An archaeological dig on the site of what will become the £30m Sheffield Institute of Education building has revealed some fascinating glimpses of the city’s industrial past.
Archaeologists working for the city’s ArcHeritage have uncovered units dating back to 1804 on the site of Sheffield Hallam University’s flagship Charles Street building.
Finds include two wells and evidence of a white metal foundry, a carpenter’s and a row of one-roomed cottages, as well as a collection of knives, clay pipes and ceramics. The findings have now been transported off the site ahead of the start of building works in January next year.
ArcHeritage’s Dr Glyn Davies said that the land, originally known as Alsop Fields, was owned by the Duke of Norfolk and originally intended as land for housing. Instead, it became separate industrial units and latterly, the Brown Street car park.
Dr Davies, who talks about the findings in this podcast, said: “It’s a fascinating glimpse into Sheffield’s past, when it went from a small town to a huge industrial city.”