Sheffield
Travel Guide > Europe > United Kingdom > England > Yorkshire and the Humber > Sheffield
In this Article
- Introduction
- Neighbourhoods
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Work
- Learn
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Sheffield is the heart of South Yorkshire, nestled below Leeds and Manchester at the edge of the Peak District. A friendly city, and a good base from which to explore the surrounding countryside, Sheffield has a few attractions that merit a visit in its own right.
Neighbourhoods
Most of the tourist attractions are found in the city centre. Neglected and rundown just 10 years ago, a massive redevelopment called Heart of the City has revitalised old buildings like the Victorian Town Hall and created some excellent open spaces like the Peace Garden.
Sights and Activities
The Peak District National Park was Britain's first National Park, and takes in more than 1400 kilometres square of varied landscape, including the southern end of the Pennine mountain range as well as some scenic farm land. Check out the Peak District National Park website for details.
The Town Hall is an impressive building built in the Victorian age. The front of the building has some nice bas relief carvings of miners, steel workers as well as academics, in honour of the working class, industrial heritage of Sheffield. Beside the town hall is the Peace Garden, a green space with fountains dedicated to world peace. The garden is popular with families on hot days, when children run through the fountain to cool off.
The Winter Garden, one of the largest temperate glasshouses in the UK has more than 2,500 plants from around the world. It is connected directly to the Millennium Galleries (home to permanent Ruskin and metalwork collections and touring collections) and the open space of Millennium Square.
From the Town Hall, a walk down Fargate, a pedestrian shopping street, you will find the Sheffield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, parts of which date back to the 13th century, with different pieces being built right up until the modern day.
Sheffield Ski Village is the largest artificial outdoor ski run in Europe. Boasting a half-pipe and one-third of a mile of artificial alpine slopes, the ski village offers the opportunity to ski year-round.
With one of the larger stadium in the United Kingdom in addition to City Hall and the Sheffield Arena, there are a number of concerts that take place in Sheffield every year.
For more activities, check out Creative Sheffield.
Events and Festivals
The World Snooker Championship is held annually at the Crucible Theatre in late April and early May, when snooker players from around the globe compete for the most prestigious prize in the snooker world. Tickets are £17 per session and available on-line.
Sports in Sheffield include two football teams with Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, two rugby teams with the Sheffield Eagles and Sheffield Tigers rugby union and even a basketball team in the Sheffield Sharks basketball the 2009 champion Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team.
For other events, check out the Event Sheffield website.
Weather
The British climate can be unpredictable and changeable even within one day. Summer temperatures (June to August) very rarely climb higher than 35° C, but winter temperatures (November to March) are rarely below freezing.
Average summer temperatures are 20° C, and winter averages are about 10° C. The weather can sometimes be grey and foggy, particularly in November to March.
Check out weather at the BBC website.
Getting There
By Plane
There are six airports within 65 miles of Sheffield, the closest being Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Other airports that can provide transport to Sheffield include Manchester International Airport (connected direct by train), East Midlands, Leeds Bradford International, Humberside International and Liverpool John Lennon airport (connected direct by train).
By Train
Sheffield Midlands station is within the City Centre, and has services to London, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Doncaster and Leeds among many other destinations, with services provided by East Midlands Trains, Cross Country, TransPennine Express, and Northern Rail.
By Car
The M1 and the M18 motorways both pass close to Sheffield.
By Bus
Getting Around
By Car
By Public Transport
The free of charge FreeBee service links popular city centre locations from Sheffield Interchange to the main city centre shopping areas, Sheffield Hallam University and Paternoster Row for the Sheffield Rail Station. The FreeBee bus service operates every seven minutes from 0700 to 1900 weekdays and 0800 to 1900 on Saturdays. Route information can be found at Travel South Yorkshire website.
There is a tram system called the Sheffield Supertram. Tickets are priced based on distance travelled, and purchased onboard from a conductor, who can provide change. If you are taking more than one ride in a day, it is often a good deal to purchase a Dayrider ticket for £3.00.
A number of bus operators run different routes in Sheffield. Check out the Travel South Yorkshire journey planner to find the best route.
By Foot
By Bike
Eat
There are a number of places to eat in the city centre, many with excellent deals catering to the student population that lives in the city centre.
The Devonshire Cat on Wellington Street has an excellent selection of burgers and a wide variety of beers and spirits.
Drink
Sheffield is a university town, so there are lots of places for good drinks. There are a number of bars along West Street and Division Street in the city centre.
West Street Live, on West Street has nightly music from local bands, often for free, and a good selection of beer, wine and liquor.
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Harley Hotel | 334 Glossop Road | Hotel | 64 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Learn
The Sheffield Hallam University and the http://www.sheffield.ac.uk|University of Sheffield]] are the two major universities in town, both with campuses within the city centre.
This is version 7. Last edited at 12:18 on Aug 20, 09 by Utrecht (+475). 13 articles link to this page.
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