The New Moor Market

Basic problem with the market too many empty units. Some units don't trade every day.

That's about the way I see it too. Just seen that Sainsbury's is downsizing so that looks like another nail in the coffin. We could not get a lot of the stuff we usually get so we have decided that one week in every two it will be Sainsbury's at Archer Road for us which means that one week in two we will not be visiting the market.

They are creating an Argos store within it, as has happened in many places now that Sainsbury's have taken over Argos.

They are creating an Argos store within it, as has happened in many places now that Sainsbury's have taken over Argos.

So are they closing the Argos at castle square?

I think it is

"Nairn loved Castle Market, completed 1965 and part of Womersley’s extraordinary legacy to the city (the actual architect was Andrew Darbyshire). 'Like all of Sheffield, it has a sloping site; a simple concrete and glass exterior conceals an elegant dovetailing of two market floors with gaps in the upper floor to look down on the lower and a half-way level which runs into the pre-war meat and fish markets – a staggering perspective of hooks and flesh …… everything flows together, as it ought to, and so shopping becomes a pleasure not a chore. And because it has been designed carefully and sensitively, life comes rushing up to meet it – as it always will, given the chance'. Like Park Hill, Castle Market was a symbol of the excitement and confidence of Sheffield in the sixties. Its sculptural form is thrilling, especially the abstract skyline composition of stairs and ventilation towers and the spiralling ramps to the rear. The adjacent two-level precinct of shops has a wonderfully confident, spare geometry which was evidently too subtle for the Council and subsequently jazzed up with silly ironwork, like the entrances to the market itself. All life has now been crushed out of the market, forlornly shut up and like the precinct awaiting the bull dozer, 'cos it was a concrete monstrosity, see. Lets have some cheap, shiny, wonky offices and apartments instead. And exhume some poxy foundations of a castle demolished in 1648 with a fake reconstruction as a tourist attraction. God strewth!"

 

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1461939

Blinkin Eck ,talk about prophesying , the poxy foundations are arising from the ashes , the shiny ,wonk,y offices and apartments will no doubt follow

Yes indeed, I remember potty Edwards throwing entire dinner services around along with the patter. Never dropped a thing. And then there were the vendors calls from the fruit and veg benches, and the men, fag in mouth, pushing trolleys full of spuds and cabbages to and fro.

 

Real bustle, colour and personality.

 

All sadly missing from the new Moor Market.

Street life Anna ,the planners have killed the noisy, smelly, laughing ,crying every day Street life ,they have tried to take it into a linear show case on the Moor another old traditional area that they have ruined by cutting it off with a wall at the bottom, take a look at George Cunningham paintings and roor .

I have noticed that that this is a trend with a lot of cities that have undergone redevelopment - they tend to become safe and bland. I suppose it takes time for qualities such as colour and personality to develop in new places.

Though having said that, when I first moved to Sheffield in 1991, I noticed immediately that there felt a divide in the city centre. Where the old Castle Market was it was rundown and it seemed like the people that shopped there were marginalised and taken for granted. West Street, Division Street and Pinstone Street all looked gleaming by comparison.

What would help, I think, is a return of the free bus service that ferries people around the city centre. Sheffield does feel very spread out.

What would help, I think, is a return of the free bus service that ferries people around the city centre. Sheffield does feel very spread out.

It is, it's a struggle for skinflints like me to get from the bottom of the Moor (Poundland, Fultons foods, Iceland, Bodycare and Pound Bakery) to Castle Square (two Poundlands, Savers, Wilkos, Heron Foods, Fultons foods again) in my lunch break.

Trouble with the free bus service is that (a) it NEVER stopped for me, probably because (b) I never knew where the freebie bus stopped and © if the rumors are true and t'council want to move the shopping areas away from Castle Square to the Moor, then Castle Square's days as a shopping district are numbered

It is, it's a struggle for skinflints like me to get from the bottom of the Moor (Poundland, Fultons foods, Iceland, Bodycare and Pound Bakery) to Castle Square (two Poundlands, Savers, Wilkos, Heron Foods, Fultons foods again) in my lunch break.

 

Trouble with the free bus service is that (a) it NEVER stopped for me, probably because (b) I never knew where the freebie bus stopped and © if the rumors are true and t'council want to move the shopping areas away from Castle Square to the Moor, then Castle Square's days as a shopping district are numbered

I used the freebie bus service quite a bit, (even though I'm not a pensioner or disabled) and very useful it was too!

I'd be sad to see Castle Square go as a shopping area. I thought the TJ Hughes in that massive building on 4 floors was excellent. The new one down the Moor just doesn't have space for all the bargains they used to have. Wilkos is another fabulous shop, and it feels out on a limb now the old market has gone. Perhaps they ought to have a big one in the middle of the centre so it doesn't feel like a trek to get down there. Loved Spoils too, had all sorts of useful kitchenware.

I used the freebie bus service quite a bit, (even though I'm not a pensioner or disabled) and very useful it was too!

I'd be sad to see Castle Square go as a shopping area. I thought the TJ Hughes in that massive building on 4 floors was excellent. The new one down the Moor just doesn't have space for all the bargains they used to have. Wilkos is another fabulous shop, and it feels out on a limb now the old market has gone. Perhaps they ought to have a big one in the middle of the centre so it doesn't feel like a trek to get down there. Loved Spoils too, had all sorts of useful kitchenware.

I doubt Wilkos would move out of Castle Square unless they were forced to.

The town centre Wilkos is big and cheap because they got a very deal on the rent (somebody on this forum said as much) so I doubt Wilkos would move to a more expensive location in the city centre 'cos it would mean a smaller store and higher prices - just like the TJ Hughes store you mentioned.

Have you seen the Wilkos at Meadowhall? I doubt that rent is cheap for such a relatively small store, and they don't stock the same bargain items that the Castle Square store has.

Wilko at castle often sells brand name items half price, frequently.

Like joker said their stock is far better than at meadowhall.

The london road wilko has closed now.

They close them big stores down there but dont connect new development with tram and the bus journey is awkward and long to just get from castle gate to bottom of moor.

I always used the old market. I never use the new one. Some of the prices of the new market are same or worse than a standard supermarket now.

There's still the (little advertised - I guess they hope it can be killed off citing lack of use) 50p 'Centro Fare' on First (I was recently charged 60p on Stagecoach).

My attempts to establish the precise boundaries of this 'Centro' zone have drawn a blank but it's certainly valid between the Waingate/Haymarket/Snig Hill stops and Moorfoot. Not free - but still pretty good value at 50 (or even 60) pence.

There's still the (little advertised - I guess they hope it can be killed off citing lack of use) 50p 'Centro Fare' on First (I was recently charged 60p on Stagecoach).

 

My attempts to establish the precise boundaries of this 'Centro' zone have drawn a blank but it's certainly valid between the Waingate/Haymarket/Snig Hill stops and Moorfoot. Not free - but still pretty good value at 50 (or even 60) pence.

Been going for years, just like you said not very well advertised. The FreeBee bus was only ever full of pensioners the majority of the time anyway, so makes sense to have these use the existing services as it's still free to travel.

The only gripe I have with the council, is that in their conquest to kill the proper end of town, they have failed to extend the tram and improve the bus network to accommodate the move from Castlegate to Moorfoot. It's also sad to see the state of Castlegate at the moment - so depressing and needs some serious TLC.

Hopefully the new developments around the former Primark building and Castle House/Co-Op will kickstart the regeneration. From looking at it, we might be waiting another decade until the former Court and Castle Markets areas even start to be developed/excavated though! :hihi: