Buildings and structures in Sheffield
Encyclopedia
Buildings and structures in Sheffield have been constructed over a time-span ranging from the 13th century to the present day. However, the majority of Sheffield
's older buildings were built during the Industrial Revolution
. Many of Sheffield's medieval buildings were demolished in the 19th century, and some older buildings were also lost during the Sheffield Blitz
. Sheffield has only five Grade I listed buildings, two of which are in the city centre.
The oldest structure is Beauchief Abbey
which is now a ruin and dates back to the 12th century. The oldest complete structure is Sheffield Cathedral
, parts of which date back to the 13th century. The 78 metre Arts Tower
was the tallest completed building in the city until the St Pauls tower (City Lofts) project was finished in 2011.
. It was dominated by a wooden long house
occupied by the lord of Hallam
, subsequently the site for the 2 castles
.
The Domesday Book
, which William the Conqueror ordered written so that the value of the townships and manors of England could be assessed, mentions :-
In the 12th century this was replaced with a wooden motte and bailey castle. Beauchief Abbey was built 4 miles south-west of what was now a well established town. When the castle was destroyed in 1260 it was replaced with a stone castle, which would stand until the English Civil War
.
In November 2005, the University of Sheffield
´s archaeological consultancy, ARCUS, unearthed a medieval well of over three metres in depth in the sandstone
bedrock beneath Carmel House on Fargate http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2005/485.html. The Sheffield city centre site was being excavated as part of a redevelopment project.
Pottery found in the well, suggests that it was in use by 1300 AD, and had been filled in around the time of the English Civil War
. Medieval pots included jugs made in the Hallgate area of neighbouring Doncaster
and other items from the Humber Estuary.
This discovery was said to offer significant evidence relating to the medieval town of Sheffield, still a small market town, before its growth during the subsequent Industrial Revolution. Dating of the well indicates that it was probably dug around the time of the rebuilding of Sheffield Castle
in stone, in 1270 and the granting of Sheffield's Market Charter by Edward I
in 1296.
Due to the conditions in the well, animal bones, plant remains (possibly including microscopic pollen grains) have been preserved and will be analysed the University's Department of Archaeology laboratories.
Sheffield's second parish church was built in 1280, replacing the previous 11th century structure. This was replaced in 1430 with the core of the current structure. Lady's Bridge
, the oldest in the city was built in 1485. The oldest domestic buildings were built at the turn of the 16th century Old Queen's Head pub (1495), Broom Hall
(1498), and Bishops' House
(c 1500).
Sheffield Manor
was built in 1510 as an alternative residence for the Earl of Shrewsbury
. The manor was to later become famous when Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there. Sheffield Castle was largely destroyed during the civil war. The manor was also largely demolished in 1706.
is now a grade I listed building and is used as a museum
. Other museums in buildings from the same period are Kelham Island Museum
and Shepherd Wheel
.
started in 1920.
The years following the Second World War saw one of the most intense periods of building in the city's history, referred to as the Slum Clearances. Slum housing was replaced with a number of large tower blocks, many of which have since been demolished and replaced with housing once more.
, Millennium Galleries
and Millennium Square
. The 101m St Paul's Tower, which is under construction (2007–2009), will become Sheffield's tallest building.
The £50 million Sheffield Station Gateway
scheme has seen improvements in station facilities and the creation of a public space outside with a large sculpture called Cutting Edge. Other improvements leading up to the Peace Gardens will create a pedestrian link to the city centre.
, Leopold Square
, Charter Square and the Devonshire Quarter
. Charter Square will also be pedestrianised. The £315 million West Bar scheme
includes new university buildings, a boutique hotel, residential and commercial developments. The funding was not secured until 2011, when the work was meant to be finished by, but now it is ready to begin as the Sevenstone
Project.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
's older buildings were built during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. Many of Sheffield's medieval buildings were demolished in the 19th century, and some older buildings were also lost during the Sheffield Blitz
Sheffield Blitz
The Sheffield Blitz is the name given to the worst nights of German Luftwaffe bombing in Sheffield, England during the Second World War. It took place over the nights of 12 December and 15 December 1940....
. Sheffield has only five Grade I listed buildings, two of which are in the city centre.
The oldest structure is Beauchief Abbey
Beauchief Abbey
Beauchief Abbey is a former abbey in Sheffield, England. Beauchief is prounounced bee-chiff.-History:The abbey was founded by Robert FitzRanulf de Alfreton. Thomas Tanner, writing in 1695, stated that it was founded in 1183...
which is now a ruin and dates back to the 12th century. The oldest complete structure is Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914...
, parts of which date back to the 13th century. The 78 metre Arts Tower
Arts Tower
The Arts Tower is a building at 12 Bolsover Street in Sheffield, England belonging to the University of Sheffield and opened in 1966. English Heritage has called it "the most elegant university tower block in Britain of its period...
was the tallest completed building in the city until the St Pauls tower (City Lofts) project was finished in 2011.
Pre 19th century
At the time of the Norman Conquest Sheffield was a small hamletHamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. It was dominated by a wooden long house
Long house
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building built by peoples in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe and North America....
occupied by the lord of Hallam
Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton
Waltheof , 1st Earl of the Honour of Huntingdon and Northampton and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls was the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I.-Early life:...
, subsequently the site for the 2 castles
Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been constructed on the site at some time in the century...
.
The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, which William the Conqueror ordered written so that the value of the townships and manors of England could be assessed, mentions :-
- LANDS OF ROGER DE BUSLI
- In Hallam, one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km2] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]....
In the 12th century this was replaced with a wooden motte and bailey castle. Beauchief Abbey was built 4 miles south-west of what was now a well established town. When the castle was destroyed in 1260 it was replaced with a stone castle, which would stand until the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
In November 2005, the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
´s archaeological consultancy, ARCUS, unearthed a medieval well of over three metres in depth in the sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
bedrock beneath Carmel House on Fargate http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2005/485.html. The Sheffield city centre site was being excavated as part of a redevelopment project.
Pottery found in the well, suggests that it was in use by 1300 AD, and had been filled in around the time of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. Medieval pots included jugs made in the Hallgate area of neighbouring Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and other items from the Humber Estuary.
This discovery was said to offer significant evidence relating to the medieval town of Sheffield, still a small market town, before its growth during the subsequent Industrial Revolution. Dating of the well indicates that it was probably dug around the time of the rebuilding of Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been constructed on the site at some time in the century...
in stone, in 1270 and the granting of Sheffield's Market Charter by Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1296.
Due to the conditions in the well, animal bones, plant remains (possibly including microscopic pollen grains) have been preserved and will be analysed the University's Department of Archaeology laboratories.
Sheffield's second parish church was built in 1280, replacing the previous 11th century structure. This was replaced in 1430 with the core of the current structure. Lady's Bridge
Lady's Bridge
Lady's Bridge is the oldest bridge across the River Don in the City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the central section of the city, linking the Wicker to the north with Waingate to the south.-The first bridge:...
, the oldest in the city was built in 1485. The oldest domestic buildings were built at the turn of the 16th century Old Queen's Head pub (1495), Broom Hall
Broom Hall
Broom Hall is a historic house in the City of Sheffield, England that gives its name to the surrounding Broomhall district of the city. The earliest part of the house is timber-framed; it has been tree-ring dated to c1498, and was built by the de Wickersley family, whose ancestral home was at...
(1498), and Bishops' House
Bishops' House
Bishops' House is a half-timbered house in the Norton Lees district of the City of Sheffield, England. It was built c. 1500 and is located at , on the southern tip of Meersbrook Park...
(c 1500).
Sheffield Manor
Sheffield Manor
Sheffield Manor, also known as the Manor Lodge or Manor Castle, is a lodge built about 1516 in what then was a large deer park east of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK, to provide a country retreat and further accommodate George Talbot, the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, and his large family...
was built in 1510 as an alternative residence for the Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
. The manor was to later become famous when Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there. Sheffield Castle was largely destroyed during the civil war. The manor was also largely demolished in 1706.
Industrial Revolution
A large number of industrial buildings were built during the 18th and 19th centuries. Abbeydale Industrial HamletAbbeydale Industrial Hamlet
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is an industrial museum in the south of the City of Sheffield, England. The museum forms part of a former steel-working site on the River Sheaf, with a history going back to at least the 13th century...
is now a grade I listed building and is used as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. Other museums in buildings from the same period are Kelham Island Museum
Kelham Island Museum
The Kelham Island Museum is an industrial museum on Alma Street, alongside the River Don, in the centre of Sheffield, England. It was opened in 1982.-The site:...
and Shepherd Wheel
Shepherd Wheel
Shepherd Wheel is a working museum in a former water-powered grinding workshop situated on the Porter Brook in the south-west of the City of Sheffield, England. One of the earliest wheels on the River Porter, it is one of the few remaining—and effectively complete—examples of this kind of...
.
20th century
The turn of the 20th century saw a huge amount of residential building which lead to the annexing of large parts of the current city. However, this was followed by a slump and by 1917 house building had ceased altogether. Building of the city hallSheffield City Hall
Sheffield City Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Sheffield, England, containing several venues, ranging from the Oval Concert Hall which seats over 2,000 people to a ballroom featuring a sprung dance floor...
started in 1920.
The years following the Second World War saw one of the most intense periods of building in the city's history, referred to as the Slum Clearances. Slum housing was replaced with a number of large tower blocks, many of which have since been demolished and replaced with housing once more.
Current developments
The £130 million Heart of the City scheme is centred around the location of the former town hall extension. It includes a hotel, offices, the Winter GardensSheffield Winter Gardens
Sheffield Winter Garden in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire is one of the largest temperate glasshouses to be built in the UK during the last hundred years, and the largest urban glasshouse anywhere in Europe. It is home to more than 2,000 plants from all around the world...
, Millennium Galleries
Millennium Galleries
The Millennium Galleries is an art gallery in the City of Sheffield, England. Opened in April 2001 as part of Sheffield's Heart of the City project, it is located in the city centre close to the city library, Sheffield Hallam University, and the city's theatre district...
and Millennium Square
Millennium Square (Sheffield)
Millennium Square is a modern city square in Sheffield, England. It was created as part of the Heart of the City project that began in 1998 and has become a central feature in Sheffield’s redeveloped city centre...
. The 101m St Paul's Tower, which is under construction (2007–2009), will become Sheffield's tallest building.
The £50 million Sheffield Station Gateway
Sheffield Midland station
Sheffield station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a railway station in Sheffield, England and is the busiest station in South Yorkshire...
scheme has seen improvements in station facilities and the creation of a public space outside with a large sculpture called Cutting Edge. Other improvements leading up to the Peace Gardens will create a pedestrian link to the city centre.
Future developments
The largest scheme due to start is the New Retail Quarter, that was meant to starting in 2007. The £600 million scheme will create new retail units and pedestrianise the area between Pinstone StreetPinstone Street
Pinstone Street is located in Sheffield, England. It connects the two shopping areas of Fargate and The Moor in the centre of the city. Originally known as Pinstone Lane, its eastern side is home to Sheffield Town Hall and the Peace Gardens....
, Leopold Square
Leopold Square
Leopold Square is a new mixed use development in Sheffield's West End, England. It is located at the corner of Leopold Street and West Street...
, Charter Square and the Devonshire Quarter
Devonshire Quarter
The Devonshire Quarter is an area in the centre of Sheffield, England. It is based around the Division Street and Devonshire Street shopping areas, known for their small independent shops and variety of pubs and bars...
. Charter Square will also be pedestrianised. The £315 million West Bar scheme
West Bar scheme
The West Bar scheme is a £400 million major scheme in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England on the edge of the City centre by the developer Castlemore Securities.The scheme will include:...
includes new university buildings, a boutique hotel, residential and commercial developments. The funding was not secured until 2011, when the work was meant to be finished by, but now it is ready to begin as the Sevenstone
Sevenstone
Sevenstone is the marketing name of the project formerly known as the New Retail Quarter/NRQ which involves the demolition and rebuilding of an area of Sheffield, England between the Devonshire Quarter and The Moor Gateway. Sheffield City Centre has suffered from the collapse of steel making and...
Project.