4.4 Devonshire Quarter
Character
The Devonshire quarter is situated on the southern slopes of the
high ridge separating the Don and Sheaf Valleys in the west of the
city. The high ground location of the majority of the quarter affords
it good views of the surrounding country to the north and south.
The Devonshire Quarter has been developed on a 19th century street
grid and this offers a high degree of legibility and permeability.
The development of Glossop Road saw the area evolve as residential
and commercial area based around the traditional light industries
such as cutlery making. The typical built form reflected the early
industrial uses of the area and consisted of terraced housing, factories
and little mesters workshops.
The character of the quarter changed in the postwar period as slum
clearances saw the demolition of the majority of its residential
areas, leaving a patchwork of vacant sites amongst the failing industrial
uses. However, some important clusters of buildings of industrial
heritage remain, around Division Street, Milton Street and Trafalgar
Street.
Division Street is now establishing itself as a predominately residential
mixed use location with specialist shopping, leisure and entertainment
facilities. Aberdeen Court on Division Street is good example of
adaptive reuse of industrial buildings, now accommodating small
independent commercial and retail units. There is also the modern
mixed use development West One, an imposing building of 7-8 storeys
which terminates the vista along Division Street.
Devonshire Green is the largest open space in the city centre.
It is a community focus in the quarter with activities, particularly
for young people, such as skateboarding and concerts. It is set
to benefit from further enhancement.
The distinct character areas within the Devonshire Quarter include:
Devonshire Green
Devonshire Green is the largest public park in the City Centre and
is thus an important space. The row of shops and the Wharncliffe
Fireclay Works on Devonshire Street is an important early group
of buildings, forming part of a group including the Fitzwilliam
to Eldon Street section of West Street.
Holly Street/Cambridge Street (overlap) to Westfield Terrace/Trafalgar
Street
Although Holly Street and Cambridge Street fall into the Heart of
the City Quarter, historically they form part of the development
which started in the early nineteenth century and continued through
the following decades. Although compromised by demolition, the area
demonstrates the dense, mixed industrial and residential use which
characterised much of central Sheffield from the mid-nineteenth
to early-twentieth centuries.
Milton Street
Milton Street, with the Eyewitness Works and the Beehive Works,
has two outstanding examples of metal trades architecture. The area
compromises an attractive group of Georgian and Victorian buildings,
the earlier dwellings in particular set in reasonably sized grounds,
behind brick or stone walls with trees behind.
Wilkinson Street and Gell Street
Wilkinson Street and Gell Street form a quiet nineteenth-century
residential group which before Hanover Way was built joined with
the streets to the west. Most of the houses are in private ownership,
but the University of Sheffield uses some at the Glossop Road end
as offices. It retains both its strong grid street layout, and an
identifiable industrial vernacular, derived from the requirements
of the metal trades.
The Headford Grove area in the west of the quarter is a 1980s housing
development which has its own garden suburb character, completely
unlike any other in the city centre. This area consists of a network
of cul-de-sacs and winding roads with tarmac and buff concrete paving
and red concrete block road surfacing. There is an emphasis on shared
surfaces, cycling and pedestrian priority due to the residential
nature of the area. The street furniture is coordinated and simple
and elements of soft landscaping are also incorporated into the
streetscape.
The quality of the public realm within this quarter varies. Division
Street has been subject to public realm improvements which aim to
strengthen the connection between the quarter and the Heart of the
City. Materials introduced include buff concrete pavers and road
surfacing, blue resin and glass blocks and modern customised street
lighting. Improvements have also been made to the public realm in
the are surrounding West One, Royal Plaza on Fitzwilliam and Eldon
Street. Unfortunately, at present these public realm improvements
do not extend to the surrounding side streets of the quarter which
generally consist of asphalt, tarmac paving and nondescript street
lighting.
The mixed use developments and public realm improvements around
Division Street have seen it become the focus of an ‘urban village’
which extends towards the Heart of the City and West Street through
to St. George’s Quarter.
The significant buildings in the Devonshire Quarter are:
- Taylor’s Eye Witness, Beehive and Taylor’s Ceylon Works;
- Wharncliffe Fireclay Works;
- Aberdeen Works, Trafalgar Works, Select and Kangaroo Works;
- Springfield Board School;
- Carver Street Methodist Chapel;
- Facade of Mount Zion Chapel;
- Original developments in Division, Canning and Gell Streets;
- Former Glossop Road Baths;
- Former Fire Station;
- Workshops at No 23, Carver Street;
- National School at No 35, Carver Street;
- Church of St. Matthew.
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