Pictures  and  Postcards,  Old  and  New
Knifesmithgate

At one time Knifesmithgate ran from the junction of Knifesmithgate & Packer's Row down to Holywell Street (covering what was later called Stephenson's Place).  

Knifesmithgate was later shortened from the junction of Knifesmithgate & Packer's Row to the junction of Knifesmithgate & Cavendish Street. The Watch Committee decided that the rest of the former Knifesmithgate was renamed Stephenson's Place in November 1908. 

The plan was to extend Knifesmithgate to Glumangate; the decision to further extend to Soresby Street & develop the Rose Hill Estate, was made by the council in February 1935. The original plan was from 1914.




c1920's before the through road to the Rose Hill Estate; & before the re-building of the Queen's Head on the right corner.


The road across the bottom is Glumangate.













On the right, early 1930's: The road to the right on the bottom is Elder Way. The Queen's Head has been re-built on the corner of Glumangate &  Knifesmithgate. 






c1934: The start of the road through to the Rose Hill Estate, ie Soresby Street; & a convenient bit of land to park on. 
2017 Looking through to Rose Hill

The photo on the left was taken c1955,


& below 2017.
















The Queen's Head on the corner was rebuilt 1923 by the Home Brewery Co. Notts.
Looking towards Glumangate; a 2017 photo in black & white & a David Charlesworth impression, with thanks. 
The Mallet & Tool & the King's Head are on the left; the latter to be re-built. 

Nixons – Thomas Nixon & Sons - was a pawn broker with branches on Knifesmithgate, Chesterfield, 220, 222 and                  224, Gibralter St., Sheffield, 28 & 29 Carlisle Rd., Grimesthorpe and 28 Church St., Ripley, in 1900. 
                He sold everything from jewelry – gold, silver and embedded with stones; watches; clothing; boots; beds;                  musical instruments and guns!  

Mr. H. Scott's  was a  haberdashery for retail & wholesale in  Knifesmith  Street;  known as the  'Chesterfield  Wool                   Warehouse'. 

Mrs. Scott's Ladies' Milliner & Costumer's shop is next door, with windows fronting Knifesmithgate & Cavendish                   Street.

Armistead was a booking agent ie Travel Agent.







Looking down the road in the 1950's after the road improvements & re-building had taken place.






2017 in black & white - & there's still a car parked in front of the 'Victoria' sign.


The 'Swallows' building on the right has been replaced by a flat-topped building.
The Victoria Centre is closed right now, 2017, & is being re-furbished.  


Below is the list of shops that were inside. 

The grotesques of Knifesmithgate, found at the top of the columns, are from just around the corner on Elder Way, onto Knifesmithgate, & along there to the King's head, ie the corner of Knifesmithgate & Cavendish Street. 

They were sculpted by Frank Tory & Sons, Sheffield & were originally covered in gold leaf.
These last 2 are above the pub the King's Head.


Robert James Stokes had a painting & decorating, & paint making, shop in the Victoria Centre in 1923. R.J. Stokes & family had moved from Packer's Row to 15 Knifesmithgate: They also had shops in Cambridge Street & Waingate, Sheffield. 

The name of the shop can still be seen on the outer face of the Victoria Centre. 
The side carvings give the intertwined initials of R.J.S. & the centre gives the year of 1923.

Robert ran the business with his 5 brothers.














On the right is an advert in 1914: 15 Knifesmithgate. 

Swallows: On the corner of Knifesmithgate & Packer's Row. It was re-built & set back, & rounded off to make Packer's Row wider. It was later demolished & the square building took the place of the 'black & white' one. 

From the other end of Knifesmithgate: The junction of Knifesmithgate, Cavendish St. & Stephenson's Place. 

A few from 2017, to compare.

End
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