WALKING THE BLUE LOOP PART ONE: THE CITY CENTRE AND VICTORIA QUAYS

 An introduction to the history and sights found on Sheffield’s waterways.

  It was towards the end of June and summer had finally arrived. The coronavirus pandemic still held the UK and much of the world in its vice like grip; although we had passed through the peak of new cases in late April and early May, life was far from normal. Many restrictions remained in place but the warm weather was beginning to tempt people into emerging from their lockdown shelters. And on this particular day, the weather was scorching hot. It was a Wednesday and due to a reduced working week, I had the day off. It had been so hot that I spent much of the day inside, out of the sun but the restlessness of the lockdown combined with the glorious weather became too much to bear. I impulsively picked up my camera bag, pausing only to douse myself in sunblock before setting off. I had no real plan but having walked along the River Don not too long ago, it seemed natural to follow the canal towpaths towards Meadowhall Shopping Centre. It wasn’t my intention to walk too far, rather to just enjoy the novel experience of being outside with the sun on my face and the troubles of the pandemic behind me, for a few hours at least.

  Since my last adventure, a re-introduction to the Five Weirs Walk, I had learnt of the Blue Loop, a roughly 13Km or 8 mile informal route starting at Victoria Quays, following the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal towpaths to Meadowhall where it links up with sections of the Trans Pennine Trail and returning to the city centre via the Five Weirs Walk.

Sheaf Square, outside the train station.

  The sky was a deep cloudless blue, and the heat was intense, despite it being three o’clock when I set off from my front door. I soon found myself at the train station, standing beside an impressive water feature, however the cascading water wasn’t running today and the exposed metal gleamed fiercely in the intense sunlight. Normally this little plaza area is thronged with crowds of commuters and travellers, but today there was only a sparse sprinkling of people. 

Normally crowded, the plaza was unusually quiet.

  I continued on my way, walking down Sheaf Street, a busy main artery carrying traffic through this section of the city centre. A relatively new office building, Electric Works, added a bit of visual interest with its boxy design. Taking a flight of concrete stairs, I emerged onto an elevated tramway which provided an excellent vantage point from which to take in a panorama of the city centre, including a view down the length of Pond Hill, a seemingly nondescript little road between Electric Works and the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre. 

View of Electric Works from Sheaf Street.

  However, tucked almost out of sight is one of Sheffield’s oldest domestic buildings, the only remaining timber framed structure in the city centre, dating from circa 1475 and now incorporated into the Old Queens Head pub. It had once been considerably larger, either a substantial house or a hunting lodge associated with Sheffield Castle; its furnishings are mentioned in an inventory of the castle. Historically known as ‘Hall-in-the-Ponds’ due to the nearby mill-ponds and also perhaps fishing-ponds, which although now long gone, many of the local landmarks are still named after them.

  I made my way past the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, in the shadow of Park Hill, an unapologetically Brutalist high-rise development completed in 1961. Brutalism is an architectural style that emerged in the 1950’s, typically monolithic in scale and built from poured concrete. Park Hill is internationally famous and it was awarded Grade II listed status in 1998, no doubt fuelling many a heated debate on its architectural merits. It certainly is a landmark and ongoing refurbishment is creating smart apartments overlooking the city.

Park Hill high-rise development.

  Continuing on and over the Park Square footbridges, the heat was sweltering but enjoyable nonetheless, especially after the long weeks of lockdown. Descending down some stairs I arrived at Victoria Quays, a site that has been extensively redeveloped. Many Grade II listed buildings and warehouses are now finding new life providing business and commercial offices. There are also berths and facilities for canal and leisure boats, as well as some characterful little bars and bistros. Victoria Quays was formerly known as the Sheffield Basin, located where the River Don and Sheaf meet, and it operated as a cargo terminal for goods and materials transported along the waterways that connected Sheffield to the distant coastal ports.

Victoria Quays, formerly the Sheffield Basin. Photo: 2019

  Sheffield, by the beginnings of the 1700’s didn’t have a navigable river, nor was the city connected to the wider world by a major roadway. Travellers had to find their way on highways, over the steep hills and valleys, as well as crossing the Pennines; despite these formidable obstacles, goods and wares managed to find their way out to far flung places over the desolate moors by the use of carts and packhorses.

  The most cost effective way to transport bulk items and freight remained by water, and the advantages of having a navigable waterway right into the heart of Sheffield became increasingly apparent. Despite proposals to make the River Don navigable by boat being made as early as 1678, there was little enthusiasm for such an undertaking. However, by the 1720’s support had grown sufficiently for a bill to be presented to Parliament, only for progress to be delayed by the Duke of Norfolk, who was concerned that his dams in the Lower Don Valley and works at Attercliffe would be adversely affected. Five years passed before a compromise was reached: the Don would be made navigable no further than Tinsley, where a wharf would then allow transport of goods by road to Sheffield. The scheme was completed in 1751 and along with the development of crucible steel and a silver plating method called Old Sheffield Plate, the fortunes of Sheffield were changed considerably.

  With imports and exports now being transported by the Don Navigation, the means to extend the waterway were sought, without adversely affecting the industries that relied upon the river for power. Eventually proposals were drawn up for a canal and series of locks from Tinsley to the heart of Sheffield, and in 1819 the Sheffield Canal was completed, terminating in the Sheffield Basin, at the confluence (where the two rivers meet) of the Rivers Don and Sheaf. The earliest building still standing at Victoria Quays dates from this period: the Terminal Warehouse (1819) where goods could be unloaded by being hoisted directly from off boats and into the building. Coal yards were also sited there and within four years Sheaf Works had been built (circa 1823) manufacturing steel, edged tools and cutlery. 

The Straddle Warehouse (and heron).

  Returning to the present, I walked through Victoria Quays, passing the striking Straddle Warehouse, where I inadvertently disturbed a large heron fishing in the shadow of the building, who regarded me warily before flying off. Rounding the corner I could see what had caught the heron’s attention: swimming lazily and startlingly close to the surface were two large fish, their dorsal fins occasionally breaking the surface. I don’t know if it was the heat that brought them up from the depths but they continued moving slowly until out of sight between the canal boats that were moored in their berths.

  The canal is crossed by lock-gates, where a substantial crowd of people were sat enjoying the sunshine. Everyone seemed to have an alcoholic drink in hand and a merry party-like atmosphere prevailed; after the prolonged lockdown, suddenly a crowd of people filled me with feelings of slight unease. Social distancing certainly seemed a little relaxed amongst the revellers but as I walked on, I reflected that human nature was bound to make some people want to enjoy at least a semblance of normality and a small taste of previous freedoms.

Sheaf Quay, built in 1823.

  Leaving the throng of people behind me, I passed Sheaf Quay, that had once been the office buildings of the Sheaf Works; a lone, tall chimney with a distinctive square shape still stood forlornly between two bridges that crossed the canal. An illustration from 1855, clearly shows that it was once over-shadowed by an even larger chimney, both belching out smoke, being part of the large and sprawling Sheaf Works.

  I was walking along the towpath of the canal and given the fine weather, it was unsurprising that I didn’t have it to myself. Couples were walking hand-in-hand and small groups of families were also enjoying the sights on the waterway.

  I passed under another bridge or perhaps more correctly, a viaduct (this one built in 1848 according to the plaque), canal boats were moored on the other bank, their little gardens suggesting that they were long-term residents.

  The canal and towpath make their way through Sheffield’s industrial heartlands and the remnants of heavy industry still survive all along this stretch of the canal. The derelict remains of workshops, factories, foundries and warehouses put me in a thoughtful frame of mind. I couldn’t help but try to imagine the din of all that industry. The smoke from the furnaces and the countless men and women toiling in the midst of it all, for generation after generation. The ghostly relics and ruins silently bear testament to that not too distant past.

  It was a pleasant sensation to be abroad in the city without actually knowing where I was, other than in the loosest possible terms. Glimpses of the city could be seen through the trees or over the buildings. The canal passed, seemingly directly beneath the Sheffield Energy from Waste Plant, its large chimney towering overhead, into the clear blue, cloudless sky.

A new perspective on a previous acquaintance.

  The towpath continued on beside the broad canal, the water twinkling in the bright and dazzling sunshine. It was very pleasant to be walking outside, even if the heat was stifling. I still only intended to walk a little further, but the idea to keep going was starting to form in my mind. After all Meadowhall wasn’t too far away, all things considered. And the prospect of an ice cold soda, fresh from a vending machine, condensation forming on the sides of the bottle, sealed the deal.

The canal and towpath continue onward...

  The exploration of the Blue Loop continues in Part two...

References & Attribution

River Stewardship Company, Friends of the Blue Loop, viewed October 2020,

https://the-rsc.co.uk/riverlution/friends-of-the-blue-loop

Historic England, Old Queens Head Public House, viewed October 2020,

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1247088

Historic England, Park Hill, Viewed October 2020,

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1246881

Historic England, Sheaf Works, Viewed October 2020,

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1246606

Historic England, Terminal Warehouse, Viewed October 2020,

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1247016

Hey, D. (2010) A History Of Sheffield, 3rd Edition, Lancaster, Carnegie Publishing Ltd

Harman, R. and Minnis, J. (2004) Sheffield, Pevsner Architectural Guides, New Haven & London, Yale University Press