Sheffield, England Tourist Attractions

England's fourth-largest city lies approximately 35mi/56km south of Leeds on the River Don, at the foot of the Derbyshire Hills. An industrial city, Sheffield is a popular base from which to explore the Peak District, the favorite recreational area of those living in this conurbation in Central England.

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul

The cathedral dedicated to St Peter and St Paul stands in Church Street on the site of a parish church founded after 1100 by William de Lovetot, a Norman baron. The new church, built in the late-Gothic Perpendicular style, replaced it in the mid-15th century; however, only the choir and the tower remain. The nave was built in the late 18th century and enlarged in 1880. When Sheffield became the see of a bishop in 1914 it was planned to make the present nave the transept of a new and much larger church, but this project was a casualty of the two world wars, leaving the church with an unusual ground plan. In 1966 it was further altered and restored. Note inside the cathedral the font, donated in 1884 by Freemasons, and the marble tomb of the Earl of Shrewsbury (d. 1538), which shows him between his two wives; the elaborately carved alabaster figures were originally painted. The unusual portable sedilla of black oak in St Catherine's Chapel dates from the 15th century. The main decoration is provided by the colorful stained glass windows, fitted at the end of the 1960s, in the Chapterhouse. They depict the history of the town. The Chaucer Window shows the miller of Trumpington (in the Reeve's Tale) with his Sheffield knife.

Cutlers' Hall

Opposite the cathedral is Sheffield's Cutlers' Hall, built in 1832 in the neo-Classic style, the headquarters of the Company of Cutlers. Founded in 1624, it is authorized to grant trade marks for articles reaching appropriate standards of quality; the foundation date continues to be celebrated every year. It has a fine collection of silver dating from 1773 to the present day, made up of one master work from each year, all stamped with the recognized seal of quality awarded by the Sheffield Assay Office.

Orchard Square and Fargate

The colorful pedestrian shopping centers of Orchard Square and Fargate house numerous shops, restaurants and pubs.

Town Hall

The colorful pedestrian precincts of Orchard Square and Fargate, with their numerous shops, restaurants and pubs, lead south to Surrey Street, site of the Victorian Town Hall. This impressive neo-Renaissance building was erected in 1897 and enlarged in 1910 and 1923. The 193ft/59m-high tower is topped by a figure of Vulcan, the blacksmith god, holding aloft the arrows he has just forged - a symbol of Sheffield's predominant industry. The tourist office is situated on the ground floor.

City Hall

Surrey Street extends west as Barker's Pool and leads to the Sheffield City Hall. Designed by Vincent Harris and opened in 1932, its concert hall seats 2,700.

Tudor Square

East of the Sheffield Town Hall several museums and theaters line the redesigned Tudor Square.

Central Library

The Sheffield Central Library and Graves Art Gallery, opened in 1934, contains an excellent collection of old masters, English art from the 18th C to the present day and French artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Cézanne, Corot, Picasso and Braque. The Graves Art Gallery is a collection assembled by Dr J. F. Graves, who financed most of the building of the museum and who presented more than 1,000 pictures to the city.

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Lyceum Theatre, Crucible Theatre

The Lyceum Theatre and the Crucible Theatre, both reopened in 1990 after extensive restoration, stand opposite the Graves Art Gallery. They mainly stage modern plays.

Ruskin Gallery, Craft Gallery

The paintings, mineral collection and manuscripts in the Ruskin Gallery (Norfolk Street) were assembled in 1875 by the author John Ruskin (1819-1900); the adjoining Craft Gallery exhibits local crafts.

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Castle Market, Castle Square

Castle Market and Castle Square, to the north of Tudor Square, are modern shopping centers, partly underground.

City Museum (closed)

The Sheffield City Museum, founded in 1874 and now housed in a building erected in 1937, contains a unique collection of British and European cutlery from the 16th century to the present, together with Bronze Age finds.

Mappin Art Gallery (closed)

Adjoining the Sheffield City Museum is the Mappin Art Gallery which has an excellent collection of 18th and 19th century English art from the Pre-Raphaelites to Turner.

Untitled Gallery

Excellent changing photographic displays, mainly dealing with local themes, can be seen in the Untitled Gallery in Brown Street (Sheffield 1).

Kelham Island Industrial Museum (closed due to flooding)

Kehlham Island Industrial Museum in Alma Street (Sheffield 3) exhibits steel and silverware dating from three centuries. Craftspeople can be seen at work in the "Little Mesters" workshop. A 1,200-hp steam engine is another of the museum's special attractions.

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South Yorkshire Fire Museum

Built at the turn of the century, the South Yorkshire Fire Museum (West Bar, Sheffield 3) houses a collection of old fire engines, uniforms and equipment.

Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet

Visitors to the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet (Abbeydale Road, Sheffield 7; 3.5mi/6km southwest of the city), an 18th century Victorian village, can learn about the traditional production of scythes. The site features workshops, warehouses and workers' cottages.

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Beauchief Abbey

To the east of Abbeydale is Beauchief Abbey, which combines the remains of a Premonstratensian abbey founded about 1175 and a chapel built in 1660.

Bishop's House Museum

Construction of the small wooden Bishop's House began in the 15th C and was continued in the 16th/17th centuries. Its building history is explained in two rooms, other exhibits concern the Sheffield's history during the Tudor and Stuart periods.

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South Yorkshire Steam Railway Museum

Eight old locomotives belonging to the South Yorkshire Railway await enthusiasts of historic trains in this museum in Barrow Road (Sheffield 9).

Bus Museum

The new Bus Museum in Sheffield Road (Sheffield 9) displays old means of transport, including typically English double-decker buses and pre-war milk floats.

Shepherd Wheel

Old grindstones, once used in the production of knives, can be viewed in idyllic Whiteley Woods off Hangingwater Road (Sheffield 11).

Surroundings

Worksop

Worksop (pop. 34,993) is located 17mi/27km southeast of Sheffield. It is a coal mining town with several places of interest including the Worksop Priory, Clumber Park and the Circle Arts Centre featuring live music and arts performances.

Clumber Park

Clumber Park has one of the longest glasshouses in National Trust property. The glasshouse (greenhouse) is one of the many notable features in this expanse of parkland, woods, open heath and farmland near Worksop. This area was once home to the Dukes of Newcastle but all that remains of the estate are the Gothic Revival chapel, hardwick village and the Victorian walld garden with the glasshouse.

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Mister Straw's House

Mister Straw's House is an Edwardian house with displays of Victorian furniture, family mementos and a garden. It one of a few National Trust properties that offers a glimpse into the life of regular citizens in the early 1900s.

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