The age of the Old Queen's Head is not in doubt. Its history can be traced back to at least 1505 when it is recorded as a hunting lodge. There is a maze of tunnels in the Pond Street area, and it is said that there was direct underground access to Sheffield Castle. Later the building was used as a laundry house for Sheffield Manor.
It became a beerhouse in 1841 when its' owner took a licence under the Beer House Act, to supplement his income as a rivet maker.
In the 1930s there were plans to demolish the building in a major redevelopment of the Pond Street area. The war intervened and the nearby Rawson's brewery, which had dominated the area was destroyed. The face of Pond Street was changed, and in the new economic climate plans were altered. It was even suggested that the building could be used as a refreshment kiosk for the new bus station!
Now of course the building is listed, and no longer under threat, although it has been extended.