Castle Square, Sheffield

Castle Square is the name given to the plaza at the intersection of High Street, Angel Street, and Arundel Gate in the City of Sheffield, England. This name was given to the square in the 1960s to reflect the proximity of the square to the former site of Sheffield Castle, which was formerly located a short distance to the northwest.

The Market Place

Castle Square was originally known as the Market Place (or the Shambles), markets were held on this site from 1296. A market cross was erected here in 1568 but taken down in 1786 when the market moved into the new Fitzalan Market Hall that was build over part of the market square. A monument to the poet Ebenezer Elliott was erected on the same site in 1854 but was moved to Weston Park in 1875 where it can still be seen. The Fitzalan Market Hall was demolished in 1930 ending nearly 700 years of market trading at this spot.

The Hole in the Road

Many buildings in the vicinity of the Market Place were damaged or destroyed on the night of 12 December 1940 when German aircraft bombed Sheffield. The bomb sites were cleared but most remained empty for many years. In 1968 many old streets were cleared to make way for the new Furnival Gate, a dual carriageway road that terminated at a large roundabout built on the former market place. Underneath the roundabout a network of underpasses and shops was built (with a central area open to the sky), this formed a complex that was officially designated Castle Square but became affectionately known locally as "The Hole in the Road". Although considered by many to be a major city landmark, like many constructions of its time, the hole in the road didn't age well and was very dilapidated by the early 1990s.

Supertram

In 1994, as part of the works for the construction of Sheffield's new Supertram network, the underground portion of the Hole in the Road was filled in. The roundabout was removed and the whole area landscaped. The Middlewood branch of the Supertram system was built crossing the square with a tram stop being constructed in the centre of the square.

External link

• A history of Sheffield's Markets