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Sheffield History

Redgates Toy Shop: A True Sheffield Legend

Redgates Toy Shop
Redgates Toy Shop

Before soul-less, cavernous warehouses of Toys-R-Us killed the mystique of the toy emporium, Sheffield had Redgates: the toy shop of all toy shops. The Sheffield Guide compiles a definitive history…

Before Redgates Toy Shop

Edwin Redgate was originally a watchmaker trading from premises in Angel Street in 1864. Before his name became synonymous with selling toys he moved around several different locations as a manufacturer and merchant of various items.

The watch shop was moved from Angel Street to Church Street in 1870. By 1876 Redgate had pivoted to making sewing machines.

Records then show ‘The Redgate Company’ moved to Haymarket by 1887, becoming a perambulator (pram) manufacturer and selling fur products.

A move to Fargate: beginning of a toy empire

In 1893, Edwin moved the shop to a prime location on Fargate, still selling prams and furs. In order to sell a cheap batch of furs he had bought, Redgate cut them in to pram covers. The business then seemed to naturally gravitate to products for young children.

A logical evolution was to manufacture and sell wheeled toys to sell alongside the prams and accessories. Subsequently, toys started to become the core product of the business.

In 1895 Redgate’s daughter Annie married William S Nunn, who joined the business. Nunn would travel to toy fairs and vastly expand the toy selection at the store.

Edwin Redgate passed away in 1909, aged 69. The Redgates Company stayed with the Nunn family thereafter.

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On to The Moor

Constantly increasing the portfolio meant E Redgate outgrew their Fargate shop. The Moor was seen as a more prestigious retail location and it was decided to make the move.

Redgates Toy Shop opened at Moorhead in 1925 and continued to grow in popularity. Disaster stuck 15 years later though, with the shop being razed during the 1940 Sheffield Blitz.

Illustration of Redgates Toy Shop at Moorhead
Illustration of Redgates at Moorhead (Terry Gorman)

After the bombing, Redgates moved to temporary premises on Ecclesall Road before eventually moving back to The Moor in 1954. However, most nowadays will probably remember its huge Furnival Gate premises (later Sunwin House) which was opened in 1962.

Redgates: A magical toy superstore

It is difficult to overstate the magic of Redgates Toy Shop. The huge store spanned several floors and contained all our favourite toys, as far as the eye could see in every direction.

Whether you were shopping for dolls, little cars, action figures, Lego, Subbuteo, models, board games or the latest fad — Redgates Toy Shop had it all.

Children were encouraged to play with the merchandise making it as much a playground as it was a shop. Celebrities would often attend for meet-and-greets, whilst you’d often see staff dressed as the latest action figure characters.

All Sheffielders of a certain age have an abiding fondness of the magical toy superstore.

The best toy shop outside London

Redgates was widely regarded as the best toy shop outside of the capital.

Indeed, Hamleys of London saw the popularity of Redgates Toy Shop and opened up a Sheffield store nearby on The Moor. But, the strangers couldn’t match the charm and excitement of the city stalwart and closed not long after opening.

A family affair of 129 years

52 different members of the Nunn family were shareholders, and a number of them worked in the store.

The infamous shop remained family owned-and-run all the way through to 1986. However, after 129 years a decision was made to finally sell-up to UK chain Zodiac Toys.

Even the large chain couldn’t bear to forfeit generations of local goodwill, so the store was rebranded ‘Zodiac at Redgates’.

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Zodiac at Redgates
Zodiac at Redgates

Unfortunately the legendary store was forced to closed its doors just 2-years later, in 1988. Nationally, Zodiac had struggled to compete with new behemoth out-of-town retailers that were cropping up across the country.

After Redgates

The building became a Co-Operative Sunwin Department Store in 1990, eventually closing in 2005. TK Maxx used the site as a temporary location in 2008 whilst its Orchard Square stores were refurbished.

Having spent its remaining years empty, the building was demolished in 2018 to make way for a new retail development.

Demolition crews at Redgates Toy Shop, Furnival Gate, 2018
Demolition crews tearing down Redgates, Furnival Gate, 2018

A newly built H&M store now occupies the site. Look closer though and you’ll see an homage to Redgates in the form of a plaque on the wall where the legendary toy shop once stood.

Redgates Plaque at H&M Sheffield
Plaque marks the spot of Redgates’ legendary toy store at H&M Sheffield.

Redgates may be gone, but its memories live on in every now-grown-up (in body, but never in mind) excited child that ever entered its wondrous doors.

Paper Bag from Redgates Toy Shop
Paper Bag from Redgates Toy Shop

What are your memories of Redgates Toy Shop? Share in the comments below.


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Written By

Founder and editor of The Sheffield Guide. A lifelong Sheffielder with a local pride that lovingly crafts each and every piece created. Discover the very best of the Steel City with The Sheffield Guide.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Mrs D Hudson

    5 June 2020 at 12:31

    I worked at redgattes on The. Moor from October to February (the. Xmas busy time), I loved it!!!!!!

  2. Simon

    22 July 2020 at 19:34

    I used to go there with my Father and sometimes My Mother in the early 70s. I remember being beyond excited about going into the shop. I can still feel the excitement a bit now and looking at the pictures of the outside of the store brings it back. So many toys everywhere. I was always really just interested in the toy cars which, from memory, occupied a huge wall on the ground floor at the back of the store. Rows and rows of Corgi and Dinky cars. Heaven to a young boy :).

  3. Gillian Banks

    31 December 2020 at 19:36

    Am I right in thinking that there was a Redgates in Fitzalan Square in the 1950’s? I recall buying toy farm animals in the toy shop behind the no. 4 bus stop on the upper side of the square.

    • James Hargreaves

      1 January 2021 at 13:03

      Hi Gillian. Great question! I believe the Fitzalan Square shop was actually a Wilson Gumperts branded store. Redgates did buy out Wilson Gumperts and integrate it into their group of shops, but to my knowledge wasn’t ever fully branded as Redgates.

  4. Hilary

    21 February 2022 at 06:16

    I was manager at the Redgates store when it was owned by Zodiac from 1986 to 1988, we spent months refurbishuing the store, only closing for 1 day to remove the old escalators. Then we had a new glass rocket lift installed and sold toys from 5 floors. At the time we were the largest toy shop in Europe and second largest in the world. we were bigger than Hamleys. After it was closed down I also ended up managing Sunwin House from 1991 to 1998 as well, so many fond memories of the old building. The back part was much older than the front and used to connect to the original store on the Moor, vis the basement, that part which became Quadrant stationers, and then Sports Soccor.

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