The iconic Hunter’s Bar Toll Gate situated on Hunter’s Bar roundabout had fallen into disrepair. The wooden gate that spans between two stone toll posts had rotted away and fallen apart. After spotting that it needed maintenance, new Ecclesall councillor Peter Gilbert made sure work was done to get a fresh gate made and installed.
Cllr Gilbert said, “I saw the gate at Hunter’s Bar was looking in a sorry state. It’s something that thousands of people pass every day and even if not everyone notices it, it’s special for the area. It’s where Hunter’s Bar got its name! It’s part of my history as well. I grew up around here so it’s great to get it restored.”
He contacted officers at the Sheffield City Council to find out who was responsible for its upkeep. He found out that it was covered under the infamous PFI contract Streets Ahead. He asked officers to make sure the work was done to a high standard, asking that they take into account its listed building status and cultural significance.
The Hunter’s Bar Toll Gate was in place in the nineteenth century to charge people for going along the roads, with the fees used for their upkeep. The gate would only be opened when the fee was paid. Hunter’s Bar gives its name to the surrounding area, and was made world famous in the Arctic Monkeys song ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’.
The Historic England official list entry describes it as a “Toll gate. c1810, resited early C20. 2 tapered round ashlar piers with rounded tops. Renewed single bar gate. Ecclesall Road was laid out as a toll road in 1810.”
The toll house which once stood here, along with the gate, reportedly closed in 1884, with a ‘large cheer’ going up from the crowd which had gathered to watch the keeper collect his last fee. The heavy old stone toll posts were moved onto the newly constructed roadabout in the late 1950s. Today this famous roundabout even has its own profile @Hunters_Bar on on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).
Working with council officers, Cllr Gilbert was pleased to see that the gate was restored quickly: “The council officers were really helpful in linking me with the right people to get this work done. I’d like to publicly thank them and the contractors for this work. If you see something like this that needs some maintenance, get in touch with your local councillor. They can help sort it and make your area a better place to live, whether you’re from High Green, Hunter’s Bar, or San Francisco.”
Want to know more?
See the Star story about an old photo of Hunter’s Bar roundabout shortly after it was built. There is a good Wikipedia page about Hunter’s Bar and historical photos of Hunter’s Bar on the Picture Sheffield site. You can see the Historic England listing of Hunter’s Bar Toll Gate for more history, or for a possibly less factually accurate take, follow Hunter’s Bar on Twitter.
