With its valleys of five rivers Sheffield also bears the name of Europe’s greenest city, with over two million trees within the city walls. Sheffield certainly does earn the this title with its four main parks Endcliffe, Weston, Norfolk and Meersbrook Park, Sheffield also has the added advantage of having the winter gardens which are full of beautiful trees and flowers. Sheffield is lesser known for its great Churches, the best known and biggest in Sheffield being the Cathedral. This is located in Sheffield city centre. On the spot where the cathedral stands it is thought that people have been worshipping on this spot for more than 1000 years. There has been a church on the site where the cathedral stands since the Saxtons, over the years it has had to be rebuilt and much work has gone into the Cathedral which stands today. The cathedral is just one of the great churches in Sheffield St. Thomas, Fulwood Church,
Another great church in Sheffield has to be Ranmoor Church, situated in the heart of Ranmoor, this church has stood for over 125 years. Although this is not the original structure of the church as this was burnt down in 1877, fortunately the Spire was saved and incorporated into the structure which stands today.
Although Sheffield can be praised on its Churches which are dotted throughout this city. Most people know Sheffield for its production of Steel. The first record there is of steel activity taking place within the city was in 1692, from this date the industry made a steady incline up the ladder. In 1737 there were only two steel making furnaces in Sheffield which were both owned by Thomas Outibridge. In 1751 a significant expansion of steel production took place, and the rest is history. In the early 1900’s most men in Sheffield went to work in the steelworks, as did there parents and grandparent’s in the past. Where Meadowhall (a massive shopping mall) stands was mostly steel manufacturers. To this day in Attercliffe Sheffield steel production goes on. Although if you were to ask the people of Sheffield they would say that the steel industry is no longer, Sheffield actually produces more steel and pipe clamps (Rohrschelle) than ever before. This is done without the pollution that was associated with steel production in the past, and is done with a highly skilled workforce.
Sheffield used to dominate the market in the making of steel until the latter quarter of the nineteenth century, when Sheffield was overshadowed by the USA and Germany who had the advantage of highly mechandised steel mills. However Sheffield will always be known as Steel City. Sheffields football rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United still to this day play Derby matches which are known as Steel City Derby’s and Sheffield ice-hockey team is known as the Steelers.
So with its great churches, title of Europe’s greenest city and the history of steel and stainless steel pipes (Edelstahlrohr), Sheffield certainly earns its place on the map of England.