Sheffield Hallam has been working in partnership with Sheffield City Council over the summer period to restore and re-launch the Howard Street Rill, the mosaic water feature that runs alongside Howard Street.

As part of the Gold Route Sheffield city centre improvements, the Howard Street Rill was originally opened in 2005 but has since been out of action due to deterioration of the mosaics which has caused the rill to leak water and rubbish blocking the system.

“We are delighted that the Rill will be up and running again, this feature celebrates the distinctive character of Sheffield and the City’s key cultural hubs. We’re keen to ensure visitors to Sheffield, our staff, students and visitors can enjoy this public space. To keep the Rill flowing we will work with the council to regularly check the Rill for rubbish and leaves and encourage everyone to help take care of it too by avoiding dropping litter in this area which can block up the system.”
Daniel Ladbury, Director of Estates

Howard Street Rill – Emma Biggs
Water runs from a low fountain at the ‘source’ though a mosaic-lined channel to a concave sink at the bottom of the garden. The feature represents the teeming of molten metal and is side lit by an innovative fibre optic ‘lightbar’, which in turn is powered by eight projectors set in ventilated pits beneath the pavement. It was designed and constructed by Mosaic Workshop.

Water for the rill feature is filtered and sanitised in a small plant room that has been built into a raised shrub bed on the opposite side of Howard Street. The plant room also supplies irrigation water for the lawns, trees and shrub beds.