This is Sheffield's original name, celebrated in art
This name is derived from the word sheaf or sheth - with its meaning to divide or separate.
The name is thought to originate from when the Anglo Saxons arrived in this country, from any particular period between the sixth and the ninth century.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWith 'sheth' meaning to divide, 'feld' in Old English means a 'forest clearing'. So we can safely assume that Sheth-Feld refers to a settlement in a forest clearing, near to the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don.
The story of Sheth-Feld, and others, has been colourfully illustrated in a series of images by rail operator TransPennine Express.
They have done this as part of a celebration of the origins of how Northern cities and towns got their names.
Once the Normans had conquered in 1066, Sheffield Castle was built to protect the local settlements.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis was a nucleus for what became the modern city of Sheffield.
By 1296 Sheffield had become a prominent market town and it was known as a centre for the production of high quality knives, right back as far as the thirteenth century.
The city’s geographical position helped significantly in its development as an industrial city.
Surrounded by hills and with no less than five strong rivers, it was an ideal setting and early knife and cutlery industries developed on the banks of Sheffield’s rivers. Power came from water wheels driven by the rivers, and canals were used to transport coal and iron mined locally.
Sheffield Castle was destroyed around 1644 following the English Civil War. Today’s oldest standing building is Sheffield Cathedral, dating back to the thirteenth c entury.