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Despite this site being right in the centre of Sheffield and very easy access this place hasn't been done on this forum for a while if at all so thought I'd put a report up.
OK let's do the history first. A. R. Heathcote and Co. Ltd made machine knives, including printers' guillotine knives, shear blades and tobacco and cigarette knives, as well as their signature "Park" brand knives.
Named after its founder Albert Reaney Heathcote in 1881, previously it had been a chisel and edge tool manufacturer. The first sales of tobacco knives were recorded on 5 April, 1881 and between the two World Wars the company’s activities underwent a significant shift as the edge tool business disappeared and business focused on knives for the tobacco industry. This resulted in the factory located on Sylvester Gardens in the centre of Sheffield and referred to as Bernard Works opening in 1934.
Mr Heathcote died in 1941 at the remarkable age of 97 and the company's chairmanship passed to the then Managing Director Mr Percy Osborne. During the Second World War the company threw its weight behind the war effort and it continued to expand and diversify post war. Percy Osbourne died in 1961 and was succeeded by Sidney Osbourne. The company was then sold to Balfour Darwins Ltd in 1969. The company subsequently passed through the hands of a number of owners before ceasing trading in the 1990s. The company filed their last accounts in 1990 and records show the company went into receivership a couple of years later in 1992.
Today the works are pretty much trashed and open access. Sadly there's not much in the way of original features or any traces of the work's past history. It's now used as a hangout for the city's druggies and there are needles littering the site so put on some stout boots and mind how you go. Perhaps the site's main redeeming feature is the glorious street art including some rather nice paintings by Sheffield's premier artist Phlegm.
OK, on with the pictures:
img9401 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6301 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6282 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6285 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6283 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6284 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6286 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9402 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9405 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9408 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9414 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6293 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6291 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6295 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6294 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6289 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6288 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6290 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6299 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
OK let's do the history first. A. R. Heathcote and Co. Ltd made machine knives, including printers' guillotine knives, shear blades and tobacco and cigarette knives, as well as their signature "Park" brand knives.
Named after its founder Albert Reaney Heathcote in 1881, previously it had been a chisel and edge tool manufacturer. The first sales of tobacco knives were recorded on 5 April, 1881 and between the two World Wars the company’s activities underwent a significant shift as the edge tool business disappeared and business focused on knives for the tobacco industry. This resulted in the factory located on Sylvester Gardens in the centre of Sheffield and referred to as Bernard Works opening in 1934.
Mr Heathcote died in 1941 at the remarkable age of 97 and the company's chairmanship passed to the then Managing Director Mr Percy Osborne. During the Second World War the company threw its weight behind the war effort and it continued to expand and diversify post war. Percy Osbourne died in 1961 and was succeeded by Sidney Osbourne. The company was then sold to Balfour Darwins Ltd in 1969. The company subsequently passed through the hands of a number of owners before ceasing trading in the 1990s. The company filed their last accounts in 1990 and records show the company went into receivership a couple of years later in 1992.
Today the works are pretty much trashed and open access. Sadly there's not much in the way of original features or any traces of the work's past history. It's now used as a hangout for the city's druggies and there are needles littering the site so put on some stout boots and mind how you go. Perhaps the site's main redeeming feature is the glorious street art including some rather nice paintings by Sheffield's premier artist Phlegm.
OK, on with the pictures:
img9401 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6301 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6282 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6285 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6283 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6284 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6286 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9402 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9405 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9408 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9414 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6293 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6291 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6295 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6294 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6289 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6288 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6290 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6299 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
Last edited:
