Castlegate's Great Pier plans revealed Posted by: Paul Stimpson 16th January 2018

The pier will allow the public to view the excavation of Sheffield Castle

As part of the excavation of the historic Sheffield Castle, plans have been submitted to erect a 'Great Pier', giving the public a chance to view the archaelogists at work.

The Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned for more than a decade, was demolished in 1647 and later became home to the indoor Castle Market in the 1960s.

A drawing of Sheffield Castle by Kenneth Steel (1950)

In the planning application submitted by the University of Sheffield, a mission statement reads: "The 'Great Pier' is a vision to uncover the Sheffield Castle remains and kick-start the regeneration of Castlegate."

"A publicly accessible temporary pier structure will reactivate Exchange Street and provide viewing access to the archaeology activities to the public as they take part on the site.”

Sheffield city council announced last summer that £800,000 will be invested in revamping the Castlegate Quarter, transforming the oldest part of the city into a digital business hub and to prevent the Old Town Hall from further deterioration. The investment plans also included a new investigation into Sheffield Castle's history.

Demolition of Castle Market - image from Hughes and Salvidge.

Organisers say the project is "proposed to act as a catalyst for the development of Castlegate, allowing future generations of Sheffield to enjoy the area once again".

If plans are approved by the council, the Great Pier will be open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm.