4.9 Sheaf Valley Quarter
Character
The Sheaf Valley lies along the course of the now culverted Sheaf
River, rising west from the valley floor. The quarter is bound on
the eastern edge by the railway tracks, and the busy Arundel Gate
to the west. The area looks across the railways to Parkhill, where
the 1960s high rise flats form a landmark back drop.
The quarter developed as an industrial centre in the early 19th
century, with timber yards and water powered saw mills situated
along the river. Later the industry expanded to the metal trades
and, up until the devastation of the quarter during the war, it
was mainly comprised of factory buildings.
In the 1860s the Sheaf River was culverted to enable the construction
of the Railway Station and the railway connection from Sheffield
to London. As a result, Sheffield lost its connection with the river
that had given the city its name. The course of the River Sheaf
is now marked by the heavily trafficked Sheaf Street and the railway
tracks running through the centre of the quarter.
Postwar reconstruction has seen the Sheaf Valley evolve with a
greater diversity of land uses including large business, shopping
and recreational developments such as the Adsett Centre, the Archways
Shopping Centre and the striking Ponds Forge International Sports
Centre, built in 1991 for the World Student Games.
The quarter is home to the Sheffield Hallam University, with its
collection of buildings and small urban spaces centred around Pond
Street and Sheaf Square. The university buildings are large scale
and in some places create a hostile environment. However, the small
pubs and open spaces in this vicinity generate pedestrian movement
and activity.
Sheaf Valley is the transport hub of Sheffield’s city centre and
one of its principal gateways for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Both the railway and bus stations are located in the quarter and
the Howard Street link is a principal pedestrian route.
Park Square, Sheaf Square and Granville Square are important vehicular
arrival points into the city centre. Arundel Gate, Sheaf Street
and Suffolk Road are key connections in the city centre’s road network
and major gateway routes.
Vital pedestrian linkages are generated from the bus and railway
stations to the city centre, around the university and up to Castle
Market. However, the quality of the public realm presents an illegible
and alienating environment. The heavy trafficked Sheaf Street severs
the quarter in two and the traffic circulating through Sheaf Square
creates a seemingly impenetrable barrier along the principal route
from the station. Pedestrian movement is further inhibited by the
disconnected series of crossing points and ill-placed barriers.
A contributing factor to the poor legibility of Sheaf Valley is
the lack of cohesion in both the public realm and built form. The
streets are wide and open and many of the buildings are large in
scale and of a nondescript postwar style which generally fails to
make a positive connection with the streetscape. The quarter is
not composed of the tight street patterns and fine urban grain characteristic
of many other parts of the city centre. As a result, most of its
streets and spaces lack a sense enclosure and continuity.
The principal pedestrian thoroughfare of Howard Street comprises
a number of isolated spaces of quality, including Hallam Square
- recently completed as a part of the Heart of the City Project
and now a busy gathering place for students - as well as pockets
of soft landscaping. However, these spaces have been designed in
isolation and their positive contribution to the quarter is undermined
by the poor quality of the surrounding streetscapes.
Generally, building heights within Sheaf Valley range from two
to four storeys. Taller buildings include the university tower of
eight storeys and the ten storey Sheaf House, proposed for removal.
Street surfaces vary from traditional tarmac around Fitzallan Square
to man-made pavers and slabbing in the more modern areas near the
university and Pond Street.
Several heritage buildings have been preserved, most notably the
Midland Station which is a fine example of early 20th century railway
architecture. A specific character area in the quarter is Fitzalan
Square which has retained a collection of 19th and early 20th century
buildings, including the listed Post Office and the White House.
The quarter also contains some characteristic old pubs, including
the Old Queen’s Head Public House, circa 1475, and these are a focus
for the life and activity of the university and the neighbouring
CIQ.
The principal buildings in Sheaf Valley are:
- The Old Queen’s Head public house;
- The White Building;
- Head Post Office and statue of King Edward VII;
- Howard Hotel;
- Railway Station.
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