Castlegate and Victoria Quays
Located on the fringes of the city centre, Sheffield's Castlegate Quarter is a bit of an enigma with a pretty prolific past...
Castlegate
A historic district where rivers Sheaf and Don meet, a medieval castle once stood on the site of Csatlegate for several centuries and was even home to an imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots.
The confluence of the rivers and the castle combined, meant for a long time Castlegate was the original epicentre and likely the origin of Sheffield's 'making' heritage as a city too.
Nowadays, the area is on the brink of change once again as work has begun transforming a huge part of the area into the city's newest inner-city greenspace.
Several other major developments have already started breathing life back into the quarter, such as the award-winning Grey to Green, where innovative urban planting has created the UK’s longest ‘green street’ corridor and largest retrofit urban sustainable drainage scheme.
This has been a catalyst for other inventive uses of meanwhile spaces in the quarter too, such as the monthly flower market Pollen and the UK's only purpose-built city centre skateboarding space on Exchange Street.
Victoria Quays
Victoria Quays is a large canal basin, close to Sheffield City Centre, that heads up the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal.
Located on the edge of the Castlegate Quarter, Victoria Quays is a great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Perfect on a sunny day, enjoy the waterfront with a drink or a bite to eat from True Loves or Victoria Junction Café.
For outdoor city adventures you can follow the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal Towpath from the Quays all the way to Meadowhall and beyond - look out for the Looping Boat Sculpture along the way.
Sheffield Castle site – the transformation has begun!
A major transformation is now underway, set to breathe new life into the Castlegate district and by 2026, it will be home to Sheffield city centre’s newest public park.
This new green space will feature newly exposed castle remains, uncover the River Sheaf for the first time since 1912, and host an outdoor events space for 500+ people, while heritage interpretation boards and public art will invite visitors to celebrate the site’s long history.
The National Videogame Museum
The UK's national cultural centre for videogames! Come and play this interactive museum dedicated to exploring the culture, playfulness, design and people behind videogames.
With over over 100 games, including retro arcade classics to Nintendo, Sega and beyond, you'll learn their history and cultural importance and even make them.
Located in Castle House, the museum is open Thursday to Sunday and every day during the Sheffield school holidays.
Regular market events
Pollen Market
Popping up on the third Sunday of every month, Pollen is an inner-city flower market that has flourished to become one of Sheffield’s best loved outdoor markets. A monthly celebration of all things botanical, each event delivers an abundance of greenery, live music, food & drink, art and local produce, showcasing amazing independent businesses from across the city and beyond.
Quayside Market
Taking place on the second Saturday and Sunday of every month (April - September) Quayside is a street food and craft market held along the cobbled quayside of Victoria Quays, at the heart of the Sheffield Canal Basin.
Exchange Street blocks
A series of concrete blocks and round metal railings were installed on Exchange Street in 2020 to create the only inner-city skateable public space in England.
It now goes by a few names, with some locals calling it Marioland while others call it Parallol, as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the famous Parallel spot in Barcelona.
It's not quite got that level of skate fame (yet), but it does draw quite a crowd with hundreds of local skaters enjoying the features every week and some visitors from beyond Sheffield too, especially when hosting events like Skate Jam (part of the Festival of the Outdoors).
Greenspace exploration...
Grey to Green
Grey to Green is an award-winning scheme bringing colour and sustainability to inner-city Sheffield.
The UK’s longest ‘green street’ and largest retrofit sustainable urban drainage scheme, it offers a calming refuge in an urban environment and encourages cycling & walking too.
Victoria Quays
A large canal basin, that heads up the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It's also home to two vibrant bars, a café and hosts Quayside Market once a month.
Five Weirs Walk
An fascinating accessible walk that starts from Lady's Bridge in Castlegate. Stretching for 7.5km along the River Don to Meadowhall, it passes the five historic weirs from which it takes its name and takes in various waterside green spaces, intermingled with some historic industrial parts of the city.
Food, drink & music
Tenpin Sheffield
An enhanced bowling experience with 21 lanes, complete with fully immersive sound and lighting. The venue also features a pitch and putt, four escape rooms, a futuristic laser tag arena, three karaoke rooms, and a large arcade space boasting the latest video games.
Albie's Coffee
Albie's Coffee is an independent coffee company built from their neighbourhood shop. They pride themselves on a friendly welcome and quality brews.
True Loves
True Loves is a wonderful refurb of the old canal arches. Honest, humble and independent, they are a staple with local communities, but love promoting the fantastic produce of Sheffield and broader Yorkshire.
Delicious Clam
Operating as a label, practice room and small gig space from their Castle Market headquarters, they fuel the fire of Sheffield’s alternative scene, and also explore new territories, from stand-up to brilliantly daft club nights.
Plot 22
Plot 22 is a grassroots music venue and studio space situated in the heart of the Castlegate district of Sheffield in the old Castle Market.
Panke Social
An independent music venue and bar located on Exchange Street in Sheffield's Castlegate, the venue is known for its unique, DIY vibe and for hosting a variety of events, including LGBTQ+ events, album releases, and music performances.
The Chakra Lounge
The Chakra Lounge is a delightful vegan cafe fusing Indo-Western cuisine in Fitzalan Square in the city centre. With lush interiors and great culinary creations (and some tasty drinks to boot), you'll find it a wonderful spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch.
Hygge
A scandi style cafe with a really cool interior and always a great atmosphere. Frequented by students, staff, visitors and travellers alike, it's a great place to work, hang out, catch a bit to eat or just re-caffeinate. And yes, it's in a building nicknamed the sugar cube... you'll see why when you get there.
Extra Life Gaming Lounge
Offering a wide range of video game consoles and games for customers to enjoy! Pick a console, play a game and enjoy or just sit back and relax with a coffee and cake.
Castlegate's heritage
Sheffield's Castlegate area is so named because of a thriving cultural and political centre that established the city in the 12th century, with a historically significant castle at its centre.
It is only now that we are starting to uncover more about this incredible site, and discover that Sheffield's making heritage dates back much further than we thought...
Park Hill
Europe's largest Grade II listed building, a brutalist architecture masterpiece, and a community centre in its own right.
Just short stroll over the tram bridge from Victoria Quays and Castlegate, head up the hill to the walkways in the sky, which have featured in so many films and TV shows.
Here you'll find cafes, art centres, events and green spaces to explore.
