4.7 The Moor Quarter

Character

The Moor lies to the south west of the city centre on a gentle gradient which offers views north to the town centre and restricted views south to Sheaf Valley and the hills beyond.

The Moor began as a traditional main street (South Street) running south west and formed the main route to Chesterfield and London. Almost totally destroyed in the Second World War, the area was rebuilt during the post war years by over 50 landlords. The architecture reflects this period with the buildings dating from 1946 (Baldwin and Francis) to as late as 1969 (Sunwin House). The built form of the Moor is characterised by the Portland stone used within the facades, which offers a degree of unity through the consistent scale, form and materials used. The Moor was pedestrianised in 1979 at around the same time as the construction of the Government Offices at Moorfoot.

The 1960’s street grid pattern is dominated by the post-war road network, which has fragmented much of Sheffield’s city centre. This segregation is particularly evident at Charter Row and Eyre Street, which define the boundaries of the quarter. However, it does benefit from a strong axial link with the Heart of the City along the Moor.

The Moor is a primary retail area in Sheffield with Anchor stores such as Debenhams located at the Moorhead. It forms a strong retail spine which forms an important connection with the Heart of the City. This role is characterised by the permanent pavilions, which have been developed at Moorfoot to accommodate the bustling daily market stalls.

The connection between The Moor and the Heart of the City at present is undermined by the over complicated street furniture.

The side streets of the quarter offer the opportunity to reconnect it with the rest of the city centre, however, at present they are unattractive and lifeless due to the blank facades and poor lighting.

In addition to the quarter’s retail provision, a small office sector is evident at Charter Row. This part of the quarter differs in character from the 3-4 building height of the post-war shopping precinct. The built form of Charter Row consists of modern concrete office blocks up to 8- 10 storeys in height and large building footprints.

In most parts of the quarter, The Moor is a relatively homogenous group of buildings. The buildings of note are the government offices at the south end of The Moor and in Young Street which forms a city wide landmark.

Despite the popularity of the area, the lack of permeability and legibility create a poor pedestrian environment during the day. The cluttered and unattractive public realm adds to the sense of insecurity and thus the lack of pedestrian movement during the evening hours. Due to the lack of evening use or even through movement at night there are few facilities within the quarter.

The design quality of the public realm varies throughout the quarter. The Moor suffers from the over complicated design of the streetscape rather than the poor quality of materials or surfaces. This over-design of the pedestrianised street reduces its permeability and detracts from the experience of the user.

The pedestrian connections within the quarter, and to other quarters, generally takes the form of unattractive concrete underpasses and overpasses which create an uninviting and intimidating pedestrian experience. This lack of permeability is compounded by the Government offices at the south of the quarter which completely sever the areas to the south-west from the city centre.

Overall, the Moor is a popular and well used quarter, but suffers from a lack of permeability and legibility caused by the peripheral roads and the poor layout of street furniture within the main pedestrian route - the Moor.

< Previous | Top | Back to main Quarter Plan | Next >