Sheffield Castle to be excavated in £800k Castlegate revamp
The area will be transformed into an area for digital businesses, whilst also celebrating its history.
Nearly £800,000 is being spent on transforming the Castlegate area of Sheffield and and uncovering the remains of the city's castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned for more than a decade.
The funding will pay for several projects over the next 18 months to turn the area into a centre for digital businesses and hotels, whilst also celebrating its history.
An archaeological dig will take place on the site of Sheffield’s medieval castle, as well as action to protect the Old Town Hall and transform empty shops.
The Council’s been working with Friends of the Castle and of the Old Town Hall, the city’s two Universities, hoteliers, retailers and the Culture Consortium on the plans.
“You’ll get to see what actually lies beneath and I’m sure there’ll be lots of interesting discoveries,” says Dr David Clark from Friends of the Castle.
“It was one of the largest castles in England in medieval times and not many people realise that.
“It’s great for Sheffield because it’s a gateway into the city centre… all the people who come to stay in Sheffield stay in the hotels and walk up into the centre past this, and at the moment it just looks like a bombsite. For many years it’s had this run-down feel which is a real shame.”
Councillor Mazher Iqbal said: “This package of projects demonstrates the importance we place on the future of Castlegate as a key part of the city centre economy.
“Castlegate is a major gateway into the city centre, but at the moment it doesn’t reflect the incredible regeneration happening elsewhere in the centre, such as The Moor and Sheffield Retail Quarter.”
The plans set out today include:
• A major archaeological investigation of Sheffield’s medieval castle site
• Design work for the next stage of the Grey to Green corridor, turning redundant road space along Exchange Street and Castlegate into colourful meadows with space for events and reconnecting it to nearby Victoria Quays.
• Urgent repairs of the privately-owned Old Town Hall to prevent further deterioration
• The transformation of empty shops on Exchange Street and Waingate
• The establishment of a Conservation Area to protect the historic townscape
• Security patrols to protect the Castle site and ruins from vandalism