From the highest tor in Derbyshire to the smallest stream that trickles from the river Sheaf, Sheffield is rich not only in the expanses of countryside that lie on its doorstep but also in the history that is all around it, deeply rooted in the land and river from which it took its name. The city has had longstanding associations with steel and cutlery, once famously revered as the ‘Steel City’, Sheffield was world renowned for making some of the best quality metal in the world. There is more to it than that of course, but you get the gist.
You don’t have to take my word for it though, because the city can tell you itself!
Between the 13th and 22nd of September the city of Sheffield is conducting open day tours through some of its most popular local venues and attractions that are integral to the Sheffield’s heritage and rich history. The best part is, that every single one of these open days does not charge so much as a penny for admission, so not only are you getting a history lesson, witnessing architecture and culture, and having a fantastic time, but you’re not paying a thing.
The Sheffield Heritage Open Days are sponsored with direct support from both the City Council and the Sheffield Civic Trust.
You can visit the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, which one of the largest remaining water-powered industrial sites that remain in Sheffield. Speaking of Abbeydale, why not take a tour of the Picture House, a Grade-II listed building that has stood upright and serviced patrons for the last hundred years. Beauchief Abbey, certifiably the oldest building in Sheffield, this architectural marvel is a fine example of Medieval monasticism, dedicated to Saint Thomas Beckett and his wife Saint Mary in 1172 it has stood for nearly a thousand years and might stand for a thousand more. Did you know that the now derelict Ball Inn in Darnell is one of the most haunted buildings in Yorkshire? Well, I didn’t. But you can certainly find out with a guided tour of the place by two lovely ladies in full bustle dress, they’ll tell all about the ghosts and ghouls and even about the time when the pub itself vanished and re-appeared in a different location.
The idyllic country village is the site of one of oldest scenes in pre-Norman English history, when King Ecgbert marched his army to Dore to challenge King Eanred for control of the kingdom of Northumbria becoming the first wide ruler of Anglo-Saxon England. To commemorate the event Dore will host a Medieval Day, which will feature actors in costume and culminate in a jousting tourney.
Back in the city, you can take the Endcliffe Park Heritage Walk, receiving a talk on how the area has changed in the last 150 years. Kelham Island Museum will be giving a special tour of the former steelworks, including the cellars. Meersbrook Hall has a bevy of secrets that are waiting to be uncovered with a guided tour by its senior archaeologist, and stroll by Castlegate, the site where Sheffield Castle once stood for a glance at the past and then tour the remains of the castle itself.
You can also visit favourites such as the Millennium Gallery and the Botanical Gardens for a lecture on how a group of volunteers revitalised the garden in the 1980’s. There’s all that and much more, after all you have ten days to enjoy the city and all it has to offer (and believe me it’s a lot!).
The Sheffield Heritage Open Days last from the 13th until the 22nd so do not hesitate and get thee’sen over ‘ere.
