Sheffield is the 4th largest city in England (1.London, 2.Birmingham, 3.Leeds). It’s in the north of England in the county of South Yorkshire.
- City population: 534,500
- Nickname: The Steel City
- County: South Yorkshire
- Cities and towns nearby: Rotherham, Doncaster, Leeds, Chesterfield, Derby
History
In the 14th century, Sheffield was already an area of industry. Knives were famous local products. By the 1600s, Sheffield was England’s main producer of cutlery (knives, forks and spoons).
During the 19th century, Sheffield became internationally famous for producing steel. As a result, Sheffield became known as the ‘Steel City’.
In 1912, ‘stainless steel’ was developed in a factory in Sheffield. Soon, stainless steel became the standard material used to make cutlery and tools.
Now, most of the factories have closed. Many have been knocked down and replaced by modern shopping centres, sports facilities and entertainment areas.
Nature
Approximately 61% of the city is green space and, according to Sheffield City council, there are more than 2 million trees.
To the west of the city is the Peak District National Park, and the Pennine hills. They are both huge areas of beautiful countryside, small traditional villages, wildlife and farmland.
Climate
In 2010, the temperature in Sheffield ranged from -8°C in the winter (December) to 32°C in the summer (July). This is a little colder and hotter than normal.
It often snows in Sheffield during winter. In December 2010 it snowed very heavily and it was the coldest winter for 100 years.
November to March usually has the worst weather. During this time it’s often rainy and cloudy and there aren’t many sunny days.
During spring and summer the weather is usually very pleasant. Even though summer is sometimes very hot, it isn’t very humid. This means it’s a comfortable season and we don’t need air conditioners.
Universities
There are 2 big universities in Sheffield – The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.
The University of Sheffield was established in 1897 and is currently ranked 40th in the world. Sheffield Hallam University’s history started in 1834 when it was a design school. It is currently the 8th largest University in the UK
Sports and Entertainment
The world’s first football club was Sheffield FC, which was established in 1857.
The world’s second football club was Hallam FC, which was founded 3 years later.
Both amateur teams still play today.
There are 2 professional football teams in Sheffield – Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United. Sheffield also has:
- an ice hockey team (The Steelers)
- a swimming team (Sheffield City SC)
- a rugby team (The Eagles)
- a basketball team (The Sharks)
- a speedway team (The Tigers)
Sheffield has a lot of culture but is also very cosmopolitan. There are many museums, theatres, and festivals. Many famous musicians play concerts every year in one of the large stadiums or arenas. There are many pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants all around the city. Some of them are very old and traditional, whereas some are very modern and artistic.
________________________________________________
Famous things to come from Sheffield
- Stainless steel
- Cutlery
- The world’s first 2 football clubs (Sheffield FC, Hallam FC)
- The Full Monty (Film)
- Def Leppard (Rock group)
- The Arctic Monkeys (Rock group)
Did you know?
Sheffield has a friendship agreement with Kawasaki city in Kanagawa
