This remarkable drone footage shows how a new £19.65 million park is taking shape at the historic spot where Sheffield Castle once stood.

It was captured after the River Sheaf running through the site, most recently home to the city’s old Castle Market, was opened up to public view for the first time in more than a century.

That section of the Sheaf, where it meets the Don, had last seen the light of day in 1917, when it was buried underground.

The historic former Sheffield Castle site, where a new £19.65 million riverside park is being created. The River Sheaf, which was buried underground, has just been opened up to public view at the spot, close to where it meets the River Don, for the first time in more than a century. | National World

placeholder image — The historic former Sheffield Castle site, where a new £19.65 million riverside park is being created. The River Sheaf, which was buried underground, has just been opened up to public view at the spot, close to where it meets the River Don, for the first time in more than a century. | National World

But it will form part of the new riverside park, scheduled to open in summer 2026, where the historic castle remains will also be on display and a 500-capacity events space will be created.

The opening up, or deculverting, of the River Sheaf, is the first major milestone to have been completed in the development of the new park at what is the birthplace of Sheffield.

How the new city centre park at the historic former Sheffield Castle site beside the newly uncovered River Sheaf will look | Sheffield City Council

Archaeological excavations have been taking place at the site, bounded by Waingate, Exchange Street and Castlegate, where Castle Market closed in 2013, before being demolished.

As well as unearthing more about the history of the 12th century castle, which stood for around 500 years before being demolished in 1648, they have led to fascinating discoveries about the steelworks which were at the site for many years before the market was built.

The River Sheaf has been uncovered at the old Sheffield Castle site, having been buried underground there, where it meets the River Don, for more than a century. A new park is being created at the site in the city centre, which was most recently home to Castle Market | National World

Part of the old castle floor, believed to date from the 15th or 16th century, has been uncovered, as have the remains of the gate house and the moat.

The first wooden ‘motte and bailey’ castle is believed to have been built on the site in around 1120, before being rebuilt in stone in 1270.

A section of floor from the old Sheffield Castle, believed to date from the latter stages of the castle, possibly in the 15th or 16th century | Sheffield City Council

The castle is perhaps most famous for holding Mary Queen of Scots captive between 1570 and 1584, with the rival to Queen Elizabeth I also spending time at Manor Lodge.

The castle came under siege during the Civil War, after which it was destroyed in 1648, and the site later housed a bowling green, Sheffield’s slaughter houses, the steelworks and, of course, the markets.

The remains of Sheffield Castle's gate house, which will be on public display as part of the new park being created at the historic city centre site | Sheffield City Council

Work on the new park began in early 2024 and was initially scheduled to be completed in summer 2025, with the expected opening date now pushed back to summer 2026.

Simon Ogden is the chairman of the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust, which has long campaigned for this and other hidden sections of river in the city to be uncovered.

“This is just the start really, “ he said. “There are other bits of the Sheaf we’re hoping will follow, but opening up the Sheaf at its confluence with the Don is a good starting point.

“Sheffield started as a city of rivers and opening up this historic section of the waterfront will help to create a new identity for Castlegate, which it badly needs.”

Sheffield City Council’s contractor Keltbray began work to uncover the buried Sheaf in August and it has been completed five weeks ahead of schedule.

The supporting bars spanning the Sheaf will remain in place until a permanent solution is found to shore up the uncovered river, which could involve the creation of new retaining walls.