2.1 Inherited City
Topography
The city of Sheffield sits on seven hills, with its city centre
perched like a citadel on a spur jutting out into the Valley of
the Rivers Don and Sheaf and the Porter Brook.
The medieval settlement expanded up the hill from its beginnings
at the confluence of the rivers, extending along the ridge to the
west. The industry was concentrated in the river valleys while the
key civic buildings such as the Cathedral and other religious buildings
were established on higher ground to give them visual presence.
The topography of Sheffield city centre affords dramatic views
of the city skyline from vantage points around the centre, and framed
vistas along its streets to the surrounding green hills. The skyline
of Sheffield is composed of a mixture of landmarks from the spires
of historic buildings to the monolithic slab forms of modern developments.
Unfortunately many of the later developments have undermined the
prominence of the historic landmarks and have been sited with no
regard for the city’s topography. This has in effect served to mask
the city’s topography and flatten the skyline.
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