Sheaf Square Fountain

[OneofThree]

With the redevelopment, yet again, of Sheaf Square, I am reminded of the fountain that used to be in the traffic island.

 

From memory I think it had a transparent stepped base that was lit from inside and several jets of water that spouted from the top.

 

Did it have a name like the Goodwin Fountain? Why are there so few pictures of it?

 

It looked pretty good, why was it removed?

[Tony]

ISTR that it was removed simply because fountains cost more money to maintain than flowerbeds.

[little malc]

Yes, it was called the Goodwin fountain, it was a superb job wich changed colour on a sequence, sadly, like so many things which start off well, the council failed to keep up maintainence on it and it became a non working eyesore. Sums up so many things about our local council!

[segasonic]

I think OneofThree means the fountain that used to be on the roundabout outside the Howard Hotel, not the original Goodwin fountain, which was on Fargate. I remember the one outside the Howard from when I was a little 'un in the early 80s. It did have fancy coloured lights. As mentioned, they filled it in and it became a flower bed.

 

On a related note, does anyone remember the fountain outside Cordon Bleu freezer centre? It's now the Empire Bar, I think there were two fountains, one of which was rectangular and is now a flower bed.

[sccsux]

Originally posted by segasonic

On a related note, does anyone remember the fountain outside Cordon Bleu freezer centre? It's now the Empire Bar, I think there were two fountains, one of which was rectangular and is now a flower bed.

 

Round the back of Debenhams?

 

Yeah. I remember them (though this wasn't too long ago)..

[Basalt]

Yes. I too remember both the Sheaf island fountain, which was circular and shot a wide column of water up into the air.

 

And, the fountain at the back of Debenhams which I think had a long bar down the centre with water jets coming off it down into the trough.

 

Perhaps someone should start a Fountains topic so that we can discuss all the long forgotten Sheffield fountains?

[Guest unners]

I have a book called Remember Sheffield in the 50's 60's and 70's it has some great pics in it. The Sheaf Square fountain does look quite impressive and the surrounding area looks so clean! Also shows you a picture of the Goodwin fountain which does not look that impressive to be honest with you.

 

There is also a picture of a fountain in that little park area next to the Nationwide Building Society opposite Kingdom. Dont remember it myself before my time. but it had a stainless steal globe mounted on a black column surrounded be a round pool of water with about ten jets of water spraying from the outer rim of the circle on to the globe.

 

Also anyone remember the fountain that was under the Egg Box facing the peace gardens,they very rarely worked if i remenber rightly.

 

Slightly of topic but looking through this book there are pictures of cranes building a lot of the buildings that have recently been demolished or reclad. Infact there are cranes in the city centre now in the same place where they were not 40 years ago.Time is strange.

 

There is a great picture of that building being built where Allied Carpets was,strange to see it 30 years later being reclad in grey.

[Basalt]

Yes. The Egg Box fountain was actually several single jets of water which splashed over a bed of pebbles.

 

Can't remember when it last actually worked though.