Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone


Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone
The Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) is an exciting 4-year partnership project between Barnsley Council and Historic England. It launched in 2020 and will run until the end of March 2024.
Eldon Street, in Barnsley town centre was first laid out in the 1840s. It quickly became an important gateway to the town, with the first railway station opening on Eldon Street in 1850. Eldon Street also quickly became a commercial and cultural hub, with bustling theatres, shops, pubs and markets. Today Eldon Street forms an important link between the Old Town and the new Glassworks development, at the heart of Barnsley Town Centre. However, as with many historic high streets, the area has faced challenges in recent years. The HSHAZ will help to rejuvenate Eldon Street and improve connectivity within the town.
The HSHAZ is working with local businesses and property owners to fund conservation repairs to key historic buildings on the west side of Eldon Street. The landmark project is the Civic, Barnsley, formerly the Barnsley Mechanics Institute and Public Hall. Despite delays caused by the pandemic, planning is going well and we’re hoping to see activity start on site in 2022.
The HSHAZ is also working with the local community to uncover and celebrate the stories and often overlooked heritage of one of Barnsley’s most important historic high streets.


Teenage Wildlife
Teenage Wildlife
The HSHAZ is also supporting an exciting cultural programme ‘Teenage Wildlife’ led by the Civic, Barnsley, and working with other cultural partners including Barnsley Libraries, to record and celebrate the experiences of teenagers on Eldon Street through the years.

The Eldon Street Brides
The HSHAZ has also been working with artists to engage with local independent businesses and shoppers. The Eldon Street brides have been visiting shops with photographer James Mulkeen, to explore and illustrate local people’s love for Eldon Street and to find out why local shoppers love to visit the many independent businesses on Eldon Street and the Arcade.


Secret Blues of Eldon Street
Look up and discover the untold stories of Eldon Street and The Victorian Arcade via a series of illuminated alternative blue heritage plaques.
Created by students from Horizon College these 14 temporary plaques will take you on an unexpected journey through some of the colourful characters and surprising stories of historic Eldon Street. Simply download the trail before you head out to Eldon St and see if you can you find all the plaques!


Secret Blues of Eldon Street Trail
(PDF, 6.99 MB)
Look up and discover the untold stories of Eldon Street and The Victorian Arcade via a series of illuminated alternative blue heritage plaques.
Welcome to the Civic 1878
The Civic, Barnsley, is one of the most prominent historic buildings on Eldon Street. Built as the Mechanics Institute and Public Hall, it opened in 1878 and has supported local people to engage with culture, education and the arts ever since. During the first lock down in 2020, we worked with the Civic and local artists to create a digital exhibition about the early years of the building. This allowed people to access the building remotely at a time when we couldn’t visit in person. Travel back in time and see what this Barnsley landmark was like when it first opened its doors in 1878.
Explore the Civic 1878 model and online exhibition
The HSHAZ is also supporting other cultural events and activities on Eldon Street, in conjunction with cultural partners including The Civic Barnsley, Barnsley Libraries and Barnsley College. As part of the cultural programme for the HSHAZ, the Civic, Barnsley are running ‘Teenage Wildlife’ to create a digital archive of memories and photographs of teenage experiences of Eldon Street from the 1950s onwards.
We have also been working with the Civic to create a digital model and online exhibition about the early years of the building. Travel back in time and see what this Barnsley landmark was like when it first opened its doors in January 1878.
Find out more
You can keep up to date with the project on twitter at @EldonHAZ or by following Barnsley Museums on twitter and facebook.
We have also written a series of blogs on different aspects of the project, and Eldon Street’s history. Find out more on the Barnsley Museums blogsite.
Eldon Street History Hunt
(PDF, 1.76 MB)
How well do you know Eldon Street? Do you like a historical treasure hunt? Have a go at our Eldon Street history hunt, aimed at families (but suitable for all ages) and see how many details you can spot on Eldon Street's beautiful buildings. Produced by Blackbird publishing.
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BeastEL: Eldon Street HSHAZ game
BeastEL is a maze-building creature card-game, set in the Goblin Market beaneath Eldon Street!It’s a fun game, enjoyed by friends and families alike.