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| The city was initially founded as a settlement in the ], possibly as a defence against the ]. | The city was initially founded as a settlement in the ], possibly as a defence against the ]. | ||
| It nestles in a natural ampitheatre of seven hills, at the confluence of the rivers ] and Sheaf. Directly to the west is the ] and the ] hill-range. | It nestles in a natural ampitheatre of seven hills, at the confluence of the rivers ] and Sheaf. Directly to the west is the ] and the ] hill-range. | ||
| In the ], ] built a wooden castle around which the city grew. The subsequent stone-built castle was destroyed at the end of the ] and stood at the site now occupied by the Castle Market buildings. | In the ], ] built a wooden castle around which the city grew. The subsequent stone-built castle was destroyed at the end of the ] and stood at the site now occupied by the Castle Market buildings. | ||
Revision as of 12:46, 27 September 2002
Sheffield is the fourth largest city in England. It is the only city in South Yorkshire, and was formerly part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and of the Saxon shire of Hallamshire. People from Sheffield are called Sheffielders. They are also colloquially know as "Dee-dars" (apparently after the tonal qualities of their accent), although the term is in decline and is not nearly so prevalent as "Scouse" is for "Liverpudlian" or "Geordie" is for "Novocastrian".
The city was initially founded as a settlement in the iron ages, possibly as a defence against the Romans.
It nestles in a natural ampitheatre of seven hills, at the confluence of the rivers Don and Sheaf. Directly to the west is the Peak District National Park and the Pennine hill-range.
In the 12th century, Willam de Lovetot built a wooden castle around which the city grew. The subsequent stone-built castle was destroyed at the end of the English Civil War and stood at the site now occupied by the Castle Market buildings.
By the 14th century, Sheffield was becoming noted for its manufacture of quality knives, and Chaucer's miller carried a Sheffield knife in the Canterbury Tales. By the 16th century, the city was producing a wide variety of cutlery, and it was Thomas Boulsover's invention of Sheffield Plate (silver-plated copper), in the early 18th century, that made Sheffield internationally renowned. Cutlery made of Sheffield steel was regarded highly in 19th century England.
Sheffield has an international reputation for steel-making, which dates from 1740, when Benjamin Huntsman discovered the crucible technique for steel manufacture. Its status as "Steel City" was further augmented when Henry Bessemer established a factory in Sheffield.
While iron and steel have always been the main industries of Sheffield, coal mining has been a major feature of the outlying areas, and the Palace of Westminster was built using sandstone from quarries in the nearby village of Anston.
Sheffield has a long sporting heritage. In 1855, a collective of cricketers joined with pupils from Collingswood School to form the first ever football club: Sheffield FC, and by 1860 there were 15 football clubs in Sheffield. There are now only two clubs in the English Football League: Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.
Sheffield is also closely tied with Snooker, due to the fact that the city's Crucible Theatre is the venue for the World Snooker Championships.
Some Robin Hood legends link the character to the Sheffield region, not least the associating of "Robert of Locksley" to the Sheffield region of Loxley, and the proximity of the city to the "Barnsdale" Forest.
See also: http://www.sheffieldcity.co.uk