Woodseats history trail: 12 historic Sheffield landmarks handed blue plaques with hopes more could follow
They are the sites of some of the most historic buildings in their Sheffield neighbourhood.
And now 12 buildings in Woodseats, Sheffield, are set to have their place in history recognised with a scheme to roll out a wave of blue plaques across that part of the city.
The plaques are being fixed to buildings to mark the launch of a new history trail which is being launched this Saturday, and will mark significant places in the district’s past.
Local historian Martin Naylor, who has previously campaigned to get a blue plaque on the site of the Marples Hotel, which was destroyed in bombing with great loss of life during World War Two, is the man behind the Woodseats project.
He said: “The Woodseats history trail is part of This is Woodseats, which was started by a group of residents, businesses, and organisations with the intention of making Woodseats a better place to live and visit.”
“The group wanted to include some of the area’s rich history, and I incorporated the experiences learnt from getting a blue plaque onto the old Marples building in Fitzalan Square, together with my local history talks, which take the audience round an area without leaving their seats”, adds Martin.
“It seemed kind of natural to blend the two together and so the Woodseats History Trail was born.
“There will be 12 small markers on buildings or sites of historic significance within Woodseats.”
He said he wanted to put the plaques in place because he felt Woodseats had some great old stories to share. But he did not want it to be just a lot of old dates.
He added: “ As far as I’m aware it’s one of very few suburban history trails. People of all ages with an interest in history can follow the markers, learning more as they go by using our accompanying leaflets telling them about the history of their area.”
“If it’s popular and successful I just hope that in the future it can be expanded to take in some other areas too.”
The official launch will take place at Woodseats Library on Saturday October 19 at 12.30pm.
Councillor Janet Ridler, Sheffield Council heritage champion, will attend.
Martin said: “After a lot of hard work, it will be a relief to see the plaques eventually going up, not that I did this alone, there have been many people and businesses in Woodseats without whose help this would never have been completed, and it just confirms what a great community Woodseats is.
“Although I’m not a particularly emotional person, I think I might be close to shedding a bit of a tear seeing it all come to fruition.”
People can pick up a leaflet with the map at Woodseats library, or a local shops, Finale Guitars, Unit 1, Days to Remember, Williams Electrical or Greenwood’s DIY.