The Cholera Monument is a memorial in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

, England, to the victims of a cholera

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics of infectious ...

of 1832. Of the 402 victims of the disease 339 were buried in grounds between Park Hill and

Norfolk Park Park & Arbourthorne ward—which includes the districts of Arbourthorne, Gleadless, and Norfolk Park—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southeastern part of the city and covers an are ...

adjoining Clay Wood. Money from the treasurers of the

Board of Health Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environment ...

was set aside for a monument for the site. The monument was designed by M. E. Hadfield, sculpted by Earp and Hobbs and completed in 1835. It is a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

pinnacle and has a

plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate or tablet fixed to a wall to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I * Pl ...

naming John Blake,

Master Cutler The Master Cutler is the head of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire established in 1624. Their role is to act as an ambassador of industry in Sheffield, England. The Master Cutler is elected by the freemen of the company on the first Monday of ...

in 1832 and a victim of the epidemic and noting that the

foundation stone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

was laid by the poet James Montgomery. The monument is situated in gardens laid out around the monument in the 1850s and next to Clay Wood, an ancient woodland. These were given to the city by the

Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes ...

in 1930. A shaded path laid between 1971 and 1995 traverses the woods from Fitzwalter Road to the monument gardens. The monument was struck by

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

in 1990 and the top removed for safety. Rebuilding began in 2005 thanks to a grant, and was completed in 2006. Restorer Jim Hurley and his team received the 2006

Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture The Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture is an annual award for public sculpture in the UK or Ireland. The Award is funded by the Marsh Charitable Trust and is made on the recommendation of a panel of judges under the auspices of the Pu ...

for their work. A clay cobbled mound art installation was erected in 2004, representing the individuals who died. September 2014 saw the official opening of a 'green link', providing paths and cycle ways between

Norfolk Heritage Park Norfolk Heritage Park () (commonly referred to as 'Norfolk Park') is a public park in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England surrounded by the Norfolk Park residential suburb. Located to the south of Sheffield City Centre, the estate has grown up ...

and the city centre. The route included the Cholera Monument Grounds, opening up the north-western corner of the grounds which overlook the city centre, and providing a direct link from the monument to Shrewsbury Road. The monument is grade II listed, while the grounds are a conservation area which has received a

Green Flag Award The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces, managed under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a UK Government department, by Keep Britain Tidy, ...

References

Public Art in Sheffield
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council map
*''

Pevsner Architectural Guides The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of Great Britain and Ireland. Begun in the 1940s by the art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the original Buildings of England series were published b ...

: Sheffield'', Ruth Harman and John Minnis

External links

Sources for the Study of Cholera in Sheffield in the 19th century, UK
Produced by Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives. {{SheffieldStructures Cultural infrastructure completed in 1835 Grade II listed buildings in Sheffield Parks in Sheffield Grade II listed monuments and memorials Cholera monuments and memorials