Local historian Ron Clayton shared his knowledge of the Moor’s history on Saturday, with over 50 people meeting outside Debenhams on Sunday 27th April 2008.
Ron, who has lived in Sheffield for over 55 years, led people through the history of The Moor’s landmarks, including its public houses, street names, artwork and well-known buildings, including Rockingham House and the ‘Old Man Power’ building at Moorfoot.
The Moor started off as common land where cattle grazed. To the right of The Moor (now Eyre Street) and onwards there would have been deer, beyond Moor Head was Sheffield Township and beyond Moor Foot was Little Sheffield. Imagine The Moor looking like grazing land adjacent to Chatsworth Park!
In Victorian times, The Moor was known as South Street and consisted of a mixture of cottages, metal trades buildings, breweries, tripe shops, pubs, retail premises and grimy workshops where Sheffield’s legendary buffer girls sat buffing the cutlery.
Ron recalled Sangers Circus coming to town in the late nineteenth century, with elephants and lions parading through South Street (renamed the Moor in 1922). It was a real thoroughfare where trams used to pass, and the tram tracks are still under where The Moor lies now.
The Duke of Norfolk owned the land from Pinstone Street upwards, and the rest of The Moor belonged to the Manor of Ecclesall, owned by Earl Fitzwilliam. Furnival Gate was named after Thomas Furnival, who built the stone Sheffield Castle in 1270.
John Holly gave his name to Holly Green. He was a supporter of John Wesley who attracted Sheffielders to the Methodist faith in eighteenth century Sheffield. When John Wesley came to preach in Sheffield he stayed with Mr Holly in a grand house on the site now occupied by the City Council compactor!
After the Blitz, most of The Moor was rebuilt and refaced with Portland Stone, the same stone used by Sir Christopher Wren in Westminister Abbey. Well established Sheffield firms which managed to recover after WWII include Atkinson’s (first trading in this area in 1870), Robert Brothers and Burtons (although the popular belief is that Burtons started in Leeds).
In the 60s and 70’s, Sheffield was a city on the move; Sheffield Wednesday lost the cup, shoppers visited Pauldens (now Debenhams), purchased Oxford Bags, granddad shirts and denim jackets from Just Pants Plus, Sexy Rexys, and suits from Barney Goodman.
In 1997, The Moor was the first place in Sheffield to have poems incorporated into the public realm and one of the first public art projects undertaken by the Off The Shelf Festival. The two poems, written especially for The Moor by playwright Richard Hurford and award winning writer Berlie Doherty, were entitled ' Set in Stone'. Berlie's poem draws on the city's heritage as a thriving commercial and industrial centre with an awareness of the beauty of its surroundings. Richard’s piece blends past, present and future, capturing the bustle and energy of a city centre shopping centre and emphasizing that whilst The Moor has moved on, its essence remains the same.
The tour took in Matilda Street (named after a visit by William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda), Rockingham Way (where Dunn & Co used to trade), Zing Vaa (one of the first Chinese Restaurants to open in Sheffield), Fox House, Chesham House and the Earl Street Pump Tavern, which had a sandwich room interior that looked like a silk tent.
The fiberglass sculpture in front of the Manpower building used to be a little fountain and ducks used to swim in the water! The hops and cow mural in Moorfoot represents Sheffield trades, as cow’s milk was used to cool hot metal.
Ron is really passionate about Sheffield and is looking forward to the redevelopment of The Moor, when the market moves from the site at Castlegate (the license to hold a market was issued in 1296) to its new home on The Moor.
To catch Ron’s next tour, meet outside Debenhams on the Moor at 2pm on Sunday 14th September.
You can see more historic images of The Moor in the old MKone unit.
For more information of The Moor's history click here