| Description | On the South of the Town, Alsop fields and other fields adjoining sloped down to the Porter and Sheaf rivers. In Gosling's map of the Town the name Alsop fields seems to cover three separate fields; the northernmost of these, between the northern ends of Norfolk Street and Pond Lane, was early divided into plots, probably in the 1730s (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1701) and later built on (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1599); and it was near this area that such amenities as a Bowling green, Assembly room and Theatre were set up. The rest of the fields were let as farm lands (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1425, 1774). Plans for laying out the northern part of these as a residential area were made in the 1770s. The architects James Paine and Thomas Atkinson both submitted plans. There is a street layout and elevations of terraces by each, the layouts being drafts with very little detail. In the Duke's Sheffield estate account book, in 1779, appears the entry: April 2. By Mr Thomas Atkinson, architect, for surveying the intended streets in the Alsop fields and drawing the plans and elevations. £17 7s 0d.
The streets were named after the Earl of Surrey (Charles Street, Howard Street, Arundel Street, Surrey Street), and Vincent Eyre (Eyre Street). The buildings on Norfolk Street opposite the Town Hall, built by Atkinson to these plans, were only demolished to make way for the new Town Hall building about 1970.
The rest of the area came within the general scheme, but was only gradually laid out (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1758, 1700, 1776). On the present Central Library site (Surrey Street) Henry Tudor had a house and gardens in 1780 (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1427). Some plots were let as garden allotments prior to building (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1758). In 1804, much of the southern district was still unoccupied and very few of the plots were built on (ACM/MAPS/SheS 1776). |