Fargate
Encyclopedia
Fargate is a pedestrian precinct and shopping
area in Sheffield
, England
. It runs between Barker's Pool
and High Street opposite the cathedral
. It was pedestrianised in 1973. Underneath all of Fargate there are mass medieval graves.
Fargate also holds a Continental Market approximately 4 times a year, which includes European stalls selling cheeses, confectionery, clothing, plants and crafts including jewellery and ornaments.
In his "A DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN OF SHEFFIELD", the author, Joseph Woolhouse wrote in the year 1832 at the time the Cholera
was raging in Sheffield, "In going up Fargate there was houses built on both sides. The Lords House stood a little on the North side of the present Norfolk Row. A very elegant old House, it was inclosed by a Wall in a half Circle and Palisaded. The present Duke of Norfolk was born in this house. This I expect is the reason why it was called the Lord's house, he being I.of the Manor".
More recently, the street was home to Sheffield Assay Office
.
store.
. It was a famous meeting point in the city, named after Cole Brothers
who occupied the building. Originally The Albert Hall cinema which burnt down in 1937, it is now home to a modern building which currently houses HSBC
, Starbucks Coffee, Vodafone
and The Carphone Warehouse
. but a plaque has been erected in memory of the Cole Brothers store. The location is immortalised by Richard Hawley
's album of the same name.
´s archaeological consultancy, ARCUS, unearthed a medieval well of over three metres in depth in the sandstone
bedrock beneath Carmel House on Fargate. The Sheffield city centre site was being excavated as part of a redevelopment project.
Pottery found in the well, suggests that it was in use by 1300 AD, and had been filled in around the time of the English Civil War
. Medieval pots included jugs made in the Hallgate area of neighbouring Doncaster
and other items from the Humber Estuary.
This discovery was said to offer significant evidence relating to the medieval town of Sheffield, still a small market town, before its growth during the subsequent Industrial Revolution. Dating of the well indicates that it was probably dug around the time of the rebuilding of Sheffield Castle
in stone, in 1270 and the granting of Sheffield's Market Charter by Edward I
in 1296.
Due to the conditions in the well, animal bones, plant remains (possibly including microscopic pollen grains) have been preserved and will be analysed the University's Department of Archaeology laboratories.
In February 2005, Sheffield City Council's Executive Director of Development and Leisure, in the "PROPOSED COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER: SHOPS AT CARMEL HOUSE, 57 AND 63 FARGATE", had commented "Carmel House, at the junction of Fargate and Norfolk Row is an imposing Victorian stone fronted Grade 2 listed building which, together with the adjoining terrace of attractive Georgian brick properties, is almost completely empty and is in need of refurbishment. Full planning permission was granted in January 2004 for a comprehensive scheme which will involve creating four new modern retail units by demolishing the existing buildings behind the retained façade.".
The Council's Conservation Advisory Group, in the Minutes of their meeting on 20 December 2005 "regretted that its advice regarding the development of Carmel House had not been taken into account and it wondered whether Carmel House would be liable to be removed from the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, in view of the extent of demolition which had taken place".
The Wheel of Sheffield
was a 173 feet (52.7 m) high ferris wheel
assembled on Fargate in mid-July 2009 in ten days and remained at the top of the pedestrian street until January 2010. The wheel was similar to those in London, Manchester and York and included 42 gondolas, each capable of carrying up to eight people.
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
area in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It runs between Barker's Pool
Barker's Pool
Barker's Pool is a public plaza and street in the centre of the City of Sheffield, England. The focus of Barker's Pool is the Grade II listed First World War memorial that was unveiled on 28 October 1925...
and High Street opposite the cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914...
. It was pedestrianised in 1973. Underneath all of Fargate there are mass medieval graves.
Fargate also holds a Continental Market approximately 4 times a year, which includes European stalls selling cheeses, confectionery, clothing, plants and crafts including jewellery and ornaments.
In his "A DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN OF SHEFFIELD", the author, Joseph Woolhouse wrote in the year 1832 at the time the Cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
was raging in Sheffield, "In going up Fargate there was houses built on both sides. The Lords House stood a little on the North side of the present Norfolk Row. A very elegant old House, it was inclosed by a Wall in a half Circle and Palisaded. The present Duke of Norfolk was born in this house. This I expect is the reason why it was called the Lord's house, he being I.of the Manor".
More recently, the street was home to Sheffield Assay Office
Sheffield Assay Office
The Sheffield Assay Office is one of the four remaining Assay Offices in the UK.- Overview :In 1773, Sheffield's silversmiths joined with those of Birmingham to petition Parliament for the establishment of Assay Offices in their respective cities...
.
2011 United Kingdom protests
Protests (mainly peaceful) occurred on Fargate between 11 March and 13 March. On 12 March, barricades were erected on Fargate after a number of incidents, including a group of protesters running into the TopshopTopshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
store.
Coles Corner
The corner at bottom end of Fargate (opposite the cathedral) is known locally as Coles CornerColes Corner
Coles Corner is the name given to the corner of Fargate and Church Street in Sheffield, England in sight of the cathedral. It was the site of the old Cole Brothers department store before they moved to Barker's Pool in 1963...
. It was a famous meeting point in the city, named after Cole Brothers
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
who occupied the building. Originally The Albert Hall cinema which burnt down in 1937, it is now home to a modern building which currently houses HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, Starbucks Coffee, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
and The Carphone Warehouse
The Carphone Warehouse
Carphone Warehouse Group PLC , known as The Carphone Warehouse, is Europe's largest independent mobile phone retailer, with over 1,700 stores across Europe. It is based in the United Kingdom and is a 50% subsidiary of Best Buy...
. but a plaque has been erected in memory of the Cole Brothers store. The location is immortalised by Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker...
's album of the same name.
Carmel House
In November 2005, the University of SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
´s archaeological consultancy, ARCUS, unearthed a medieval well of over three metres in depth in the sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
bedrock beneath Carmel House on Fargate. The Sheffield city centre site was being excavated as part of a redevelopment project.
Pottery found in the well, suggests that it was in use by 1300 AD, and had been filled in around the time of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. Medieval pots included jugs made in the Hallgate area of neighbouring Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and other items from the Humber Estuary.
This discovery was said to offer significant evidence relating to the medieval town of Sheffield, still a small market town, before its growth during the subsequent Industrial Revolution. Dating of the well indicates that it was probably dug around the time of the rebuilding of Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle
Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been constructed on the site at some time in the century...
in stone, in 1270 and the granting of Sheffield's Market Charter by Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1296.
Due to the conditions in the well, animal bones, plant remains (possibly including microscopic pollen grains) have been preserved and will be analysed the University's Department of Archaeology laboratories.
In February 2005, Sheffield City Council's Executive Director of Development and Leisure, in the "PROPOSED COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER: SHOPS AT CARMEL HOUSE, 57 AND 63 FARGATE", had commented "Carmel House, at the junction of Fargate and Norfolk Row is an imposing Victorian stone fronted Grade 2 listed building which, together with the adjoining terrace of attractive Georgian brick properties, is almost completely empty and is in need of refurbishment. Full planning permission was granted in January 2004 for a comprehensive scheme which will involve creating four new modern retail units by demolishing the existing buildings behind the retained façade.".
The Council's Conservation Advisory Group, in the Minutes of their meeting on 20 December 2005 "regretted that its advice regarding the development of Carmel House had not been taken into account and it wondered whether Carmel House would be liable to be removed from the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, in view of the extent of demolition which had taken place".
The Fargate ferris wheel
Wheel of Sheffield
The Wheel of Sheffield was a tall transportable Ferris wheel installation on Fargate, by the Town Hall, in Sheffield, England.It was opened on 20 July 2009, and was intended to remain until January 2010. However, planning permission was sought for a further year of operation, and permission was...
was a 173 feet (52.7 m) high ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
assembled on Fargate in mid-July 2009 in ten days and remained at the top of the pedestrian street until January 2010. The wheel was similar to those in London, Manchester and York and included 42 gondolas, each capable of carrying up to eight people.