and rims are cast iron, buckets of wrought iron with elm/oak back-boards. The dam, fed by the Porter Brook, is to the rear of the building and the weir just upstream.Open to the public http://www.simt.co.uk/shepherd-wheel-workshop/ The earliest reference to Shepherd Wheel is in a will of William Beighton cutler of Stumperlow in 1584. The present buildings date from c1780 when it was rented by Edward Shepherd (hence its name), with 10 "troughs" and 10 knife grinders. From the 1820s it was owned by a family called Hinde through three generations until 1920. Building of local sandstone and roofed with stone slates. The large number of windows (originally unglazed) gave maximum light for the grinders.Shepherd's Wheel is typical of the grindings shops operated by little mester system of industrial organisation in the early 19th century. Two workshops powered by an 18 ft iron overshot wheel have been restored and are complete with grinding troughs bands; saddles and grindstones. In 1900, Sheffield City Council bought the land surrounding the wheel to make a public park. The wheel was restored and opened as a museum in 1962; this closed in 1997 was transferred to the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust in 1998. Following a restoration project the museum reopened in 2012.

Help us improve this entry

The compilers welcome corrections or additional information on all sites.
Any information provided will be verified before appearing on the web site.

Email comments

Key Words :- water powered knife grinding wheel

Viewing the Site :- Open to the Public, 0114 2722106

Address :- Whiteley Woods, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S11 2YE
Grid Ref :- SK 31734 85396
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.364488 , Long -1.524587
Local Authority :- Sheffield City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1255068,
Site Condition :- Site conserved and open to the public
Site Dates :- c1580 -
Record Date :- 13 July 2014

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Derek Bayliss