This illustrated history portrays one of England’s finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Sheffield’s past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Historic England: Sheffield shows the city as it once was, from its streets and alleyways to its many steel factories. The ‘Steel City’ was once a place of international renown and Sheffield plate and Sheffield cutlery have been marques of the best in the world. The city’s fortunes changed dramatically in the twentieth century. Post-war decline was particularly brutal in Sheffield and by 1980 the city was synonymous with high unemployment and economic decline. Today Sheffield has reinvented itself as a vibrant developing centre of retail, commerce and education. This book will help you discover the rich and colourful history of England’s fourth largest city.

Ian D. Rotherham is Emeritus Professor at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University. An environmental campaigner, he is an international authority on cultural and historical aspects of landscapes and ecology, and author or editor of over fifty books and more than five hundred academic papers. He writes for numerous newspapers and magazines and has broadcast with numerous BBC programmes and other media including Panorama, Autumnwatch, and Horizon. Christine Handley is a local historian interested in industrial history and changing landscapes. She has written chapters in and edited books on the local history of selected Sheffield communities.