The Council Chamber

The Chamber is full of interesting detail. The two outstanding features are the ceiling and the oak panelling and canopy behind the carved "Bench" facing the desks of the City Councillors.

 

The chair used by the Lord Mayor is set under a carved oak pediment, which bears the City Coat of Arms, supported by four oak lonic pillars. The decorative carving is predominantly floral, as is most of the carving throughout the building. Oak, Ash, Ivy, Rose, Shamrock and Thistle are to be found extensively.

 

The Mayoral Chair itself is just as elaborate and is the most dominant seat in the room, having the air of a throne. In the bench in front of the Lord Mayor is a carved centre-piece depicting two children rising from tree branches bearing the legend "Work while it is day" above the symbols of time and dated 1896. Set on the bench behind this carving is a bell. The Lord Mayor, as Chairman, rings this bell to call order during meetings of the Council. The bell was taken from the last tram of Sheffield after its final journey in 1960.

On the oak panelling alongside the central canopy is inserted a number of metal tablets containing the names of past Mayors of Sheffield

dating from 1843, and past Lord Mayors.

 

The front bench and the seats alongside the Mayoral Chair were originally designed for the use of the city's Aldermen (now a disused title). Today various eminent members of the Council occupy these chairs. The desks of the Councillors are the original ones designed for this room. Initially, they were laid out in a semi-circular fashion. With the enlargement of the Chamber and public gallery in 1925 the accommodation was probably re-arranged.

 

This room also contains an oak-cased clock presented by Alderman Tom Nixon, J.P., to the Corporation of Sheffield on 4th May, 1904.