Sheffield Castle: Historian calls for 'complete dig' of historic site before it is lost under new park

Tim Wells claims “very little” of the true area of the once mighty fortress is being excavated and significant features - including possibly dungeons - could be lost forever when the castle site is developed.

The city council insists excavation work under way covers a large area of the park but admits some areas will have to be “reburied.”

Now, Mr Wells, a historian and Youtube vlogger, has launched a petition calling for a “complete excavation.” He has also recorded a video ‘Castle ruins history being betrayed for an events park’.

He said: “When it was first talked about 20 years ago, our understanding was it would be a full excavation of the site and put in a tasteful garden. Very little has been carried out other than a few weeks in 2016 and 10 weeks this year.

“This is the birthplace of Sheaf Field. But the event park will cover over a massive part of our history.”

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He went on to claim there must still be dungeons on the site and a raised section must have significant parts of the castle underneath including 10ft walls.

His petition page states: ‘This belongs to the people of Sheffield and should be excavated as much as possible for future generations to see and not become a tasteless events park. It’s our heritage not a circus’.

Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner in Sheffield castle, which was besieged during the English Civil War and destroyed by the Parliamentarians in 1648.

The council says by 2026, archaeologists’ discoveries will be put on display, with the gatehouse, which is now emerging after centuries of being buried, forming the centrepiece of a new park.

Excavations have uncovered the remains of walls 5ft thick, a stone-built pier for the castle drawbridge and a 40ft well to the River Sheaf.

The council’s chief executive, Kate Joseph, wrote to Mr Wells stating: “The reason we have decided to create a park on the former castle market plot is to respect and protect the castle remains. The decision around the locations selected for the set piece excavation have been made based on recommendations by archaeology experts.”

In a response to The Star, the authority said: “Extensive excavations of the site have uncovered a wide range of finds of varying archaeological value. 

“The excavations cover a large area, so some of these will be necessarily reburied to implement the park. However, experts have advised that this approach is vital in preserving them.”

Investigations were in accordance with an approved “Written Scheme of Investigation” and “Conservation Mitigation Strategy”, which are publicly available on the planning portal, the authority added.

And Wessex Archaeology is undertaking the work and significant discoveries are published on its website.