Sheffield: A Civilised Place

Loop 1 (2 miles / 1-1½ hours) Go through the Interchange to Pond Hill Continue up Commercial Street. and turn sharp right. Sheffield’s first tram network began in Opened in 2002, The Winter Garden is 18 1 Amongst the modern buildings sits 1872, expanding over the following 40 heated, as are many city centre buildings, by 12 the Old Queen’s Head - a 15th years, finally to close in 1960. Work began the Sheffield District Heating scheme, which creates century timber framed hall. It is the oldest on the Supertram in 1991 with the last part energy from waste. The under-floor heating system domestic building in the city, and was carefully of the three-line network opening in 1995. provides a heated environment for around 2500 restored in 1992-3. semi-tropical plants. The building’s structure has an inverted catenary form to the arches. 13The River Sheaf was culverted in Follow the tram tracks up High Street towards the Cathedral. the 1860s as the city expanded into Leave the Winter Garden and cross Tudor Square. the river valley, with improvements to the markets and development of the railway. The Lyceum Theatre, originally built 2 The Foster’s Buildings at the in 1893, was refurbished in 1991. The At the end of Pond Hill, turn left on 19junction of High Street and new extension to the right of the building Sheaf Street. Fargate were, in 1894, the first in provides better bar and circulation areas than Sheffield to operate a lift. The top of the retained rotunda to the left. 14Ponds Forge International the lift shaft projects above the left Sports Centre provides Olympic hand end of the building. standard swimming facilities. The 3The Crucible Theatre of 1971 was designed for theatre-in-the- main roof consists of exposed tubular The Cutlers’ Hall, opposite the round, and is constructed mainly of steel trusses forming a shallow arch, 20 Cathedral, has been on this site reinforced concrete and concrete block. best seen from point 15. since 1638. The present building dates The building’s £15 million refurbishment Go up the ramp, bearing right, and from 1832, with extensions added was completed in 2009, and included follow it all the way to the seating in 1867 and 1888. The Company of reinforced building foundations, area at the top. Cutlers in Hallamshire promote and a new roof, and the installation support manufacturing industry in South of energy efficient “twinkle” lights. As you walk up the ramp you will 15pass the footbridge into Ponds Yorkshire as well as Sheffield cutlers and silversmiths. Walk between the Crucible and Lyceum theatres and turn right on Forge on your left. Tensioned cabling is to Arundel Gate. used to stiffen the slender structure. Continue up Church Street and turn left into Leopold Street. 4The Millennium Gallery is integrated with the Winter Garden, and won a national 21Originally built as a award for the extensive use of school and then used high-quality reinforced concrete. as the Education Offices, the listed buildings on the right have been cleverly refurbished Continue along Arundel Gate to while retaining the façades, Charles Street. creating Leopold Square as a multi-use space. 5St Paul's Tower, the tallest building in Sheffield, is 32 storeys and 101m high. In-situ reinforced Continue along Leopold Street towards the Town Hall and concrete was used for the frame of the turn right into Barker’s Pool. building providing a robust core, to which modular cladding was added. 22The Barker’s Pool, after which the area is named, was a large cistern holding rain and spring water for use by the The Charles Street Multi-storey people of the 16th century city. 6Car Park “The Cheese-grater” made extensive use of precast concrete to allow rapid high-quality construction.

Cross Arundel Gate to get a better view of points 5 and 6, double back along the road, turning right down the pedestrianised Howard Street. The water supply of the pool had been enhanced in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. However, it was demolished in or around 1796 as supplies improved. 7This area of the city was planned by the Duke of Norfolk’s agent in the late 18th century, providing workspaces in the burgeoning steel and cutlery trades.

From the bottom of Howard 23The City Hall, refurbished 8Street look slightly to the left in 2003, was completed on the hill to the listed Park Hill in 1935. The building employed Flats. Completed in 1961, these some of the longest span buildings provided “streets in the reinforced concrete beams in sky” for the people of Sheffield. As Europe to support the roof. part of a major facelift for the flats, the structure has been retained.

At the bottom of Howard Street, go straight across to Sheaf Square. Follow the stainless steel water sculpture to the Station. 16Commercial Street Bridge The Palazzo style building of spans one of the busiest 241867, to the west of the City Hall, traffic roundabouts in Sheffield and 9Sheffield Station. The Midland is the former offices of the Sheffield Railway was constructed in carries two tracks of the Supertram Waterworks Company and represents a Sheffield in 1868-70 by Benton & and a pedestrian walkway. The continuation of this area as the focus of Woodiwiss to designs by John Crossley bridge consists of a tied arch span water supply for the city. of Derby. Much of the station front you of 74m and two simple side spans see today is the 1905 extension with of 12.5m and 18m. further alterations in 1991 and 2003. Turn left at the top of the ramp and cross the tram tracks. For Go back down Barker’s Pool towards the Town Hall, cross the full walk, follow the signs to Victoria Quays and continue Pinstone Street and turn right. on Loop 2 (overleaf). To follow Loop 1 only, turn left and cross Commercial Street Bridge to point 17. Note the frieze of industrial figures on the front of the Town Hall and the 10The footbridge over the station was renewed in 2003, improving standard measures built into the side of Cheney Row (between the Town the quality of travel for passengers by Hall and the Peace Gardens). providing access to all platforms and to 17The former offices of The Sheffield the Supertram on Granville Street. United Gas Light Company of 1874 are Go through or round the Peace Gardens and cross the pedestrian described as one of the finest 19th century section of Norfolk Street to Millennium Square. buildings in the city. The first gas works nearby Cross Sheaf Street near the bottom of the steel sculpture and were later replaced as demand grew with 25Millennium Square, which is in fact walk along the covered path into Sheffield Interchange. works on Effingham Street and at Neepsend, triangular, was created as part of Wincobank and Orgreave. the Heart of the City project, redeveloping the city centre. The Sheffield stainless steel spheres, which are illuminated at night, 11Sheffield Interchange is the main bus station in the city. Serving Sheffield Electric Light and Power Company built equally grand offices enhance this public space. mainly longer distance bus routes and opposite in 1896 which have since been demolished. Behind them on coaches, it is linked to mini interchanges Sheaf Street was their first power station on the site of Ponds Forge. around the heart of the city by a free New generators were built at Neepsend and Blackburn Meadows Return to point 1 by going down Norfolk Street, then right on shuttle bus. - the famous Tinsley Towers. Later the national grid replaced all Surrey Street (or go through the Winter Garden). local generators.

City Centre Circular Walk