A plan for Sheffield

Orientation

Sheffield is one of the United Kingdom's biggest cities, with a population of 575,000, and around 1.6 million in the wider metropolitan area. The city lies in the most southerly part of Yorkshire, with Derbyshire to the west and south-west, Nottinghamshire to the south-east, and Lincolnshire not far to the east. The M1 motorway runs along the city's eastern boundary and separates Sheffield from neighbouring Rotherham. The beautiful Peak District National Park extends to within the western city boundary, and the South Pennines area ("Last of the Summer Wine country") lies just to the north. The cities of Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham are all roughly 30 miles (48 km) from Sheffield, in different directions.

Local folklore states that Sheffield, just like Rome, is built on seven hills; there are in fact considerably more than seven, and pretty much every neighbourhood is on the top or side of one hill or another. As well as the hills, the city is the meeting point of five rivers; the Don, the Loxley, the Porter Brook, the Rivelin, and the Sheaf, from which Sheffield gets its name. The city owes its existence to this rich landscape. Even before the Industrial Revolution, the villages around Sheffield were established as centres of industry and commerce thanks to fast flowing rivers and streams that brought water down from the Pennines. The valleys through which these flowed were ideally suited for man-made dams that could be used to power water mills. A walk along the Rivelin Valley from Malin Bridge tram stop or along the Porter Valley out from Endcliffe Park towards the Peak District will reveal some of these old dams.

Navigate to: Museums and galleries, Parks and gardens, Street art and graffiti

Monuments and landmarks

1 Anglican Cathedral (The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul), Church Street, S1 1HA (Supertram: Cathedral), ☏ +44 114 275-3434, enquiries@sheffield-cathedral.org.uk. Mon 8AM–5PM; Tue–Fri 8AM–6:30PM; Sat 9:30AM–4PM; Sun 7:30AM–5PM. Sheffield's 13th-century cathedral. Not to be missed are the crypt - dedicated to the York and Lancaster Regiment of the British Army, the 1960s nave and the gargoyles on the intricate gatepost. Free guided tours are available on request and last around 45 minutes. Free. (updated Nov 2017)

2 Arts Tower, Western Bank, S10 2TN (Supertram: Netherthorpe Road). Mon–Fri 9AM–6PM. Topped out in 1965, the University of Sheffield Arts Tower is a superb example of mid-century architecture. The main interest inside is a rare surviving paternoster lift; claimed to be the largest in the world, this is a continuously moving elevator which you can ride up 19 floors. You're not supposed to go over the top, or below ground level into the basement, but you do so 'by accident', there's no safety issue. The tower is grade-II* listed along with the adjacent Western Bank Library, which you can access across the mezzanine bridge, and which you may be able to visit with permission from the front desk. Please remember that these are busy university buildings; respect the students and staff. Free. (updated Feb 2019)

Navigate to: Attractions, Theatreland, Other theatres and cinemas, Spectator sports, Sports activities, Climbing, Golf, Walking

Events

Sheffield has year-round events, for a full list see Welcome to Sheffield.

The World Snooker Championship is held at Crucible Theatre, with games displayed on giant screens in Tudor Square. The next championship will be held from 18 April–4 May 2026.

Plans have been made for a new World Snooker Championship venue next to the Crucible, connected to it by a pedestrian bridge. The new venue will seat three times as many spectators as the existing theatre.

Sheffield Food Festival (26 - 28 May 2018). Held for three days over the spring bank holiday, the last weekend in May. Spread across Fargate, the Peace Gardens, Millennium Square and the Winter Garden. A culinary festival showcasing Sheffield's best offerings of food and drink with fresh hot food stalls, pop up bars, cookery master classes, chef demos and of course plenty of local produce sold. On Fargate, there is al fresco dining and drinking with a soundtrack of live music and DJ sets. (updated Nov 2017)

Yorkshire Cosplay Con (2-3 June 2018). Held at the 1 Sheffield Arena (Supertram: Arena) is this family-friendly costume convention, with star meets, stage events and loads of activities and games. Go as your favourite character from anime, sci-fi, fantasy, comic books or video games, or just turn up in your civvies and admire the hard work of everyone else! (updated Jan 2018)

Sheffield Doc/Fest (International Documentary Festival; 7-12 June 2018). Held at the Showroom Workstation (behind the cinema) and other venues across the city. One of the biggest and best documentary film festivals in the world, with talks from high-profile speakers, special events, live music, parties and of course many film screenings, culminating in an awards ceremony. (updated Nov 2017)

Theatre in the Gardens (Dates in June, July and August). A summer season of open-air theatre in the atmospheric Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Bring a picnic, deckchairs and (depending on the weather) a cardy and waterproof! Book tickets through website. (updated Jun 2018)

Local specialities

This is a working class industrial city, so its native foodstuffs reflect this in their simplicity and, often, their factory origin.

The unquestioned star of the culinary show in Sheffield is Henderson's Relish, produced in the Steel City since 1885. Known variously as Hendo's, the black stuff, relly or just Yorkshire sauce, this is a very dark brown spicy liquid condiment which can be added to any number of dishes as a flavour enhancer: fish and chips, casserole, anything with melted cheese, and even cocktails. Despite being practically unknown elsewhere, in South Yorkshire you will see Hendo's in all good chippies, in most of the city's gift shops, and in supermarkets. The relish is a beloved icon of Sheffield, and features on postcards, artwork and T-shirts alongside the city's physical landmarks. A word of warning: under no circumstances should you compare Henderson's relish to the more famous Worcestershire sauce; a London MP was foolish enough to state the former was an imitator of the latter, and the backlash was so severe that he was forced to visit the Henderson's factory and offer a grovelling apology to incensed Sheffielders, who will defend their sauce to the death, if necessary.

The city is known for its wide variety of traditional pubs, most of which serve local ales. The nightlife is lively: there are almost 30 nightclubs, numerous bars and restaurants to suit all budgets, six theatres and three city-centre cinemas.

Pubs

Sheffield is well known for its large number of pubs. From dark and Victorian to sleek and modern; and from traditional real-ale haven to noisy standing-room-only bar, you can easily find a pub in Sheffield to suit your taste in beer, music and company. However, most city-centre pubs are more oriented towards fast drinking students and clubbers; on West Street in particular (linking the university with the city centre) you will find many pubs and bars which during the week become busy with students and younger customers. Finding quieter pubs in which to sample something other than the usual chain-pub lager requires delving a little deeper beneath the surface.

For the unimaginative, you'll find the usual Wetherspoons and All Bar One chain pubs, throughout the city centre serving cheap lager, hand-pulled ales and reasonably priced food in a smoke (and atmosphere) free environment.

Hybrid bar-pubs manage to maintain something of a pub atmosphere, and sell real ale at reasonable prices, while still pulling in the crowds. They are used as much by people who want a good range of beer at good prices, as by "yoofs" after a good night out. They are probably doing a good job of persuading at least some lager drinkers to switch to traditional ales.

1 The Washington, Fitzwilliam St (near Devonshire Green). Great music pub, used to be owned by Nick Banks from the band "Pulp". Relaxed atmosphere, varied DJ nights. Open till 1AM every night except Sunday till midnight. Large beer garden and smoking area at the back of the pub. (updated Jan 2024)

2 The Frog & Parrot, Division Street. A popular pub with a long history, in days gone by offering what it claimed as the strongest ale legally served in a British pub. These days it offers food and locally-brewed real ales and often features live music. (updated Jan 2024)

3 The Bessemer (previously The Fountain), Leopold Street. A modern, quite upmarket pub with a strong focus on its traditional English menu. (updated Jan 2024)

Navigate to: Cycling, Public transport, Taxis, Driving

On foot

Sheffield City Centre is compact and within it, few attractions are much further apart than 1 mi (1.6 km). There has been significant work done to prioritise walking access, including extensive pedestrianisation, excellent links from the railway station, and a comprehensive signage system with area maps on metal pillars at strategic points, including by transport connections.

Even outside the central area, Sheffield is pleasantly walkable, with the Don Valley attractions and the Peak District being linked by walking routes from the City Centre, although of course the distances are further.

For information on walking as an activity, please see the section below.

Accessibility

It's no secret that Sheffield is hilly, so walking around it can be demanding if your fitness isn't great or you have mobility issues. Some streets, even in the City Centre, are very steep, so comparatively short distances are more tiring than on the flat. If this sounds problematic to you, it may be as well to rely on other means of transport. Still, if you are going to be walking around Sheffield, a sturdy pair of shoes with decent grip and heel support is essential.

As with the rest of the UK, in any emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for Ambulance, Fire or Police when connected.

All central areas or main shopping suburbs are perfectly safe during the day. After hours, some peripheral parts of the city centre may seem a little quiet and lonely, but any well-lit street with plenty of people about will be as safe as any city centre in the UK if the usual precautions are taken.

Some outer neighbourhoods around North and East Sheffield such as Attercliffe, the Manor and Page Hall do receive some attention in the local media and are perhaps better avoided, however as a tourist, you will almost certainly never visit them anyway. Even then, crime rates within these are still lower than in many other inner city suburbs of the UK.

Accidents whilst climbing or hiking in the countryside around Sheffield are common, and the local ambulance and Edale Mountain Rescue services are well-equipped to deal with these. Nevertheless, you should be prepared and never become complacent.

Ensure to wear suitable clothing and be prepared for rapid changes in weather conditions. Many of the rocky outcrops outside the city can be slippery and feature steep drops so ensure to take care when scrambling on these. Additionally, make sure you take a fully charged phone, water and a map with you, and be aware of the sunset time.

If you have an accident in the Peak District or more rural areas of Sheffield, or you are in immediate danger, call 999. Having your Ordnance Survey grid reference or What3Words location will likely speed up your rescue.