I've lived in Sheffield for nearly three years now, but have just realised that I've never really SEEN Sheffield. Has anyone got any suggestions for bizarre or unusual things that I could take in on a sightseeing tour with a couple of friends (i.e. strange architecture, mysterious geographical formations or landscapes etc.)?

just look in the forum bar on divison street loads of bizzare things in there:thumbsup:

:o Lookin Sheffield Utds ground on a Saturday enough said but the crime is well down ;)

Have a look around S6, there's supposedly a football team playing around there somewhere. Rumour has it they used to be a decent team too but nobody has heard much about them in the last few years...

Originally posted by fnkysknky
Have a look around S6, there's supposedly a football team playing around there somewhere. Rumour has it they used to be a decent team too but nobody has heard much about them in the last few years... that not fair :mad:

Keep this on topic please - there is a sports forum for your football rivalry or best still, keep it to yourself ;).

As for interesting places...

Mealio are you looking for things in the city centre or are you able to get out to the peaks for example?

If you are looking for walks:

Anything similar to the Botantical Gardens?
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3678

Any nice walks in Sheffield?
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1103

Come on Mr Forum Head Cheese - read the first post hmm?

"i.e. strange architecture, mysterious geographical formations or landscapes etc."

Brinsworth switching station is pretty magnificently strange, although if you take your visitors to see it they may assume the most bizarre thing about Sheffield is you.

But the most bizarre sight for me is the ring road choked with single occupancy vehicles

(zees sheffielders zay are all krazy)

I recommend buying these books:

# Sheffield Curiosities: A Guide to the City's Strange Sights, Unusual Buildings and Rare Survivals -- Duncan Smith, Trevor Smith (Paperback - Ridings Press - 1 April, 1997)

# More Sheffield Curiosities -- Duncan Smith (Paperback - Hedgerow Publishing,Sheffield - 1 November, 2000)

You can get them from amazon - do a search for 'Sheffield Curiosities'...but probably quicker and cheaper to nip into Waterstones.

Nomme

Mealio are you looking for things in the city centre or are you able to get out to the peaks for example?
Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Come on Mr Forum Head Cheese - read the first post hmm? "i.e. strange architecture, mysterious geographical formations or landscapes etc."
I'm confused. Asking him whether he wanted to stay in the city centre or travel outside of Sheffield was a valid question. Also, unless you are planning on a driving only tour, then some of the walks I linked to would enable you to see interesting landscapes, geographical formations etc... (or are they all indoor and accessible by car these days? :P)

I was really waiting for him to confirm the distance he could travel before racking my brain for 'strange' things.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
But the most bizarre sight for me is the ring road choked with single occupancy vehicles

I find it rather odd that you recommend Maelio visits the ring road and sits in a traffic jam.:loopy:

Mealio: walkling or driving?

There are a few strange people you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. Like the middle-aged bloke who I sometimes see stumbling around town in an 80s shellsuit top, football shorts and rolled-up-to-the-knee football socks.

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that of course.

Originally posted by nomme
I recommend buying these books:

# Sheffield Curiosities: A Guide to the City's Strange Sights, Unusual Buildings and Rare Survivals -- Duncan Smith, Trevor Smith (Paperback - Ridings Press - 1 April, 1997)

# More Sheffield Curiosities -- Duncan Smith (Paperback - Hedgerow Publishing,Sheffield - 1 November, 2000)

You can get them from amazon - do a search for 'Sheffield Curiosities'...but probably quicker and cheaper to nip into Waterstones.

Nomme

I second that suggestion. I found quite a few interesting new bits of Sheffield from those books when I moved up here.

I am able to drive if there's something praticularly interesting out of town, but am more interested in strange urban sights.

I'd suggest getting in touch with the markets authority to ask whether you can go and see the ruins of the castle beneath Castle Market. I had a look last year and it was really interesting.

En route, you could have a look at the old court, built in 1707 as the town hall. At the corner of Castle Street and Waingate it has the oldest fountain in the city.

A walk around the area they've decided to call the "Cathedral Quarter" can be fascinating when you look up at the buildings rather than down at the pavement, and it's a tour that can be extended into Kelham Island.

You could also take a drive up to see the Turret Lodge where Mary, Queen of Scots was held.

Without wanting to bring football back to this thread, you might also find the world's oldest football ground (although I confess I'm not sure which one it is - I always thought it was at Sandygate but someone told me I was wrong).

You could then head out to Dore village, where you will find, in the centre of the village green, a memorial stone commemorating the union of all the four kingdoms of England, which was agreed here in the 10th century under the overlord Egbert.

You would then need only to drop down the other side of the hill into Hathersage, where Little John's grave remains a local mystery and a tourist attraction. We'll come back to this particular legend.

From there, you might go to Edale and the start of the Pennine Way, before enjoying a walk to Bleaklow, to see the wreckage of WWII aeroplanes on the summit.

On the way home, you could stop at Ladybower, armed with tales of the Dambusters' practice runs.

You could then drive back past Dale Dyke, and try to remember the stories of the Great Sheffield Flood which began when the dam burst 140 years ago. You could follow the trail of the flood through Bradfield and along the Loxley Valley.

As you go, you could consider the legends that place Robin Hood in this area, and look out for reminders of that legend in the place names.

That should pass a day.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186364-Activities-c5-Sheffield_South_Yorkshire_England.html

Maybe there are few places there.. Mentions the Cholera Monument, which also has some good views of the city

Well.. if you want to see something really spooky...
The next time you are driving (or being Driven) allong the Sheffield Parkway in the day time lookout for the Steel man statue. Its fine in the day time but i defy anyone to look out for it in the dark and not be scared to death by it!!! ....Its as if you know its there...But you have to look anyway!!!

I like the metal spider with babies that is on a wall on the way to Meadowhall! At Christmas, lights are put on it, and it looks great.

In ecclesall wood there's a solitary grave of a woodcutter who burned to death in his hut on that spot in 1786.

Originally posted by hounsfieldjr

On the way home, you could stop at Ladybower, armed with tales of the Dambusters' practice runs.


At the moment both howden and derwent are overflowing over the dam wall quite a spectacular sight.

Winter Gardens is always good

What is Brinsworth switching station?


Come on Mr Forum Head Cheese - read the first post hmm?

"i.e. strange architecture, mysterious geographical formations or landscapes etc."

Brinsworth switching station is pretty magnificently strange, although if you take your visitors to see it they may assume the most bizarre thing about Sheffield is you.

But the most bizarre sight for me is the ring road choked with single occupancy vehicles

(zees sheffielders zay are all krazy)

Have a look around S6, there's supposedly a football team playing around there somewhere. Rumour has it they used to be a decent team too but nobody has heard much about them in the last few years...

Is it true that The Blades are naming the North stand "The Carlos Trevez Stand"?

There are two other books you might look at - 'Sheffield's Hidden Gems', and 'A Second Helping of Hidden Gems', both in colour with some pretty quirky stuff in there. If you can't get hold of them, please let me know. "Second Helping" was only released last Friday, so may not be in the shops yet, but I've got some here.

I think the OP might know Sheffield a bit better now.. the OP is from 2004 :suspect: Hehe!!

Good topic though! I always like to discover new things about our city !

Rats!!! Ah Believe, Ah Do Believe Ah've bin April Fooled!!!! (Only a day late - or in this case 5 years and a day!!!)

In ecclesall wood there's a solitary grave of a woodcutter who burned to death in his hut on that spot in 1786. ooooo sound eeiry where abouts is the grave:o

There are a few strange people you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. Like the middle-aged bloke who I sometimes see stumbling around town in an 80s shellsuit top, football shorts and rolled-up-to-the-knee football socks.

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that of course.


haha, i see that guy all the time, occasionally replacing the shorts with tracksuits bottoms tucked into his converse all stars. living legend.

Just walk down Division Street on a saturday. you'll see why the Victorians got so excited about freak shows

You could always go through parson cross and see the wonders it has to offer....

Boarded up house..... Boarded up house.... oh! another boarded up house!

It can be pretty cool to go to the top of the multistorey carparks and look out over the city. Check with somebody first though or they'll think you're thieving or jumping.

It can be pretty cool to go to the top of the multistorey carparks and look out over the city. Check with somebody first though or they'll think you're thieving or jumping.

Yeah we did that in the one outside the Royal Hallamshire and got chased. Then again it was about 2 in the morning.

Chinese lanterns everywhere.