Bishops' House is a half-timbered house in the Norton Lees district of the City of Sheffield, England. It was built around 1500 and is located at the top end of Meersbrook Park. It is one of the three surviving timber-framed houses in the city.

The House was built at the end of the Fifteenth Century, around the time two members of the Blythe family became Bishops, hence the name, but their historical connection with the House is unconfirmed. In 1886 ownership passed to the Sheffield City Council and various recreation department employees lived in the house until 1974. It is a Grade II* listed building and has been open as a museum since 1976.

In April 2011, overall management of Bishops House returned to the Council from Museums Sheffield. One implication of this change would have been a drastic reduction of opening hours. The Friends Of Bishops House were invited by Sheffield City Council to take over management of public access to the House and we now have a team of 30 volunteers opening the building at weekends (10am to 4pm) and staging special events in evenings too. Maintenance of the building continues to be the responsibility of the Council and Museums Sheffield still manage school visits to the building.

It is regretful that the economic climate has brought about these changes, but to allow this precious building to close to the public would have been a disaster. We've moved forward and are now making the most of this opportunity to develop the house as an exciting community resource. We are still completely reliant on the commitment and efforts of volunteers that have stepped forward and we are anxious to recruit more volunteers to share the load. If you could spare some time, as little as half a day per month, please contact Nick Roscoe who would be delighted to hear from you. Full training will be given and appropriate insurance and resources are in place.

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Iranian visitors to Bishops House June 2011

Norton Lees Lane, Sheffield, S8 9BE (map)
Telephone: 0114 255 7701
Bishops House is open Saturdays and Sundays, 10am - 4pm, Free Admission

Closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday

Bishop Geoffrey Blythe found himself in the tower of London in 1523 charged with treason. A few months later he was questioned and set free.