Cholera Monument, Sheffield

The Cholera Monument in Sheffield is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the cholera epidemic of 1832, which claimed 402 lives, with 339 victims buried in the grounds between Park Hill and Norfolk Park, near Clay Wood. The monument, designed by M. E. Hadfield and sculpted by Earp and Hobbs, was completed in 1835 and features a neo-Gothic pinnacle style. A plaque on the monument commemorates John Blake, a Master Cutler in 1832 and a victim of the epidemic, and notes that the foundation stone was laid by the poet James Montgomery.

The monument is set within gardens established in the 1850s, adjacent to Clay Wood, an ancient woodland. These gardens were gifted to the city by the Duke of Norfolk in 1930. A shaded path, created between 1971 and 1995, connects Fitzwalter Road to the monument gardens through the woodland. In 1990, the monument was struck by lightning, leading to the removal of its top for safety reasons. Restoration work began in 2005, funded by a grant, and was completed in 2006. The restoration, led by Jim Hurley and his team, earned the 2006 Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture.

In 2004, a clay cobbled mound art installation was added, symbolizing the individuals who perished in the epidemic. A 'green link' offering paths and cycleways between Norfolk Heritage Park and the city center was officially opened in September 2014, enhancing access to the monument. The Cholera Monument is a Grade II listed structure, and its surrounding grounds form a conservation area that has received a Green Flag Award, recognizing its quality and significance.