Gone but not forgotten: Remembering Sheffield's iconic lost landmarks

Sheffield is a city that was famously built on seven hills meaning that most of its residents are blessed with fabulous views, including many wonderful landmarks.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

As the city has grown and evolved, we have both lost and gained a variety of memorable landmarks.

Sheffield’s landmarks help you to know where in the city you are, and can be a sign that you are finally close to home and that your long journey will soon be at an end.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

One of my favourite lost landmarks, that I would always notice as I came down the Parkway, was Shirecliffe College.

Castle Square known as Hole in the Road. 8 Sept 1992. Castle Square known as Hole in the Road. 8 Sept 1992.
Castle Square known as Hole in the Road. 8 Sept 1992.

It was housed in an unique, brutalist building which was built in 1968 and was located on Shirecliffe Road until its demolition in 2008.

This was a clear indication to many that their journey was nearly at an end.

The building was like a beacon to many on top of one Sheffield's many hills, visible from many directions as you approached Sheffield.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another favourite is The Tinsley twin cooling towers, which stood at a height of 250 feet or 76 metres, were an iconic part of Sheffield’s skyline.

The Hallam Tower Hotel in its heyday.The Hallam Tower Hotel in its heyday.
The Hallam Tower Hotel in its heyday.

They were part of the demolished Blackburn Meadows Power Station and were situated alongside the Tinsley viaduct on the M1, opposite Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

The towers were dramatically demolished by explosives at 3 am on August 24, 2008.

These two colossus have been depicted in countless works of art, and evoke powerful memories of the Sheffield of yesteryear.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the city centre, the Hole in the Road was only in place for a comparatively short period of time but is undoubtedly one of Sheffield’s most famous ever landmarks.

This much-missed structure was built in 1967 before being filled in in 1994 with rubble from another well known landmark – the Kelvin flats.

The Hole was demolished to make way for part of the Sheffield tram route.

It is greatly missed by many, particularly by those who used it as a meeting place from the late 1960s until the 1990s, with its famed fish tanks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Not far from The Hole in the Road, was the Grosvenor Hotel, which opened in 1966 and closed in 2010.

Whether you loved it or hated it, you couldn’t help but notice it.

It was conveniently located in the city centre and held countless wedding receptions as well as other special occasions; and was also popular with snooker players competing at the World Championships at The Crucible Theatre.

Another hotel landmark lost to Sheffield is the Hallam Towers Hotel.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Built in 1963, the hotel featured in the promotional film City on the Move.

Other landmarks that easily spring to mind include the grand Barclays bank building on the corner of Commercial Street and Fitzalan Square, which was flattened in order to widen the road.

Sheffield’s Egg Box buildings in the Peace Gardens which were demolished to make way for the Town Hall extension are gone but definitely not forgotten.

Another is the Sheaf Valley Baths which was a wonderful facility, but did not have Olympic-sized pools. They were built in 1972, and were flattened when Ponds Forge swimming pool was completed in 1991.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And last but not least Don Valley stadium, built in 1990 to host the World Student Games, was demolished in 2013.

READ MORE:

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.

Related topics: