How Many Ghosts actually Haunt the Old Queen's Head?

As Sheffield’s oldest pub it is perhaps no surprise that The Old Queen’s Head, in Pond Hill has a reputation as one of the city’s most haunted locations . . . but just how many spooky inhabitants it has will surprise you!

The oldest domestic building in the city, dating from 1475, it is a former hunting lodge for the Earl of Shrewsbury. It was then , locals knew, as ‘The hawle at the Poandes’ and first became an inn in the 1600s.

This area of the town was a hive of industry and the area was called Sheaf Island.

Names that have gone are Mates Square, Dyers Bridge, Sheaf Row and Vaughan’s Wheel.

Joseph Rogers & Sons produced first-class cutlery and pen and pocket knives here, Widow Oaks made scissors on River Street and at No 3 River Street in 1849 cowkeeper Saville Pacey carried out his trade.

By 1856 he must have died as his wife Ann Pacey had taken over the work and by 1862 the business had changed hands to Charles Smith.

In 1862, George Hoult is listed as a horse slaughterer at No 13 Pond Hill and at No 19 Thomas Middleton was landlord of the Horse & Jockey, also on Pond Hill, later re-named the Lyceum.

Charles Allcard made horn and bone buttons and he also dealt in horns and bones at the River Works.

Jumping to 1911 at No 22 Pond Hill, John Young slaughtered horses while at no 20 Mrs Emma Shephard ran her dining rooms.

Close by James Brindley was making hammers and Batty Langley JP had his timber yard next door.

Over the years the firms either closed or relocated until gradually only the Lyceum pub on the opposite side and the Queens Head was left selling beer on Pond Hill.

Joseph Rogers’ old building was taken over as the council’s housing offices but this too was demolished as was the Lyceum, the latter for the GPO sorting office.

George Senior’s Ponds Forge drop hammers lulled me to sleep every night as a lad as their thump, thump, thump could be heard up on the Manor.

The River Sheaf and the Don which ran through quiet peaceful countryside are now running through an industrialised landscape.

I suppose if Mary Queen of Scots returned she would probably lose her head in an almighty rant – I still can’t understand why the council allowed this fantastic old building to be hemmed in with towering structures. 
It is the proverbial fish out of water – surely some green space could have been left around it?

I came across the following on the internet: “By the beginning of the 19th century, the building was being used as a residence. In 1840 a pub called the Queen Hotel was opened in the neighbouring building, and sometime after 1862 the pub expanded into this building.

The building was given Grade II listed status in 1952.

The pub was refurbished in 1993, as part of the Tom Cobleigh chain.

This re-enforces my claim that it didn’t become a pub until much later than some claim.

The Old Queen’s Head gets its name from Mary Queen of Scots, who was held captive in Sheffield for 14 years before her execution, and is said to have a Civil War soldier who stands in front of the fireplace and has been spotted numerous times by drinkers.

There’s also said to be a medieval child who goes by the name of Pierre and has a bit of an eye for the ladies - particularly blondes - and pulls on their hair to get their attention.

There is also a large hunting hound that sits on people’s feet and lays across their laps if he likes them.

And even more spookily, there is a lady in white who sits upstairs and watches celebrations, and is adorned with a beautiful 1920s dress.

And one former customer must have liked the Old Queen’s Head that he came back to haunt it after he died. He was a familiar face from the 1970s and staff have seen him manifest, sitting in the bar, holding a half pint of bitter. As they enter, he looks up and then dissolves. One cheeky spirit is also said to rattle the doors in the ladies’ loo while female customers are using the facilities, while a mysterious pint of beer is said to appear at the end of a night at a table that has not been occupied.

One landlord is said to have once tasted the beer and declared that it did not come from his cellar or from any pub nearby.

So it would appear that The Old Queen’s Head has almost as many spirits around the building as it has on the optics.

Look at the place - of course it just HAS TO BE HAUNTED!

We walked in there the last time we were in Sheffield and we were allowed to sit inside the pub and take a video of inside the Pub.

It really is atmospheric.