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119-561: Sheffield City Centre (referred to locally as simply Town ) is a district of the City of Sheffield and is covered partly by the City ward of the City of Sheffield . It includes the area that is within a radius of roughly 0.75 miles (1.2 km) of Sheffield Cathedral and is encircled by the Inner Ring Road , a circular route started in the late 1960s and completed in 2007. As well as

238-556: A temperate oceanic climate ( Cfb ) like the rest of the United Kingdom. The uplands of the Pennines to the west can create a cool, gloomy and wet environment, but they also provide shelter from the prevailing westerly winds, casting a " rain shadow " across the area. Between 1971 and 2000 Sheffield averaged 824.7 mm (32.47 in) of rain per year; December was the wettest month with 91.9 mm (3.62 in) and July

357-665: A 2% decline from the 1991 census. The city is part of the wider Sheffield urban area , which had a population of 640,720. In 2011 the racial composition of Sheffield's population was 84% White (81% White British , 0.5% White Irish , 0.1% Romani or Irish Traveller , 2.3% Other White ), 2.4% of mixed race (1.0% White and Black Caribbean, 0.2% White and Black African, 0.6% White and Asian, 0.6% Other Mixed), 8% Asian (1.1% Indian , 4% Pakistani , 0.6% Bangladeshi , 1.3% Chinese , 1.0% Other Asian), 3.6% Black (2.1% African, 1% Caribbean , 0.5% Other Black ), 1.5% Arab and 0.7% of other ethnic heritage. In terms of religion, 53% of

476-582: A 2008 report showed that the climate of Sheffield is warming faster than it has at any time during this period, with 1990 and 2006 being the hottest years on record. In collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute , Sheffield developed a carbon footprint (based on 2004–05 consumption figures) of 5,798,361  tonnes per year. This compares to the UK's total carbon footprint of 698,568,010 tonnes per year. The factors with

595-483: A Labour MP for the first time in its history. Sheffield is located at 53°22′59″N 1°27′57″W  /  53.38297°N 1.4659°W  / 53.38297; -1.4659 . It lies directly beside Rotherham , from which it is separated largely by the M1 motorway . Although Barnsley Metropolitan Borough also borders Sheffield to the north, the town itself is a few miles further away. The southern and western borders of

714-790: A decline in these industries in the 1970s and 1980s, coinciding with the collapse of coal mining in the area. The Yorkshire ridings became counties in their own right in 1889; the West Riding of Yorkshire county was disbanded in 1974. The city then became part of the county of South Yorkshire ; this has been made up of separately-governed unitary authorities since 1986. The 21st century has seen extensive redevelopment in Sheffield, consistent with other British cities. Sheffield's gross value added (GVA) has increased by 60% since 1997, standing at £11.3 billion in 2015. The economy has experienced steady growth, averaging around 5% annually, which

833-599: A large indoor market opened in November 2013 at a cost of £18 million. A new retail and leisure development built on a large site adjacent to the former Debenhams department store opened in 2016. It includes a nine screen The Light cinema, a flagship Primark store, four additional shops, and seven restaurants. The Moor has seen many other high-street fashion retailers move from Fargate, such as Next , New Look , H&M (although they have kept their Fargate store open) and River Island . Originally due for completion in

952-468: A move to online shopping, which had increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic . John Lewis received £3 million of public funding from Sheffield City Council in 2020 to keep the local store open. The local Debenhams branches are expected to re-open after the lifting of the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, but only to clear existing stock, after which it is expected the stores will close. With

1071-548: A new scheme forward using a combination of private and public funds. No firm time-scales for the new project have been formally released as of April 2014, although plans were expected to be released to the public in spring 2014. The Riverside Exchange is a new, large business district in the north of the city centre and is home to organisations such as Irwin Mitchell and the UK Border Agency. The West End district of

1190-405: A presence in this area or the connecting areas of Orchard Square or Commercial Street. The Moor has historically been one of Sheffield's most popular shopping zones. Like Fargate, it is a pedestrianised area and plays host to markets (although on a more permanent basis than Fargate). By the early 2010s The Moor had become run down and played host to a massive redevelopment project. The Moor Market,

1309-553: A public space to link these two areas, the Millennium Square , was opened in May 2006. Additional developments included the remodelling of Sheaf Square , in front of the refurbished railway station: the square contains "The Cutting Edge", a sculpture designed by Si Applied Ltd and made from Sheffield steel. Recent development known as the 'Heart of the City' includes the restoration of the listed Leah's Yard complex. Sheffield

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1428-785: A significant part of this change and have seen the area transformed dramatically. Also in this area is the St Vincent Quarter which lies on the opposite bank of the River Don to the Riverside Exchange area. The Sheaf Valley Area, surrounding the River Sheaf , is dominated by Sheaf Square/Sheffield Station and the Cultural Industries Quarter (CIQ). Sheaf Square , which has been completely redeveloped in recent years, now serves as gateway to

1547-499: A television advert directed by David Bailey in 1986. Since then, Scottish Widows has made 10 adverts featuring the Scottish Widow. Four models have portrayed the Scottish Widow, a hooded character featured in the company's advertising. The original Widow, chosen to portray the company's brand values in the 'Looking Good' commercial in 1986, was Deborah Moore , daughter of actor Roger Moore . In 1994, Amanda Lamb took over

1666-496: A wife more than twenty years younger than himself could not apply. Scottish Widows granted just 10 policies to female customers in the first four years, as applications from women were rare at the time. One example is Catherine Drummond in 1818, who as an unmarried woman requested annuity of £50 (£5,000 in 2024) once turning sixty years old. Its most noteworthy leader was Very Rev James Grant , who served as its director for 50 years (1840–1890). In 1999, Lloyds TSB agreed to buy

1785-475: Is Labour 36, Liberal Democrats 27, the Green Party 14, Conservative 0 and Independent 7. The city also has a Lord Mayor ; though now simply a ceremonial position, in the past the office carried considerable authority, with executive powers over the finances and affairs of the city council. The position of Lord Mayor is elected on an annual basis. For much of its history the council was controlled by

1904-647: Is a corruption of shed or sheth , which refers to a divide or separation . The second half of the name Sheffield refers to a field, or forest clearing. Combining the two words, it is believed that the name refers to an Anglo-Saxon settlement in a clearing by the confluence of the River Don and River Sheaf. [REDACTED] Kingdom of England c. 12th century–1707 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Great Britain 1707–1801 [REDACTED] United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801–1922 [REDACTED] United Kingdom 1922–present The area now occupied by

2023-687: Is also related to other efforts to rejuvenate the Fargate area, such as a new mixed-use events and coworking hub at 20–26 Fargate, also overseen by Sheffield City Council. Scottish Widows In March 1812, a number of prominent Scotsmen gathered in the Royal Exchange Coffee Rooms in Edinburgh. They were there to discuss setting up 'a general fund for securing provisions to widows, sisters and other female relatives' of fundholders so that they would not be plunged into poverty on

2142-511: Is greater than that of the broader region of Yorkshire and the Humber. Sheffield had a population of 556,500 at the 2021 census, making it the second largest city in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. The Sheffield Built-up Area , of which the Sheffield sub-division is the largest part, had a population of 685,369 also including the town of Rotherham . The district borough , governed from

2261-521: Is host to a multitude of events, ranging from small farmers markets to international sporting events. Sheffield International Venues and Sheffield Theatres maintain the larger venues whilst several others are managed privately. Ponds Forge International Sports Centre , on the edge of the city centre, is host to numerous national and international sporting events, notably swimming and basketball. The Crucible Theatre , in Tudor Square, has hosted

2380-676: Is particularly well known, is from 1297 when a tax return for 'Robert the Cutler' was submitted. A key reason for Sheffield's success in the production of cutlery lies in its geographic makeup. The abundance of streams in the area provided water power and the geological formations in the Hope Valley , in particular, provided sufficient grit stones for grinding wheels. In the 17th century, the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire , which oversaw

2499-542: Is the sole remaining independent steel works in the world and dominates the north-east of Sheffield around the Lower Don Valley . The firm has a global reputation for producing the largest and most complex steel forgings and castings and is certified to produce critical nuclear components, with recent projects including the Royal Navy 's Astute -class submarines. The firm also has the capacity for pouring

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2618-596: Is within a short walking distance of Sheffield station. The FreeBee , a zero fare city centre bus service, was scrapped in 2014. The city centre is encircled by the Inner Ring Road, which connects to the Sheffield Parkway at Park Square and on to the M1 motorway . This has been enlarged several times, with the most recent extension opening in 2007. In a bid to improve the city centre's environment, several major thoroughfares which were once open to

2737-847: The Advanced Manufacturing Park , situated just over the boundary in the borough of Rotherham, by Sheffield's universities and other independent research organisations. Organisations located on the AMP include the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC, a research partnership between the Boeing Company and the University of Sheffield ), Castings Technology International (CTI), The Welding Institute (TWI), Rolls-Royce plc and McLaren Automotive . Forgemasters , founded in 1805,

2856-522: The City Hall , O2 Academy, Plug, and the Lyceum and Crucible theatres. Sheffield city centre is host to its own music festival, Tramlines . This event, entry to which is free, was first organised in 2009 and takes place at several venues across Sheffield, notably in the city centre. Sheffield City Centre plays host to a number of themed markets throughout the year with most taking place on Fargate , in

2975-677: The City Lofts Tower and accompanying St Paul's Place , Velocity Living and the Moor redevelopment, the forthcoming NRQ and the Winter Gardens , Peace Gardens , Millennium Galleries and many projects completed under the Sheffield One redevelopment agency. The Sheffield economy grew from £5.6 billion in 1997 (1997 GVA ) to £9.2 billion in 2007 (2007 GVA). The "UK Cities Monitor 2008" placed Sheffield among

3094-523: The Duke of Norfolk (Arundel Gate, Norfolk Street, Surrey Street, Fitzalan Square) and the Duke of Devonshire (Cavendish Street, Devonshire Street). Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire , England, situated 29 miles (47 km) south of Leeds and 32 miles (51 km) east of Manchester . Its name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as

3213-663: The House of Wessex . After the Norman conquest of England , Sheffield Castle was built to protect the local settlements, and a small town developed that is the nucleus of the modern city. By 1296, a market had been established at what is now known as Castle Square , and Sheffield subsequently grew into a small market town . In the 14th century, Sheffield was already noted for the production of knives , as mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales , and by

3332-483: The Peace Gardens or at Barkers Pool . Themes include Continental (European foods, crafts etc.), German (Christmas market) Italian, Tunisian and occasionally global themed markets take place. There are also farmers and crafts markets taking place throughout the year. Sheffield railway station lies on the edge of the city centre and is within easy walking distance of the main shopping areas. This station lies at

3451-741: The Rivelin and the Sheaf . Sixty-one per cent of Sheffield's entire area is green space and a third of the city lies within the Peak District national park and is the fifth largest city in England. There are more than 250 parks, woodlands and gardens in the city, which is estimated to contain around 4.5 million trees. Sheffield played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution , developing many significant technologies. In

3570-527: The Royal Navy . While iron and steel have long been the main industries of Sheffield, coal mining has also been a major industry, particularly in the outlying areas, and the Palace of Westminster in London was built using limestone from quarries in the nearby village of Anston . Sheffield has a large public sector workforce, numbering 77,500 workers. During the period 1995 – 2008 (a period of growth for

3689-782: The Sheffield Arena , Don Valley Stadium and the Ponds Forge complex. Sheffield is changing rapidly as new projects regenerate some of the more run-down parts of the city. One such, the Heart of the City Project , has initiated a number of public works in the city centre: the Peace Gardens were renovated in 1998, the Millennium Galleries opened in April 2001, the Winter Gardens were opened in May 2003, and

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3808-616: The Sheffield Blitz . The city was partially protected by barrage balloons managed from RAF Norton . More than 660 people died and many buildings were destroyed or left badly damaged, including the Marples Hotel, which was hit directly by a 500lb bomb, killing over 70 people. In the 1950s and 1960s, many of the city's slums were demolished, and replaced with housing schemes such as the Park Hill flats . Large parts of

3927-577: The Sheffield Station have also been heavily redeveloped and are due to see extras improvements in the next few years. In the West End area the University of Sheffield has invested in a number of new facilities and student accommodation and Sheffield Hallam University has greatly improved the area outside its main campus on Arundel Gate also. In late 2006, the "Connect Sheffield" scheme came into being. As part of this scheme, vehicle signage

4046-632: The World Snooker Championships since 1977. Sheffield City Centre was the finish location for Stage 2 for the 2014 edition of the Tour de France . Sheffield is home to the greatest concentration of theatres in the UK outside London; these include the Crucible , Lyceum, Montgomery and Playhouse theatres. The city centre is home to numerous venues which attract many well-known musicians, comedians and theatre groups; examples include

4165-832: The Wortley Rural District . This area includes a significant part of the countryside surrounding the main urban region. Roughly a third of Sheffield lies in the Peak District National Park . No other English city had parts of a national park within its boundary, until the creation in March 2010 of the South Downs National Park , part of which lies within Brighton and Hove . According to the Köppen classification , Sheffield has

4284-571: The 18th century, and was dubbed " Steel City ". Many innovations in these fields have been made in Sheffield, for example Benjamin Huntsman discovered the crucible technique in the 1740s at his workshop in Handsworth . This process was rendered obsolete in 1856 by Henry Bessemer 's invention of the Bessemer converter . Thomas Boulsover invented Sheffield plate (silver-plated copper) in

4403-541: The 1994 City Centre Strategy eleven 'quarters' were defined within the city centre. Following on from this, during the 2004 redevelopment of the city centre four 'districts' were identified within the city centre, primarily for aiding traffic. Districts : Centre, Riverside, Sheaf Valley & West End Quarters : Kelham Island Quarter , Riverside , Castlegate , Sheaf Valley , Cultural Industries Quarter , The Moor Quarter , Devonshire Quarter , St Georges Quarter , St Vincent's Quarter , Cathedral Quarter and Heart of

4522-409: The 19th century, the city saw a huge expansion of its traditional cutlery trade, when processes for high-quality stainless steel and crucible steel were invented based on previous discoveries elsewhere. This fuelled an almost tenfold increase in the population. Sheffield received its municipal charter in 1843, becoming the City of Sheffield in 1893. International competition in iron and steel caused

4641-449: The 52.0 sq mi (134.7 km ) of national park and 4.20 sq mi (10.9 km ) of water this means that 61% of the city is greenspace . Despite this, about 64% of Sheffield householders live further than 300 m (328 yd) from their nearest greenspace, although access is better in less affluent neighbourhoods across the city. Sheffield also has a very wide variety of habitat , comparing favourably with any city in

4760-768: The City . Sheffield possesses its own tram system, known as the Sheffield Supertram . It operates on four routes, all of which run through the city centre; the Cathedral Square stop forms a focal point for operations, being the terminus of both the Purple line and Tram-Train. National Express coaches serve Sheffield city centre, accessed via Sheffield Interchange . The 560/564 service travels to London Victoria Coach Station , stopping occasionally at Chesterfield and Milton Keynes en route. Numerous other services connect Sheffield with destinations across

4879-544: The City . The main Districts are as follows: The central district of Sheffield is home to the Town Hall and the major shopping areas of Fargate , Orchard Square and Commercial Street. The city's famous 1 o' clock time signal is located where Barker's Pool meets Leopold Street on the side of H.L. Brown the jewellers and sounds a daily siren to tell the time. The Heart of the City area, as its name suggests, lies at

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4998-484: The City of Sheffield is 548 m (1,798 ft) near High Stones and Margery Hill . The city's lowest point is just 29 m (95 ft) above sea level near Blackburn Meadows . However, 79% of the housing in the city is between 100 and 200 m (330 and 660 ft) above sea level and the highest residential street is Redmires Lane at 302 m (991 ft). This variation of altitudes across Sheffield has led to frequent claims, particularly among locals, that

5117-628: The City of Sheffield is believed to have been inhabited since at least the late Upper Paleolithic , about 12,800 years ago. The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Sheffield area was found at Creswell Crags to the east of the city. In the Iron Age the area became the southernmost territory of the Pennine tribe called the Brigantes . It is this tribe who are thought to have constructed several hill forts in and around Sheffield. Following

5236-566: The Environment Agency to clear local river channels since the 2007 event. In 2014 Sheffield Council's cabinet approved plans to further reduce the possibility of flooding by adopting plans to increase water catchment on tributaries of the River Don. Another flood hit the city in 2019 , resulting in shoppers being contained in Meadowhall Shopping Centre. Between 2014 and 2018, there were disputes between

5355-650: The Labour Party, and was noted for its leftist sympathies; during the 1980s, when Sheffield City Council was led by David Blunkett , the area gained the epithet the " Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire ". However, the Liberal Democrats controlled the Council between 1999 and 2001 and took control again from 2008 to 2011. The majority of council-owned facilities are operated by independent charitable trusts. Sheffield International Venues runs many of

5474-595: The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (although they mostly lie beyond the Inner Ring Road and thus do not constitute part of the City Centre). The Supertram also runs through this district, connecting it to the central zone and several other areas of the city. The Devonshire Quarter , on the southside of West Street, is a social and commercial hub, again especially for the young. It has seen a great deal of investment. The St Georges Quarter, right in

5593-401: The Sheffield district of Hallam was the highest ranking area outside London for overall wealth, the proportion of people earning over £60,000 a year standing at almost 12%. A survey by Knight Frank revealed that Sheffield was the fastest-growing city outside London for office and residential space and rents during the second half of 2004. This can be seen in a surge of redevelopments, including

5712-402: The South Yorkshire authorities, as well as Bolsover District , Borough of Chesterfield , Derbyshire Dales , North East Derbyshire and Bassetlaw District . In 2014, the Sheffield City Region Combined authority was formed by the South Yorkshire local authorities with the other councils as non-constituent members and the partnership integrated with the authority structure. In September 2020,

5831-452: The Town Hall and Sheffield Station . At the opposite end of Fargate to the Town Hall is the Cathedral Quarter. Here there are numerous law firms and employment agencies, as well as numerous shops and the city centre hub for the Sheffield Supertram . The city centre has several cinemas including, Odeon Sheffield located on Arundel Gate, 'The Light' cinema on The Moor and the independent ' Showroom ' cinema based near Sheaf Square. Also within

5950-441: The UK, all of which depart/arrive at Sheffield Interchange. Sheffield city centre is home to Sheffield Interchange. In recent years, it has lost importance as the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive have constructed several ‘mini-interchanges’ around the city centre, to accommodate shopping and other activities for areas which are served poorly by Sheffield Interchange. However, many services depart from/arrive here and it

6069-420: The United Kingdom: urban, parkland and woodland, agricultural and arable land, moors, meadows and freshwater-based habitats. There are six areas within the city that are designated as sites of special scientific interest . The present city boundaries were set in 1974 (with slight modification in 1994), when the former county borough of Sheffield merged with Stocksbridge Urban District and two parishes from

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6188-407: The administrative centre of the City of Sheffield . It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its southern suburbs were transferred from Derbyshire to the city council. It is the largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The city is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines and the valleys of the River Don with its four tributaries: the Loxley , the Porter Brook ,

6307-599: The aforementioned government departments. Sheffield City Council , which is also a major public sector employer in the city, employs over 8,000 people, spread across four different sections (known as portfolios). Sheffield City Council is also the Local Education Authority (LEA) and as such manages all states schools and their associated staff. As part of its mandate to provide public services, Sheffield City Council maintains contracts with three private contractors – Amey , Veolia & Capita (contract ending in 2020). Together, these contractors provide additional employment in

6426-506: The area. The Scottish Widows group own the majority of The Moor and are funding its staged redevelopment, including the significant public realm improvements to the street scene that were completed during 2013. The Riverside District, lying along the banks of the River Don, was traditionally an industrial zone including the Kelham Island Quarter . In the 21st century it has become dominated by new office developments and apartment complexes. The Riverside Exchange and West Bar developments are

6545-403: The authority changed to its current name. The city returns five members of parliament to the House of Commons , with a sixth, the Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge representing parts of Sheffield and Barnsley. The former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was an MP for Sheffield, representing Sheffield Hallam from 2005 until he was unseated 2017 , when the seat returned

6664-400: The booming cutlery industry in the area and remains to this day, was established and focused on markets outside the Sheffield area, leading to the gradual establishment of Sheffield as a respected producer of cutlery. this gradually developed from a national reputation into an international one. Playing a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution , the city became an industrial powerhouse in

6783-436: The cathedral, buildings in the city centre include the Grade I listed Town Hall , the City Hall and the Winter Gardens . Several areas of the city centre have been designated as quarters . It is home to the city's major business, transport, leisure and cultural attractions. In recent years, the city centre has undergone massive regeneration with every section of the city centre seeing constant development. Projects include

6902-444: The central zone is The Moor . Originally Sheffield's primary shopping area, it became run down and lost some of its prominence due to uncertainty surrounding the adjacent and now axed Sevenstone retail development. However, the opening of a new purpose-built indoor market hall in November 2013 and the ongoing Sheffield Moor Development plan footfall has increased and there has been a stimulation of businesses reopening and moving into

7021-416: The centre of the West End zone, is relatively small and focused upon the end of West Street as it meets the Inner Ring Road at Sheffield University Officer Training Corps home - Somme Barracks , main entrance is on Gell Street. In recent years there have been numerous new developments in Sheffield City Centre seeing a large number of new additions to the skyline. Most of this work has been carried out under

7140-417: The centre of this zone and encompasses the Town Hall and Peace Gardens , a major focal point for people in the city. Adjacent to this is St Paul's Place, in centre of Sheffield , a new mixed use development lying between the Town Hall and Arundel Gate, one of the major roads running through the city centre. Sheffield's tallest building, St Pauls Tower , is situated on the edge of St Paul's place, close to both

7259-531: The city and many others in the UK), the number of jobs in the city increased by 22% and 50% of these were in the public sector. Major public sector employers include the National Health Service , The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University , and numerous government departments and agencies including the Home Office (Visas & Immigration), Department for Education & Department for Business, Innovation & Skills . Recently developed offices in St Paul's Place and Riverside Exchange play host to

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7378-415: The city are shared with Derbyshire ; in the first half of the 20th century Sheffield extended its borders south into Derbyshire, annexing a number of villages, including Totley , Dore and the area now known as Mosborough Townships. Sheffield is a geographically diverse city. It nestles in the eastern foothills of the Pennines , between the main upland range and Peak District National Park to

7497-409: The city as the cutlery and steel industries flourished. The population continued to grow until the mid-20th century, at which point, due to industrial decline, the population began to contract. However, by the early 21st century, the population had begun to grow once again. The population of Sheffield peaked in 1951 at 577,050, and has since declined steadily. However, the mid-2007 population estimate

7616-411: The city centre is home to many independent shops, bars and coffee shops - particularly catering for the large student population in the area. Devonshire Green , a small landscaped district park which hosted the main stage of the annual Sheffield Tramlines Festival from 2009 until 2014 as well as outdoor cinema screenings throughout the summer. Several street names in the city centre are associated with

7735-409: The city centre were also cleared to make way for a new system of roads. In February 1962, the city was devastated by the Great Sheffield Gale ; winds of up to 97 mph (156 km/h) killed four people and damaged 150,000 houses, more than two-thirds of the city's housing stock at the time. Increased automation and competition from abroad resulted in the closure of many steel mills . The 1980s saw

7854-478: The city centre. Sheffield Station , serving as the entrance to this gateway has also been redeveloped whilst maintaining its grand Victorian façade. The CIQ is home to several bars and clubs (such as the Leadmill ) and the Showroom Cinema , which books a more diverse selection of films than mainstream cinemas. Red Tape Studios is also in the area. This area, in contrast to the other parts of the city centre, has seen less redevelopment in recent years as it lies outside

7973-407: The city council and residents over the fate of the city's 36,000 highway trees. Around 4,000 highway trees have since been felled as part of the 'Streets Ahead' Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract signed in 2012 by the city council, Amey plc and the Department for Transport to maintain the city streets. The tree fellings have resulted in many arrests of residents and other protesters across

8092-495: The city even though most felled trees in the city have been replanted, including those historically felled and not previously replanted. The protests eventually stopped in 2018 after the council paused the tree felling programme as part of a new approach developed by the council for the maintenance of street trees in the city. In May 2022, Sheffield was named a " Tree City of the World " in recognition of its work to sustainably manage and maintain urban forests and trees. This honour

8211-649: The city was built on Seven Hills. As this claim is disputed, it likely originated as a joke referencing the Seven Hills of Rome . Estimated to contain around 4.5 million trees, Sheffield has more trees per person than any other city in Europe and is considered to be one of the greenest cities in England and the UK, which was further reinforced when it won the 2005 Entente Florale competition. With more than 250 parks, woodlands and gardens, it has over 170 woodlands (covering 10.91 sq mi or 28.3 km ), 78 public parks (covering 7.07 sq mi or 18.3 km ) and 10 public gardens. Added to

8330-412: The city's sporting and leisure facilities, including Sheffield Arena and the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield . Museums Sheffield and the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust take care of galleries and museums owned by the council. The city of Sheffield is part of the wider South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority , headed by mayor Oliver Coppard since 2022. The combined authority covers

8449-433: The city, had a population of 566,242 at the mid-2019 estimate, making it the 7th most populous district in England. It is one of eleven British cities that make up the Core Cities Group . In 2011, the unparished area had a population of 490,070. The city has a long sporting heritage and is home both to the world's oldest football club, Sheffield F.C. , and the world's oldest football ground, Sandygate . Matches between

8568-478: The city. Sheffield is a major retail centre, and is home to many High Street and department stores as well as designer boutiques. The main shopping areas in the city centre are on The Moor precinct, Fargate , Orchard Square and the Devonshire Quarter . Department stores in the city centre include Marks and Spencer and Atkinsons . Sheffield's main market was once Castle Market , built above

8687-412: The city; instead it is divided into 28 electoral wards , with each ward generally covering 4–6 areas. These electoral wards are grouped into six parliamentary constituencies . Sheffield is largely unparished , but Bradfield and Ecclesfield have parish councils, and Stocksbridge has a town council. The United Kingdom Census 2001 reported a resident population for Sheffield of 513,234,

8806-415: The company's goal to support female dependants facing financial loss. The emblem was not only used as the company arms, but also in its policy documents. In 1832, Sir Johns Steell was inspired by the 1818 emblem to sculpture figures of a widow, her children, and Ceres into the ornamentation of the company's building in 5 St Andrew Square. The emblem on the cover of the 1914 Scottish Widows annual report

8925-482: The death of the fundholder during and after the Napoleonic Wars . Scottish Widows' Fund and Life Assurance Society opened in 1815 as Scotland's first mutual life office. Regulations made in 1811 showed its focus on providing annuities for dependants, but this quickly became only a small part of the company's business. They also set eligibility requirements; for example, those over fifty years old or those with

9044-525: The decline in high street shopping around the UK, efforts have been made to rejuvenate Sheffield City Centre and improve the retail and leisure offering. Major developments include Leopold Square , The Moor , St Paul's Place (a mixed use development) and the Heart of the City I & II projects. In March 2022 Sheffield City Council announced that a new leisure hub would be constructed at the southern end of Fargate. The £300,000 hub will feature cafes, shops and large screen TVs for sports events. The development

9163-612: The departure of the Romans, the Sheffield area may have been the southern part of the Brittonic kingdom of Elmet , with the rivers Sheaf and Don forming part of the boundary between this kingdom and the kingdom of Mercia . Gradually, Anglian settlers pushed west from the kingdom of Deira . A Britonnic presence within the Sheffield area is evidenced by two settlements called Wales and Waleswood close to Sheffield. The settlements that grew and merged to form Sheffield, however, date from

9282-424: The designation. A subsidiary aim of the green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests, with many rural landscape features and facilities included. Sheffield is made up of many suburbs and neighbourhoods, many of which developed from villages or hamlets that were absorbed into Sheffield as the city grew. These historical areas are largely ignored by the modern administrative and political divisions of

9401-540: The development of new squares and public spaces; new residential and office buildings, including St. Pauls Tower , Velocity Living and Velocity Tower ; the Heart of the City II and Moor shopping areas; redevelopment of existing buildings, such as the Crucible Theatre ; better transport and shopping facilities; and new cultural attractions, such as museums and art galleries. Following the implementation of

9520-536: The driest with 51.0 mm (2.01 in). July was also the hottest month, with an average maximum temperature of 20.8 °C (69.4 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in the city of Sheffield was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), on 19 July 2022. The average minimum temperature in January and February was 1.6 °C (34.9 °F), though the lowest temperatures recorded in these months can be between −10 and −15 °C (14 and 5 °F), although since 1960,

9639-497: The early 1600s it had become the main centre of cutlery manufacture in England outside London, overseen by the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire . From 1570 to 1584, Mary, Queen of Scots , was imprisoned in Sheffield Castle and Sheffield Manor . During the 1740s, a form of the crucible steel process was discovered that allowed the manufacture of a better quality of steel than had previously been possible. In about

9758-407: The early 18th century. Stainless steel was invented by Harry Brearley in 1912, bringing affordable cutlery to the masses. The work of F. B. Pickering and T. Gladman throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s was fundamental to the development of modern high-strength low-alloy steels. Further innovations continue, with new advanced manufacturing technologies and techniques being developed on

9877-458: The early 2010s, NRQ/ Sevenstone was to become be a major shopping/living area adding 250 new shops to the city centre. As of 2008 the project remained on hold due to the economic downturn and Sheffield City Council finally dropped developer Hammerson in July 2013 after no firm agreement for recommencement of the project could be reached. Sheffield City Council has announced that it will eventually take

9996-596: The former 1974–1986 South Yorkshire County Council area which functions either went to local or regional authorities. In 2004, as part of the Moving Forward: The Northern Way document, city regions were created in a collaboration with the three northern regional development agencies . These became independent Local enterprise partnerships in 2011. The area's partnership retains the Sheffield City Region name, covering

10115-518: The greatest impact are housing (34%), transport (25%), consumer (11%), private services (9%), public services (8%), food (8%) and capital investment (5%). Sheffield City Council has signed up to the 10:10 campaign. Sheffield is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties, and is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent the towns and areas in the Sheffield built-up area conurbation from further convergence, protect

10234-589: The guidance of the 'City Centre Masterplan 2008' and examples of its progress can be seen Tudor Square , Riverside , Castlegate and the Sheffield Digital Campus . St Paul's place is one of the most notable developments and features Sheffield's tallest tower. Riverside exchange and the West Bar combine to make a large business district on the north side of the city centre and are also home to legal and governmental offices. Sheaf Square and

10353-418: The identity of outlying communities, encourage brownfield reuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. The main urban area and larger villages of the borough are exempt from the green belt area, but surrounding smaller villages, hamlets and rural areas are 'washed over' with

10472-488: The immediate surroundings, a map and (in some cases) a clock. All junctions on the Inner Ring Road have been numbered and marked with a strong landmark feature. Travel information panels in bus interchanges have been made clearer and the YourNextBus system was rolled out onto departure boards at bus stops telling passengers when the next bus is due at their stop using GPS technology. Sheffield's shopping areas are in

10591-553: The largest single ingot (570 tonnes) in Europe and is currently in the process of expanding its capabilities. In July 2021 Forgemasters was bought outright by the UK Ministry of Defence for £2.56 million, with the intention of investing a further £400 million over the next decade. The decision was based on the important role Forgemasters plays in the construction of the UK nuclear submarine fleet as well other vessels for

10710-543: The normal shopping areas and those frequented by tourists/visitors to the city. The West End District, lying to the West of the Central zone, is the city's social and academic hub. West Street, the main thoroughfare in this area, is home to Sheffield's largest concentration of bars, clubs and restaurants and is heavily used by young adults, students in particular. Many university buildings are in this area, including many parts of

10829-525: The northern end of the Midland Main Line which begins at London St Pancras , thus affording Sheffield direct rail services to the capital and to Europe , via the Eurostar service. Direct connections to other major UK cities are also available. Sheffield station is accessed from the central zone of the city centre by Sheaf Square and Howard Street, which leads to Arundel Gate at the Heart of

10948-500: The outskirts of the town. The collapse of the dam wall of one of these reservoirs in 1864 resulted in the Great Sheffield Flood , which killed 270 people and devastated large parts of the town. The growing population led to the construction of many back-to-back dwellings that, along with severe pollution from the factories, inspired George Orwell in 1937 to write: "Sheffield, I suppose, could justly claim to be called

11067-474: The population are Christian, 6% are Muslim, 0.6% are Hindu, 0.4% are Buddhist, 0.2% are Sikh, 0.1% are Jewish, 0.4% belong to another religion, 31% have no religion and 7% did not state their religion. The largest quinary group is 20- to 24-year-olds (9%) because of the large university student population. The Industrial Revolution served as a catalyst for considerable population growth and demographic change in Sheffield. Large numbers of people were driven to

11186-459: The present day company with an earlier fund set up half a century earlier by two ministers of the Church of Scotland on behalf of the widows of church ministers. Harari rightly credits the original fund as the first of its kind and describes the sequence of events accurately. The beneficiaries were, in that sense, Scottish widows. But there is no connection between the earlier fund, officially known as

11305-501: The process of being redeveloped and when finished will attract business from further afield than ever before. The Moor , once Sheffield's busiest shopping street, is being gradually redeveloped by private owner Scottish Widows and a new £18 million indoor market was opened in 2013, relocating traders from the ageing Castle Market in the Castle Gate Quarter of the city. The Sevenstone/New Retail Quarter development

11424-475: The public have been pedestrianised in recent decades; as a consequence, there are fewer options for car drivers in the city centre. Fargate is a major pedestrianised street in the heart of the city with its southern end lying outside the town hall . Also located at this point was the Wheel of Sheffield which, during 2009 and 2010, was a landmark on the Sheffield skyline. Several well-known High Street stores have

11543-402: The remains of the castle. This has since been demolished. Sheffield Moor Market opened in 2013 and became the main destination for fresh produce. The market has 196 stalls and includes local and organic produce, as well as international fusion cuisine such as Russian, Jamaican and Thai. In March 2021 it was announced that the Sheffield branch of John Lewis would close due to falling sales and

11662-493: The role. Hayley Hunt became the third Scottish Widow in 2005. In 2014, the company announced that the fourth Scottish Widow would be Amber Martinez. In 1818, Scottish Widows adopted an emblem created by William Home Lizars , which features the Roman goddess Ceres (Plenty) holding a cornucopia and accompanied by cherubs . A tombstone is seen on her left and a widow kneels on her right with her daughters. This imagery represented

11781-548: The sales team of Clerical Medical would be merged into that of Scottish Widows, and the Clerical Medical brand would eventually be phased out. In November 2013, Lloyds Banking Group sold its asset management division, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) to Aberdeen Asset Management in a £660m deal. In 2015, Scottish Widows sold Clerical Medical's Isle of Man operations to international life assurance company RL360° . The Scottish Widow first appeared in

11900-473: The same period, a technique was developed for fusing a thin sheet of silver onto a copper ingot to produce silver plating, which became widely known as Sheffield plate . These innovations spurred Sheffield's growth as an industrial town, but the loss of some important export markets led to a recession in the late 18th and early 19th century. The resulting poor conditions culminated in a cholera epidemic that killed 402 people in 1832. The population of

12019-424: The second half of the first millennium, and are of Anglo-Saxon and Danish origin. In Anglo-Saxon times, the Sheffield area straddled the border between the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria . The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that Eanred of Northumbria submitted to Egbert of Wessex at the hamlet of Dore (now a suburb of Sheffield) in 829, a key event in the unification of the kingdom of England under

12138-438: The society for £7 billion. The society demutualised on 3 March 2000 as part of the acquisition. At the time of its takeover, Scottish Widows set up an "additional account" to hold £1.7 billion of the proceeds from the sale. This fund was to be used to enhance terminal bonuses across the company, but was eventually used to compensate guaranteed annuity rate options (GARs) holders. In April 2009, Lloyds Banking Group announced that

12257-402: The street-trees dispute, and we wish to reiterate our previous apologies for our failings". Sheffield is governed at the local level by Sheffield City Council and is led by Councillor Tom Hunt (Assumed office 16 May 2023). It consists of 84 councillors elected to represent 28  wards : three councillors per ward. Following the 2024 local elections , the distribution of council seats

12376-546: The temperature at −8.7 °C (16.3 °F), recorded on 20 December, and states that to be the lowest December temperature since 1981.) The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city of Sheffield at Weston Park , since records began in 1882, is −14.6 °C (5.7 °F), registered in February 1895. The lowest daytime maximum temperature in the city since records began is −5.6 °C (21.9 °F), also recorded in February 1895. More recently, −4.4 °C (24.1 °F)

12495-504: The temperature has never fallen below −9.2 °C (15.4 °F), suggesting that urbanisation around the Weston Park site during the second half of the 20th century may prevent temperatures below −10 °C (14 °F) occurring. The coldest temperature to be recorded was −8.2 °C (17.2 °F) in 2010. (Note: The official Weston Park Weather Station statistics, which can also be viewed at Sheffield Central Library , has

12614-467: The top ten "best cities to locate a business today", the city occupying third and fourth places respectively for best office location and best new call centre location. The same report places Sheffield in third place regarding "greenest reputation" and second in terms of the availability of financial incentives. Sheffield has an international reputation for metallurgy and steel-making. The earliest official record of cutlery production, for which Sheffield

12733-425: The town grew rapidly throughout the 19th century; increasing from 60,095 in 1801 to 451,195 by 1901. The Sheffield and Rotherham railway was constructed in 1838, connecting the two towns. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1842, and was granted city status by letters patent in 1893. The influx of people also led to demand for better water supplies, and a number of new reservoirs were constructed on

12852-663: The two professional clubs, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday , are known as the Steel City derby . The city is also home to the World Snooker Championship and the Sheffield Steelers , the UK's first professional ice hockey team. The name Sheffield , has its origins in Old English and derives from the name of a principal river in the city, the River Sheaf . This name, in turn,

12971-541: The ugliest town in the Old World ". The Great Depression hit the city in the 1930s, but as international tensions increased and the Second World War became imminent; Sheffield's steel factories were set to work manufacturing weapons and ammunition for the war effort. As a result, the city became a target for bombing raids, the heaviest of which occurred on the nights of 12 and 15 December 1940, now known as

13090-457: The west, and the lower-lying South Yorkshire Coalfield to the east. It lies at the confluence of five rivers: Don , Sheaf , Rivelin , Loxley and Porter . As such, much of the city is built on hillsides with views into the city centre or out to the countryside. Blake Street, in the S6 postcode area, is the third steepest residential street in England, with a gradient of 16.6°. The highest point in

13209-511: The worst of this run-down of Sheffield's industries, along with those of many other areas of the UK. The building of the Meadowhall Centre on the site of a former steelworks in 1990 was a mixed blessing, creating much-needed jobs but hastening the decline of the city centre. Attempts to regenerate the city were kick-started when the city hosted the 1991 World Student Games , which saw the construction of new sporting facilities such as

13328-453: Was 530,300, representing an increase of about 17,000 residents since 2001. Although a city, Sheffield is informally known as "the largest village in England ", because of a combination of topographical isolation and demographic stability. It is relatively geographically isolated, being cut off from other places by a ring of hills. Local folklore insists that, like Rome, Sheffield was built "on seven hills". The land surrounding Sheffield

13447-578: Was designed by Walter Crane in 1888. It featured Perseus and Pegasus , a symbol of immortality. Scottish Widows was the Official Pensions and Investment Provider of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company employs athletes Roger Black MBE and Sarah Storey OBE as their Olympic Ambassadors. Scottish Widows is briefly mentioned in Yuval Harari 's 2011 book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind . Harari confuses

13566-441: Was due to redevelop a substantial portion of the city centre. It had been on hold since 2008 due to the recession and was cancelled in its current form all together in July 2013 when Sheffield City Council decided to relieve developer Hammerson of their development rights. Sheffield City Council announced in late 2013 that they will proceed with their own development scheme to replace the axed Sevenstone project. Sheffield City Centre

13685-404: Was given before the release of the independent inquiry's report on the so-called "Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre". The report concluded that "thousands of healthy and loved trees were lost. Many more could have been" and was critical of Sheffield City Council. The latter issued this statement on receipt of the report: "the council has already acknowledged that it got many things wrong in the handling of

13804-442: Was improved by dividing the centre into four main areas (separate from the quarters ) using electronic messaging panels with information about congestion and available parking and information about transport and visitor attractions. Information pillars were erected in key locations, varying from narrower pillars for bus and tram stops and the railway station to much broader pillars outside key attractions, each showing information on

13923-470: Was particularly hard hit during the 2007 United Kingdom floods and the 2010 'Big Freeze' . Many landmark buildings such as Meadowhall and the Hillsborough Stadium flooded due to being close to rivers that flow through the city. In 2010, 5,000 properties in Sheffield were identified as still being at risk of flooding. In 2012 the city narrowly escaped another flood, despite extensive work by

14042-548: Was recorded as a daytime maximum at Weston Park, on 20 December 2010 (from the Weston Park Weather Station statistics, which also can be viewed at Sheffield Central Library.) On average, through the winter months of December to March, there are 67 days during which ground frost occurs. The Weston Park Weather station, established in 1882, is one of the longest running weather stations in the United Kingdom. It has recorded weather for more than 125 years, and

14161-400: Was unsuitable for industrial use, and now includes several protected green belt areas. These topographical factors have served to restrict urban spread, resulting in a relatively stable population size and a low degree of mobility. After many years of decline, the Sheffield economy is going through a strong revival. The 2004 Barclays Bank Financial Planning study revealed that, in 2003,

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