Words: Lowri Rennick
Previously set for completion in 2026, Castlegate’s new park has now been pushed back to summer 2028, amid complex excavations of Sheffield Castle and attempts to restore the River Sheaf, which hasn’t been opened up since 1912.
Additionally, due to new archaeology surfacing, the cost of the project has risen from a projected £18m in 2021 to £25m, which accounts for the resultant redesign.
Sheffield City Council has been working closely with local planning, conservation and archaeology boards, with the aim of preserving and incorporating some of the exposed castle remains throughout the park and introducing a fish pass to allow salmon and other species to travel up the Sheaf.
Councillor Alexi Dimond, chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, said of the decision to delay: “Castle Hill Park will be a focal point for Sheffield for years to come.
“It’s important to get it right, so that future generations can experience the site in its historical context and learn about the birthplace of our city.”
Plans for the park include a 500-plus-capacity events space, public art and heritage interpretation boards, children’s play areas, historic remains of Sheffield Castle and biodiverse green space enhanced by the river.
Although Sheffield Castle is thought to date back as far as the Norman period, it is most famous for its association with Mary, Queen of Scots, who was reportedly held captive there by the Earl of Shrewsbury in the 16th century.
Sheffield Castle was demolished after the English Civil War, but Wessex Archaeology, which is carrying out the excavations, has found evidence of activity at the site spanning centuries.
These findings include previously undocumented sections of the Norman castle, as well as evidence of an 18th-century bowling green, a slaughterhouse and housing, along with relics from the city’s 19th-century steelworking industry.
Wessex Archaeology also ran a community dig programme, giving local residents the chance to get involved in uncovering their city’s history.
Alice, a participant in the dig, said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity for a Sheffield person to be able to take part in this historic archaeological dig.
“It just felt exciting and adventurous to actually be part of what’s going on and to be able to say to people in years to come ‘I stood on those ruins, on those stones’.”
For more information head to sheffield.gov.uk.
