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Work has been progressing well on the castle site since our last update.
The key focus for the castle site contractors, Keltbray, has been constructing the retaining walls on the upper plateau at the edge of the future events space.
Retaining wall progress
Also near the future events space, on the rampart vista (adjacent to the back wall), some works linked to the agreed drainage strategy for the site have been implemented. These will store excess surface water runoff and protect the area from storms.
Drainage over the rampart vista
Other drainage works include surface water and foul drainage pipes and manholes being established along the drainage run from the upper part (events space/rampart vista) to the lower plateau (gatehouse/Sheaf Field).
During the last two months, Keltbray has also been working with Wessex Archaeology on the extension of archaeology works to the east of the future events space.
Coring holes on the River Sheaf culvert slab
Elsewhere, exciting progress is being made on the de-culverting (opening up) of the River Sheaf. Once the required Environment Agency permit was in place, work could begin in November.
Firstly, the slab over the river had to be broken down to a thinner level to allow for the holes to be drilled across the culvert. Then engineers marked them up in preparation for drilling the holes in each corner. There are four lifting points in each quarter section of the culvert bays, which allow for the crane to be attached. The crane arrived on site mid-November and the lifting of the slabs has been continuing since.
The crane prepares to lift a section of culvert slab
A large proportion of the work over the next two months will be concentrated on completing the de-culverting of the River Sheaf towards Castlegate (the street).
The remains of the castle’s upper chamber (situated on the upper plateau) will undergo remediation work.
A vertical section of the structure which currently covers the castle’s lower chamber (the gatehouse remains), will be removed to start detailed surveys of the condition of the remains.
Utility and ducting works will also take place during this period to allow for future connections on the site.
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Wessex Archaeology uncovers the furnaces
Over the last couple of months, archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology have opened a small excavation area where they uncovered not one but two cementation furnaces. The first furnace was identified during earlier excavations, but the second was completely unknown, sparking discussion about the two furnaces sharing a single chimney.
Archaeologist Ashley Tuck said: “This also may be the same furnace that was called the 'oldest furnace in Sheffield' as described in a 1915 newspaper article and in Himsworth's 1920s diary. We don't know if it's the same one, but there is a photo of a large stone structure with two openings, which correlates with what we have on site.”
You can take a look at the findings in the latest video from Wessex Archaeology.
Wessex Archaeology also toured 160 people around the archaeological remains on site this November, bringing the total number of site tour attendees to over 700!
Left to right: David Roocroft, Danny Grant, Louise Pavitt, Stuart Culley (all from Keltbray) and Sean McClean (Sheffield City Council).
Stuart Culley from Keltbray Infrastructure Services has been presented with a Highways Heroes award. It recognises his and his colleagues’ excellent social value work at Castlegate and on other projects. This includes:
- working with SCC Sector Routeways
- being part of the Better Learners Better Workers programme – working with Firth Park and Fir Vale Schools
- providing talks to Sheffield College, Sheffield Springs School, and Bents Green School
- providing a placement for a sustainability student from Sheffield
- working with two T-level students from Sheffield College
- providing work experience to students from UTC Sheffield City Centre
- welcoming a local apprentice in December
- providing guest lecturing and site visits for Sheffield Hallam University and University of Sheffield
- supporting Wessex Archaeology with volunteering digs, site tours, and more
If you are a community group, school, or another organisation (particularly in Castlegate) that would like to become involved in the castle scheme, please contact Stuart Culley at Stuart.Culley@KeltbrayInfrastructureServices.com
Excavated furnace
The Friends of Sheffield Castle (FoSC) are over the moon with discoveries made during the recent archaeological excavations. Especially those on the east side of the castle site.
FoSC have seen the early industrial cementation furnace remains, the 16th century cobbled surfaces, and clear evidence of castle walls underneath or actually being built onto.
Recent work has revealed that 18th century steelworkers potentially reused parts of the castle’s medieval stonework to create a furnace, once said to be Sheffield’s oldest furnace.
The picture above shows the current excavated area of the furnace. The large stones in the middle are almost certainly castle wall. It seems clear from all the recent excavations that parts of the old castle walls were used as foundations for later buildings including furnaces and the earlier high-status houses surrounding the bowling green.
Part of a wall just next to the upper chamber building was also uncovered. This seems to be on a north/south alignment towards the upper chamber remains.
FoSC aren’t the only ones to see these excavations. 160 of the 600+ people on the waiting list for tours of the site have been lucky enough to get tickets to visit the excavations over two further days. These tours immediately sold out again. If more become available, FoSC will advertise them through their website and social media channels.
For details of other city centre regeneration projects, including Fargate and Heart of the City, tap the button below.
SPRT celebrates 10,000th guest
In September, The Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust (SPRT) celebrated the 10,000th guest on their famous Hidden Rivers Caving Tours. The tours terminate in the so-called Megatron, just upstream of the new Sheaf Field park.
Later tours offered a first glimpse of the river being ‘daylighted’ for the first time in over 100 years.
Check out Culvertcam for the latest view of the river being revealed.
The Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust (SPRT) have commissioned street artist Marco to paint a new piece on the Exchange Street hoardings. The artwork will be near the new viewing window, which has been created by contractor Keltbray to allow the public to follow the slow but dramatic transformation.
A new audio-visual installation inspired by sounds and images of the Sheaf and its culverts has also taken place. This happened in the basement of Exchange Place Studios as part of Sheffield’s annual No Bounds Festival. SPRT are looking forward to more artist collaborations in 2025.
Love Square
Love Square has looked at its best this year thanks to regular grass cutting by Urbo and litter picking and gardening by the volunteer group Lovers of Love Square.
Amey have also come to the rescue by providing and agreeing to empty two proper litter bins.
Many people don’t notice that Love Square is a significant Urban Orchard, nestled on a corner of Grey to Green. Its 30 fruit trees were planted in quite small plastic pots inside the much larger drainage ring planters and are now showing signs of distress.
In January, the volunteers will be working with specialist arborists from the Sheffield Fruit Trees Project to repot all the fruit trees to give them more root-room. The Central LAC have given a grant to pay for the arborists’ time.
A bustling Pollen Market. Photo by Sam McQueen.
Pollen Market has had a fantastic year on Castlegate in 2024. November saw the last Castlegate instalment of the market. The Christmas special edition is inside Peddler Warehouse, Neepsend, on Sunday 15 December.
They would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that attended Pollen Market in 2024, and they hope to see you again next year. They will return to Castlegate on Sunday 16 March to coincide with Festival Of The Outdoors.
National Videogame Museum
Celebrate the holiday season at The National Videogame Museum with their new Christmas Lates.
Available for adult groups of six, tickets (£15) include a welcome drink and mince pie, plus exclusive late access to the museum's fully interactive gallery and team competitions.
Bookings are now being taken with sessions available Wednesday to Friday 4 - 20 December running from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
The Quays Leisure Club Sheffield will shortly undergo refurbishment and is scheduled to re-launch on 2 January 2025.
The modernised fitness suite will be equipped with state-of-the-art Matrix equipment, including pin-loaded resistance machines, sledge track, and fully interactive 16-inch monitors on all cardio machines.
Carousel Print Studio
The Carousel Print Studio team has been taking part in training and development as part of the Cultural Pipeline project. They recently undertook training with local charity The Snowdrop Project to help better understand how to help empower survivors of human trafficking. They now hope to obtain funding to work in partnership with Snowdrop to help support and empower survivors through creative wellbeing workshops in printmaking.
Carousel has also launched a new series of public printmaking workshops for January to March 2025. Visit the website to find out more. They also offer affordable access to specialist printmaking facilities via their artist membership.
Surrey Street
Our ‘Connecting Sheffield: City Centre’ plans will help to create more space for people in the city centre and will give you more choice in how you travel.
We’re making it less congested and safer for people to walk, wheel, and cycle, as well as travel by public transport, so you can access everything the city centre has to offer.
There’ll also be more opportunities for businesses to use outside space for customers to eat, drink, shop, and relax.
From the improvements we’re making at Castlegate and on Fargate, to developments in the Heart of the City, and everything The Moor has to offer, ‘Connecting Sheffield: City Centre’ will help you get where you need to be.
RiteTrax
RiteTrax, a diverse social enterprise and events company, is going from strength to strength.
As well as their grassroots music venue and studio Plot 22, they also play a key role in the organisation of the Castlegate Festival and provide music sessions for vulnerable young people and adults.
They won the Youth Residents Champion Award at the Sheffield Youth Awards recently for their work engaging vulnerable young people in music activities.
When Kiss FM’s Tyler West visited Plot 22 to find out more about RiteTrax’s work, he described it as "absolutely inspirational". You can watch the full video here:
With support from South Yorkshire Housing Association and Sheffield City Council, Plot 22 hosts a fortnightly drop-in for people experiencing or in recovery from multiple disadvantages, as well as a monthly alcohol-free 'Sober Social' gig and club night.
They have also just finished delivering their sixth programme of 'Get Started with Music Production' in collaboration with the King's Trust.
Ongoing projects also currently include partnerships with Preparation for Adulthood, Likewise, Project 6, Humankind, Ben's Centre, and Staying Close.
To find out more about RiteTrax, email info@ritetrax.co.uk or follow them on social media.
The vision for the Sheffield Castle site is for it to become Sheffield’s newest park. It will feature parts of the original castle, a 'Sheaf Field' with views to the opened-up River Sheaf, and a high quality greenspace with an events square, reminiscent of the bowling green that occupied the site in the 1600s.
The first phase of the exciting transformation began in January 2024 and is expected to be completed in spring 2026.
For site or construction specific information, please contact David Fidler (Senior Project Manager, Keltbray) David.Fidler@keltbray.com
For any other information, please contact Lucia Lorente (Principal Development Officer, Sheffield City Council) Lucia.Lorente@sheffield.gov.uk
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