I’m not native to Sheffield. I first visited the town on an all-over the country rail-rover when I was around 16-17. I remember I had a late night change of trains there and being fascinated by the bright lights of Park Hall Flats in the otherwise darkness (we had nothing like that in Warrington, where I was living at the time.) The place felt exotic and edgy. My next experience was going to the city for a place at the University when I applied to do a first degree as a mature student. I got the place but turned it down in order to do a post-grad in Manchester (it’s a complicated story) but I often wondered how my life would have been different if I had spent 3 years there in the mid 1980s. I visited it a few more times after that for work reasons but it was only in the early 1990s that I moved there. I bought a house in the Woodseats suburb, south of the city, with easy access to North Derbyshire where I was working.
I have always loved the place …
The reasons are difficult to write down. How do you describe a feel for somewhere, the friendliness of (most of) the people; the ‘vibe’; the sense of being ‘at home.’ I know I had been living there for nearly 30 years but it felt like I belonged almost as soon as I arrived.
So, I can’t really explain in an article like this, WHY anyone should visit Sheffield. I can only hope that people will come and maybe they can explain what it is – that I find so difficult to put into words. But here are some of the more tangible reasons for visiting the city.
1. It’s not just about the City Centre
Perhaps it’s apart from the City Centre as the centre (downtown) does not have a lot going for it, if I am to be honest. Sure there are a few nice buildings such as the town hall (Sheffield has a town hall and a City hall – is that unique in the UK?)
But Sheffield is known as the biggest village in the world, as it has a lot of different suburbs each with their own character. South and West border on the Peak District and this is where the richer and prettier suburbs can be found, including Broomhill, which John Betjeman (former Poet Laureate) called, “the prettiest suburb in England.” This from a man who was encouraging bombs to fall on Slough (a town in the South of the country.)
To the North and East, the areas are a bit more gritty, moving into the old mining areas which suffered badly in the 1980s from pit closures. These are the sort of areas that the “trash Britain” video boys such as Bald and Bankrupt and Backpacker Ben (16.21 to 23.32)
2. The Greenest city in the UK? In Europe?
There is some dispute as to whether Sheffield holds either title (Bristol may have more parks per head of population, but does not have a national park within its boundaries.) Oslo is said the just pip Sheffield for the European title. This link from the BBC tells more – click here.
Virtually every neighbourhood has its own park which of course vary widely from small children’s playgrounds, to mainly recreation grounds to wild areas such as the wooded areas of Grave’s Park in the South of the city or Endcliffe Park in the West of the city, where you can walk through the park and follow a footpath out to the Peak District national park. There are also lots of street trees which was subject of some protests just before the covid lockdown and contributed to the downfall of the local government at the time, (see the link from the BBC above.) As well as woods (Ecclesall is a good example) and other green spaces dotted around the city.
3. Ease of getting around.
Certainly in the daytime, (though unlike similar sized cities in the UK there is no night bus service.) The city has a tram system of 3 main routes (North West to City Centre, CC to the south / Derbyshire border and CC to the East – Meadowhall Shopping Centre … which has recently been extended to Rotherham.) Buses go to most parts of the city and out to the surrounding countryside and there is a direct rail link to London with trains every hour (to St Pancras making it very easy to continue onto the Eurostar for trips to the continent.) There are various transport passes which can be bought to help navigate all of this. The advantage is not only that they are usual cheaper than single trips (depending on how often you use them) but they make for ease of transferring and if you do get on the wrong bus or train you can just jump off and catch the next one (or the one in the opposite direction!)
4. Best Pubs and Beer in the UK.
Well I think so, and the prices are no where near as eye-watering as they are in London and the South East. My favourite pub has to be the Kelham Island Tavern, with its quiet ambience (no music to disturb the chat) and great beer from the Blue Bee brewery which Josh, the landlord also part-owns. There are other options though such as the Wellington, which is right by Shalesmoor tram-stop, so handy if staggering home is an issue. Neither pub does food (except cold pork pies and in the case of the Wellington, sometimes very good value sandwiches) but lots of pubs in the city offer meals as well which brings me onto …
5. Multicultural food and drink.
I don’t know but I would think that Sheffield is one of the most multicultural cities in England, partly due to it having a large student population (two of the most popular universities in the country.) It is also a city of sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers, something I think is really important.
As with most cities there are foodie areas, in this case London Road just south of the city centre and Ecclesall Road which is to the south east. But I would reckon you could get food from most countries around the world here and of course there are plenty of places where you can eat a good English breakfast or the British staple of fish and chips.
6. The surrounds.
I have walked from Sheffield to (almost) the coast. Well not all at once you understand, but I have walked on the trans-pennine trail to Hull over a period of a few months, maybe a year up to leaving for my current trip in 2019. In the opposite direction (West) is the Peak District, the first national park in the UK and still a big draw for climbers and hikers from all over the country. There are direct buses to Chatsworth Park, the largest stately home in the UK and with some beautiful grounds around it. Also castles at Conisbrough and Bolsover both founded in the 11th century but since rebuilt in the 14th and 17th centuries respectively. Hardwick Hall is another famous stately home within a 45 minute drive of Sheffield, but I couldn’t find a bus route that would get you there.
You can also get a bus out to Bretton Hall Sculpture park (for you art lovers this is a must see with outside sculptures and changing exhibits in the hall itself.) But if you don’t want to travel that far there are …
7. Art and Culture.
many art galleries in the city and surrounding towns, the Graves and Millenium galleries in the city centre, Weston Park museum which has a small art collection as well as the historical stuff and there are also galleries in Rotherham and Barnsley to name just a few local towns. There is the Kelham Island Museum which tells the tale of Sheffield’s historical past and Magna, a more interactive industrial museum which is popular with children of all ages and is based on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham but easily accessible by bus. There are two theatres in the centre – opposite each other in Tudor Square, the Lyceum which is a more traditional theatre and the Crucible which has theatre in the round and a smallish concert hall where I used to watch the Lindsey String Quartet once or twice a week in the season. For symphonic concerts there is the City Hall, which also hosts comedians and other shows and there is an Arena concert hall for the big name music artists. Sheffield is known for its bands such as the Artic Monkeys, Human League, Pulp, Def Leppard and ABC. The city was also showcased in the film, the Full Monty back in the 1990s.
8. Sport
The Crucible theatre is also known as the home of the world snooker championships which it has been hosting since 1977. The World Student Games were held in Sheffield the year I first moved to the city, (1991) and its legacy has been the Ponds Forge swimming venue with an Olympic sized pool still used for national championships.
It can be argued that Sheffield is the home of football / soccer as the first club Sheffield FC founded in 1857, still exists on the outskirts of the city (in Dronfield but within walking distance of the city boundary.) There are two major league clubs as well in Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday and the latter’s ground was used as a venue for some of the 1966 world cup games.
So there you have it. Why would you not want to come to Sheffield? And why do I find it so hard to talk about my own place? So to all you fellow travellers out there, do you highlight the places that you know best and if so can you see it with a travellers’ eye? I would love to hear your comments.
Comments
Good thoughts Steev, I like to visit still … Mick
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