Kelham Island: How old Sheffield industrial quarter has risen to become trendiest place to live and party

And by the 1980s and 90s it was known mostly for its famous industrial museum, and the Fat Cat pub and its onsite brewery.

But Kelham Island has now risen to become one of the most fashionable places in Sheffield, packed with trendy flats, bars and cafes which attract people from all over the city.

Now there are plans to create some 500 homes nearby at the former Cannon brewery, next to Rutland Road. Sheffield Council are looking at the plans.

What has made Kelham Island become so fashionable, to the point it was named as one the 15 coolest neighbourhoods to live in the UK. by the Daily Telegraph?

We visited the area and met the people who live and work there to try and find out.

Douglas Johnson, who represents the area on Sheffield Council, said it had a great community that was attracted by living in a post industrial area that makes the most of its heritage.

He said: “20 years ago we had Cornish Place that was developed here in Kelham Island. It’s a fantastic old works, the James Dixon brand making Britannia metals, and there’s a fascinating history there, and a really sensitive conversion of those flats. That led off a lot of the regeneration of this area, and since then it’s brought in a lot of people who want to live in that sort of place.”

He said it had a great artist community, of people who both live and work in the area. There is the Kelham Island arts collective, which provides small studio space in an old industrial building. Green Street is lined with murals, many created by local artists.

He showed the Star the area known as Little Kelham, which is made up of new buildings, built as a neighbourhood, with the Domo Sardinian restaurant at the centre.

He said people were attracted to the quality food and drink that was available in Kelham.

He added: “Above all, it’s such a pleasant and welcoming area to be in and as you can see, it’s now softening up from when we had these hard edges and new buildings. We’ve now got a lot more planted greenery and things, that really look like a good place to sit out on a summer’s day. It’s actually a really beautiful and relaxing area.”

One of the cultural venues at Kelham Island is the Yellow Arch studio. It hosts gigs as well as serving food and drink.

Among those who works there is their electronics repair man, Nick Ward.

He feels Yellow Arch has had a role in the rise of Kelham Island, since it was set up by its owner Andy Cook.

He said: “When Andy first came to this area, he saw this, and it was derelict. He’s had a lifetime of working in the music business. So he rented a single room from a landlord as a practice room and gradually over 20, 25 years it’s grown and grown. Now we’re finding that people are moving down here to be near the studio and all the other surrounding studios that have since moved here.

“We have Richard Hawley and the Arctic Monkeys. They record here. Richard Hawley has just a few months ago finished his latest album. One of the videos for that album was shot in one of the rooms here.”

“It’s been a disused neglected area and musicians and artists have realised it’s cool down here, with the river, with Ball Street bridge, having new bars and new restaurants and places opening, it’s a cool place to live. And now we’ve got the construction of various blocks of flats nearby for students and young professionals it really is a happening place to be. Despite the fact as you drive past it still looks like an industrial area. If you park up and walk round you’ll see there are all these hidden gems that aren’t visible from the road.”

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Lorna Pettifer has lived in one of the modern flats near the River Don at Kelham Island since 2005. She described the area as very busy and up and coming, and says it has progressed in terms of the spaces that have been developed as flats, restaurants and bars.

She said: “There is a community that work together to do litter picking, painting of stanchions and Naomi’s Corner. It’s a very wide ranging community, lots of different ages whether it be young families, professionals or older couples. Everyone gels and gets on .

“It has an awful lot of choice. There is the cutlery works, which is really good. lt’s less casual, it is where you can go and meet your friends, have a couple of beers and a bite to eat. I think that is a lot of what’s happening now, is with food halls, because it gives people the opportunity to have what they want and not be forced down a certain path.

“Then there’s the number of bars that are now in and around Kelham Island. There is Kelu, The Tavern, Domo, all kinds of different places which will suit different people.

“It is mildly expensive, compared to town but it’s a nicer atmosphere than town so I would recommend people come down and check it out.”