This is one of them long standing Sheffield classics that has been around forever but never been. A tip off from a friend that demo was starting we decided to give it a look as that way. A nice easy relaxed explore, it was in the early stages of demo with stripping out of the newer part started. I had messaged Hughie saying we were that way and Woollens was getting demolished. We half expected to bump into him in there. But we did bump into him coming out so was nice to see you again, even for a few mins.
With the massive growth of industry in Sheffield in the late 1800s, large factories were springing up around the city. These factories all had large signs on them. This is when Edwin James Woollen a sign write and Fredrick Ibbotson a lithographic printer decided to form woolen signs in 1883 in York Street. The company grew and received seven gold medals of excellence. The company went limited in 1897.
In the twentieth century saw Woollens progress in design and development of signs. They worked with electric signs and neon signs in the 1930s. With the war coming on illuminated signs were banned so the company had to rethink their signs. The original site was bombed during the blitz. They relocated to love street were they stayed till 2005 when they were bought out by the Sheffield Co operative society. They integrated Woolen signs into their own property service division. The co op was taken over by the co operative group two years later and the whole section was closed including Woolen signs.
Several employees set up a new Woolens and continue to trade keeping some of there original customers.
The love street site is destined to a 300 million regeneration site of the area backed by insurance company Legal&General. Plans were submitted for the first 150 million development with an office block with ground floor retail and leisure space, plus 368 appartments.
The impressive neon sign of Woolens. This has been taken down in 78 sections and going to be restored. It's going to be on show at the Kelham Island Museum.
Starting up in a stores area.
Moving down to the lower levels.
Moving up the building with the sign on the outside
Continued...
With the massive growth of industry in Sheffield in the late 1800s, large factories were springing up around the city. These factories all had large signs on them. This is when Edwin James Woollen a sign write and Fredrick Ibbotson a lithographic printer decided to form woolen signs in 1883 in York Street. The company grew and received seven gold medals of excellence. The company went limited in 1897.
In the twentieth century saw Woollens progress in design and development of signs. They worked with electric signs and neon signs in the 1930s. With the war coming on illuminated signs were banned so the company had to rethink their signs. The original site was bombed during the blitz. They relocated to love street were they stayed till 2005 when they were bought out by the Sheffield Co operative society. They integrated Woolen signs into their own property service division. The co op was taken over by the co operative group two years later and the whole section was closed including Woolen signs.
Several employees set up a new Woolens and continue to trade keeping some of there original customers.
The love street site is destined to a 300 million regeneration site of the area backed by insurance company Legal&General. Plans were submitted for the first 150 million development with an office block with ground floor retail and leisure space, plus 368 appartments.
The impressive neon sign of Woolens. This has been taken down in 78 sections and going to be restored. It's going to be on show at the Kelham Island Museum.
Starting up in a stores area.
Moving down to the lower levels.
Moving up the building with the sign on the outside
Continued...
:
