“How the creation of Pinstone Street took Sheffield from a town with ambition, to a city with prospects”

"In the mid 19th century, Sheffield looked like a village that had got out of hand,” Robin reveals.

"It was rows of cottages in cramped conditions, on tiny streets, with little or no sanitation.

"In 1875, the council got parliamentary powers to remodel the town centre, and they decided to move the entire heart of the city from where it historically was, at Castlegate, to what is now the top end of Fargate.

"With this, they created three major new streets – Leopold Street, Surrey Street, and Pinstone Street.

"This was the original ‘heart of the city’ project – 19th century style!”

In this weekend’s episode of The Star’s new heritage and history podcast, ‘Making Sheffield,’ Robin explores the history of Pinstone Street, and how its development throughout the 19th and 20th centuries changed the face of Sheffield.

"When people think of the stories of Sheffield, they tend to think of the steel industry, or the castle, but a lot of history centres around Pinstone Street – and that’s the story I’m here to tell.”

‘Making Sheffield’ immortalises the moments that have shaped the steel city; celebrating key events and locations in its history, and paying tribute to some of the trials it has weathered and survived.

In this weekly series, we invite you, our listeners, on a journey to discover more about the historic foundations our city is built upon.

Listen to ‘Making Sheffield’ now – available on all major platforms.