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109-476: The Woodhead line was a railway line linking Sheffield , Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels . The line was electrified in 1953 and closed between Hadfield and Penistone in 1981. The Manchester to Glossop/Hadfield section is still in operation; east of

218-556: 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

327-665: 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

436-582: 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

545-483: 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

654-790: 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

763-517: A different route), continuing onwards to Huddersfield. The section from Deepcar to Sheffield is currently used for goods. The line opened in 1845. It was built by the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway with Joseph Locke as its engineer. In 1847, the railway merged with the Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway , the Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway and

872-510: A downturn in coal traffic across the Pennines, along with a need to eventually expensively upgrade or replace the non-standard electrical supply systems and Class 76 locomotives, resulted in the line's closure east of Hadfield. The last train operated on 18 July 1981 and the line was mothballed. The tracks were lifted in the mid-1980s, ending any short-term hopes of reopening. Almost the entire line east of Hadfield has now been lifted, apart from

981-612: A few short sections shared with other lines, notably at Penistone. The trackbed between Hadfield and the Woodhead Tunnel has currently been adapted as the Longdendale Trail for hikers and cyclists. In 2007, National Grid, the present owners of all three of the tunnels, proposed to move electricity cables from the Victorian to the 1953 tunnel. This work started in 2008 and was completed in 2012. This has meant it

1090-468: 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

1199-507: A museum to celebrate the Manchester to Sheffield rail link. The museum is to be housed in a former signalling and telecommunications building at Guide Bridge railway station. Network Rail has been carrying out renovation work on the building since 2020. ITV 's Coronation Street character Roy Cropper is building a 00 gauge 1960s-era model layout of the line in the flat above his "Roy's Rolls" Cafe. Although mentioned previously,

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1308-604: 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

1417-475: 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

1526-647: 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

1635-632: 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. Bruce Peebles %26 Co. Ltd. The company was founded as D. Bruce Peebles & Co. by Scottish engineer David Bruce Peebles (1826–1899) in Edinburgh in 1866. The company initially specialised in gas engineering but later expanded to include electrical engineering as well. It continued to trade after Peebles' death and, in 1902,

1744-720: Is favoured by some groups opposing the construction of the Longdendale Bypass , a controversial £180m bypass for Mottram in Longdendale , Hollingworth and Tintwistle (which is officially known as the A57/A628 Mottram-in-Longdendale, Hollingworth & Tintwistle Bypass ). There are also plans to restore the route from Deepcar to Sheffield , as a double-tracked heritage line called the Don Valley Railway , to link up with

1853-511: 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

1962-539: Is now not possible to use the newer tunnel for railway traffic. In 2007, the Peak District National Park and other relevant local bodies provided many reasons why the tunnel should remain available for potential re-opening but, in September 2007, the government declined to intervene in the matter. The suburban passenger service between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield remains in service, but

2071-676: 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

2180-542: 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

2289-847: 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,

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2398-677: 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

2507-532: The EM1/Class 76 , for freight trains and some passenger duties, and EM2/Class 77 locomotives for express passenger trains. Given the steep gradients on the line, the locomotives were able to use regenerative braking on their descent from Woodhead. Rheostatic braking was also later added. Additionally, Class 506 electric multiple units were built for suburban services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield . A new depot, Reddish Electric Depot , situated on

2616-773: The Fallowfield Loop line , was built in 1954 to maintain the new locomotives and EMUs. Having seen major investment in the 1950s, the line was controversially closed to passenger traffic on 5 January 1970. This was despite the Beeching Report earmarking the Hope Valley line for closure to passenger services instead. It was soon clear that the Hope Valley route through Edale would be required to remain open for social and network reasons and could handle all Manchester–Sheffield passenger traffic. The Class 77 locomotives, used to haul passenger trains, were sold to

2725-663: 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

2834-522: The Netherlands Railways , where 1500 V DC electrification was (and still is) the standard. By the late 1970s, a large part of the remaining freight traffic consisted of coal trains from Yorkshire to Fiddlers Ferry power station near Widnes , which required a change to diesel haulage for the final part of the journey. By the early 1980s, the combination of alternative available routes, an absence of passenger traffic since 1970 and

2943-788: The Pennines , the vicinity of Penistone and the Sheffield to Deepcar section are still open, although the latter is goods-only. The track has been lifted on other sections and much of the trackbed now forms part of the Trans-Pennine Trail and National Cycle Route 62 . The route from Manchester to Sheffield was 41 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (66.8 km) with stops at Gorton, Guide Bridge, Newton, Godley Junction, Broadbottom, Glossop and Dinting, Glossop Central, Hadfield, Crowden, Woodhead, Dunford Bridge, Hazlehead Bridge, Penistone, Wortley, Deepcar, Oughtibridge, Wadsley Bridge and Neepsend. Services still run from Manchester to Glossop and Hadfield; trains also run from Sheffield to Penistone (via

3052-741: 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

3161-527: 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

3270-844: 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

3379-616: 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

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3488-478: The Sheffield Supertram at Nunnery Junction called "Sheffield Don Valley". In 2010, Don Valley Railway Ltd, Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive proposed reopening the line to passenger services between Sheffield and Stocksbridge. Stations would be constructed at Stocksbridge, Deepcar, Wharncliffe Side and Oughtibridge with a Sheffield city centre terminus near to

3597-832: 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

3706-571: 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

3815-409: 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

3924-449: 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

4033-484: 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

4142-628: 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

4251-623: 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

4360-681: The Grimsby Docks Company to form the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway ; it changed its name to the Great Central Railway (GCR) in 1897. Ownership passed to the LNER in 1923 and, finally, to British Railways Eastern Region in 1948. The original eastern terminus of the line was at Bridgehouses railway station . By the time of the creation of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway in 1847,

4469-650: 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

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4578-744: The M60, to Tinsley , near the M1. In March 2020, a bid was made to the Restoring Your Railway fund to get funds for a feasibility study into reinstating the line between Stocksbridge and Sheffield for passengers. This bid was unsuccessful. However a resubmitted bid was successful and was awarded funding in October 2021. In August 2023 it was revealed that the Woodhead Railway Heritage Group has submitted plans to create

4687-414: The Northern Way and the North West Rail Campaign. In 2003, the Greater Manchester Branch of the Institute of Logistics and Transport presented evidence to a Parliamentary Select committee mentioning Arriva 's interest in opening the Woodhead line and Tunnel as part of their bid for the Transpennine rail franchise. In 2006, Translink proposed opening the tunnel and the route for rail freight. This proposal

4796-403: The Nunnery Square Supertram stop. The project could cost £4.3 million at a minimum. On 18 January 2012, during a debate on the proposed Northern Hub (formerly known as the Manchester Rail Hub), Theresa Villiers , the Minister for Rail and Aviation, said "The hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge has again called for the reopening of the Woodhead route. I have to say that was not one that

4905-401: 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

5014-404: The South Western Traction Company of London, Ontario . The main line ran 28-miles between London and Port Stanley , a resort town on Lake Erie . It was the only three-phase traction line in Canada, and was closed in 1918. In 1904 the company opened a new factory at a site in East Pilton , Edinburgh, employing 3,000 at its peak in the 1950s. The works had its own internal railway system, which

5123-402: 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,

5232-416: The Trans-Pennine Rail Group, a broadly based group of County Councils, Unitary Authorities, Passenger Transport Executives and the Peak District National Park Authority, provided evidence to the Transport Select Committee which identified interest from bidders for the Transpennine rail franchise in reopening the Woodhead route. In 2007, the Transpennine Rail Group was wound up as its work was now being done by

5341-583: The Transformer Division going to the Austrian company VA Tech . In April 1999 a substantial fire destroyed the main transformer works in East Pilton. The company decided that a replacement factory should be relocated to Leith Docks to better facilitate transfer of the largest transformers onto ships for export. The Pilton site was sold for residential redevelopment. VA Tech closed the Leith factory during 2005 and continued service work only. The entire VA Tech company became part of Siemens that year. The motors & generators business relocated to Wood Road in

5450-420: 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

5559-407: 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 ,

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5668-599: 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

5777-403: 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

5886-400: 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

5995-531: 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

6104-415: 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

6213-409: 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

6322-409: 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

6431-407: 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

6540-495: 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

6649-649: 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

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6758-412: 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

6867-433: 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

6976-410: 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

7085-412: 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,

7194-525: 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

7303-503: 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

7412-424: 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

7521-410: The difficulties of operating heavy steam-hauled coal trains on the Penistone–Wath section (the Worsborough branch); a line with steep gradients and several tunnels. Definitive plans were drawn up by the LNER in 1936; many of the gantries for the catenary were erected before the Second World War. The Second World War prevented progress on electrification, but the plans were restarted immediately after

7630-481: 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,

7739-430: 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

7848-407: 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

7957-586: The electricity supply was converted to standard 25 kV AC overhead in December 1984. The Class 506 EMUs were then withdrawn and replaced by Class 303 EMUs from the Glasgow area. The service is now operated (as of 2013) by Class 323 EMUs. The Huddersfield line platforms at Penistone railway station remain open, used by the Huddersfield - Sheffield diesel-operated local trains, which traverse

8066-546: The electrification work was Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. , Edinburgh. Following technological developments, especially in France , 1.5 kV DC was soon superseded by the later network standard of 25 kV AC. This left the Woodhead line as the only main line in the UK with 1.5 kV DC electrification. New electric locomotives for the line were constructed at Gorton locomotive works , Manchester. These were

8175-596: 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

8284-462: 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

8393-418: 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

8502-553: 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

8611-538: The layout – as yet incomplete – first featured in episode 8345, first aired on 17 March 2014, when the line's Class 76 and Class 77 locos were mentioned. 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

8720-580: The line the short distance between the former Huddersfield Junction and Barnsley Junction. One other part of the line remained open to traffic, albeit goods, and that is the single line from Woodburn Junction, on the Sheffield–Lincoln line , to Deepcar to serve the Liberty Speciality steel works at Stocksbridge . Freight trains carrying steel products continued using this line between Aldwarke and Stocksbridge until 29 September 2024 when

8829-596: The line was mothballed. In 1967, it was proposed that parts of the route and the Woodhead Tunnel be used as part of a new Manchester to Sheffield motorway. Only a short section of this motorway within Greater Manchester, now known as the M67 , was ever built. In 1999, Central Railway proposed using the Woodhead tunnel as part of an ambitious scheme to connect Liverpool to the Channel Tunnel. In 2002,

8938-618: The name was changed to Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. The company held the British manufacturing rights for the Cascade converter and a licence to manufacture three-phase electrical equipment designed by Ganz of Budapest . In 1903, Peebles expanded into Canada. Along with other investors, it formed the Canadian Electric Traction Company and supplied the three-phase equipment, car motors and generators for

9047-512: The nearby Telford College . They gained skills in highly specialised work, and Peebles' products were exported all over the world. The late Ron Brown , MP for Leith, was employed by the company, as was the late Sir Duncan McDonald who was the chief transformer designer. In 1998 the business was split, with the Peebles Electrical Machine Division (Motors & Generators) being acquired by Pope (Australia) and

9156-500: 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

9265-474: 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

9374-549: The railway station at Bridgehouses had been outgrown. A 0.6-mile (1 km) extension including the Wicker Arches viaduct, engineered by John Fowler , was constructed to the new Sheffield Victoria station , which opened in 1851. Both goods and passenger traffic were very heavy; therefore, some sections of the line were quadrupled. Electrification was first mooted by the Great Central Railway, owing to

9483-402: 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

9592-473: 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

9701-424: 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

9810-402: 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

9919-546: 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)

10028-504: 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

10137-467: 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

10246-425: 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

10355-663: 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,

10464-541: 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

10573-416: The war; however, this time with plans for a new double-track Woodhead Tunnel . This third Woodhead Tunnel was constructed to replace the twin single-bore Victorian tunnels, which had been damaged by years of smoke from steam engines. A second Thurgoland Tunnel was also required, as the existing tunnel had inadequate clearance for twin electrified lines. The Manchester–Sheffield–Wath electrification project

10682-457: 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

10791-463: The works produced shells, submarine and aircraft parts, tank and electrical equipment such as mobile search lights and minesweeping units. It was the main sub contractor for the electrification of the Woodhead Line between Manchester and Sheffield from 1947–1954, a major engineering achievement. Throughout this period it specialised in large scale transformers for power stations , including

10900-570: The world's largest 400 kV 'quadrature booster' for the UK national grid . It also produced heavy electric motors for various uses, including railway locomotives. The company became part of the Reyrolle Parsons Group in 1969, part of Northern Engineering Industries in 1977 and part of Rolls-Royce plc in 1989. Many young electrical engineers were taken on by this company, with a special course in electrical engineering being run at

11009-511: 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

11118-453: 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

11227-683: Was electrified and used electric shunting locomotives built by Peebles themselves. This was the first electric line in Edinburgh (main line electrification did not reach Edinburgh until the early 1990s). In 1905 the company was exhibiting at the Third International Electric Tramway and Railway Exhibition . It also manufactured at least one (from an order of ten) electric locomotives for the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway . During both World Wars,

11336-525: Was finally completed in 1955, using overhead wires energised at 1,500 volts DC. Whilst this was tried and tested technology (and is still standard in the Netherlands ), the comparatively low voltage meant that a large number of electricity substations and heavy cabling would be required. It also made regenerative braking by transfer of power from descending to ascending trains in the same section of line comparatively straightforward. The main contractor for

11445-404: 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

11554-470: 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

11663-550: Was prioritised as part of the Northern Hub because of the capacity that is still available on the Hope Valley line." In 2017, a newly formed company, Grand Northern Group, announced plans to reopen the line to freight traffic as part of a plan for a 'rolling highway' which would carry lorries on freight trains and relieve congestion on the Woodhead Bypass . The plans would see trains running from Bredbury , by J25 of

11772-548: 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

11881-400: 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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