Heritage Open Days 2023: Tours of Kelham Island, Neepsend and Yellow Arch Studios

This year’s Heritage Open Days will see Kelham Island Walks running two walking tours and offering a chance to see inside recording and music venue Yellow Arch Studios. The tours on offer include not only the regular Kelham Island Walk, but a chance to try out a brand new walking tour around Neepsend. Tickets are free, but limited, and must be booked online in advance. Tickets will be available from 5pm on 24 August 2023.

Tues 12 September, 6pm - Kelham Island Walking Tour

This is the regular walking tour of Kelham Island that is available throughout the year. The walk brings to life one of Sheffield’s first industrial districts. You’ll discover its buildings, stories about its history, the successes and the tragedies of the people who made it what it is, and an insight into the place today.

Further details and how to book your place here

Thurs 14 September, 6pm - Neepsend Walking Tour

This is a brand new walk that has been in the makings for about 18 months. This walk brings to life the story of how Neepsend grew from a small hamlet by the river to a thriving working class community. Today it is still a vibrant part of Sheffield, but its past is still there to see if you know where to look.

Further details and how to book your place here

Sun 17 September, 10.45am, 12.45pm and 2.15pm - Yellow Arch Studios tours

Working with Yellow Arch Studios, Kelham Island Walks is offering the opportunity to visit this hub of Sheffield’s music scene guided by one of its founders Andy Cook. Yellow Arch Studios is now one of Sheffield's top live music and recording venues, but the building dates back to the 1870s when it was a part of Sheffield's industry. Three separate tours will be run on the day which will tell the story of its industrial past and its music present.

Further details and how to book your place here

Discover Heritage Open Days

Heritage Open Days is an annual event where every September, thousands of events are organised by volunteers giving people a chance to see more of our history and culture. This year’s its on from 8th to 17th September. As well as countless walking tours, there are lots of buildings that only open to the public this one time of the year. You can see a full list of what’s on in Sheffield on the Heritage Open Days website.

The first Kelham Island walking tour that was open for anyone to book and come along was held as part of Heritage Open Days in 2019, and that event was key in raising the profile and success of Kelham Island Walks. Also available in the area is a lunchtime Lowlights at Kelham Island Museum tour, Meet the Little Mester also at Kelham Island Museum, a Kelham Island Pub Heritage Walk, a Sheffield Home of Football talk, beer and cellar tour at the Gardener’s Rest pub in Neepsend, a tour of Sheffield Street Art in Neepsend and Kelham Island, as well as many others in, around and connected to the area.

Launch of Kelham Island and Neepsend art and studios tour

I’m really pleased to launch a brand new walking tour that will highlight the artistic side of Kelham Island and Neepsend.

The walk will be lead by local artist and director of the Kelham Island Arts Collective (KIAC) Simon Wigglesworth-Baker, and will not only highlight the amazing art that can be seen around the area, but it will also give a chance to see inside some of the artist studios. It will show a completely different side to the local area from the focus on history on the original Kelham Island Walking Tour.

We’ve been planning this walk for a while, and with the increased interest in the art scene in the area, it’s great to be finally launching it. The first walk will be on 5 August, with them then taking place on regular dates afterwards.

You can read more about the walk here, and bookings are available as usual via Eventbrite.

Sheffield Heritage Open Days 2021

If you're interested in history and seeing little known parts of the city then Sheffield Heritage Open Days is the event for you. It's on from 10 to 19 September and is entirely free. It includes free guided walks, tours of fascinating buildings from the grand to the ordinary, online talks, and special events at places that may be more familiar. You can see a full list of what's on in at Sheffield Heritage Open Days online and free booklets will also be available around the city. Heritage Open Days runs across England (largely excepting London which has its own Open House London event on 4-12 September) and so there’s plenty of other places to visit too.

Here are some of the places you can visit in and near Kelham Island and Neepsend. Whilst many are on a 'just turn up' basis there are others that need booking, and they can get booked up fast.

Aizlewood's Mill, Nursery Street

Friday 10 and Tuesday 14 September

Guided tours of this Victorian flour mill that dominates the surrounding area. Bookings by email.

Gardeners Rest, Neepsend Lane, Sheffield. Photo: Anders Hanson

Brewery talk and tasting, Gardener's Rest, Neepsend Lane

Tuesday 14 September

Learn about traditional brewing and get to taste some of the wares too. Bookings by Eventbrite.

Cutlery for afternoon tea

Wednesday 15 September

An online talk that goes through a range of over 50 unusual objects made in Sheffield and sent all around the world to adorn dining tables. Booking to be announced

Gardener's Rest Festival of Food and Drink, Neepsend Lane

Throughout

During the Heritage Open Days festival, the Gardeners Rest will be paying homage to Sheffield's traditional, locally-produced food and drink to mark this year's Edible England theme. Just turn up.

Industrial Collection Store Tour, Kelham Island Museum, Alma Street

Wednesday 15 September

This tour gives you the rare chance to visit the collection stores at Kelham Island Museum and get a little bit closer to the fascinating objects that aren’t currently on display.

Holy Trinity Church, Nursery Street

Throughout

Grade 2 listed building erected in 1848 for Wicker district parish. During the flood of 2007, the church was extensively damaged. The congregation is refurbishing to its former glory. Just turn up

Pub Heritage Walk: Kelham Island

Friday 17 September

This event is a short walking tour in the Kelham Island area of Sheffield. It encompasses both aspects of the industrial heritage of the area and of the ‘Beer Capital’ status owned by the City of Sheffield. Bookings by Eventbrite.

Tales of City Centre Music Halls of West Bar

Tuesday 14 and Thursday 16 September

Linear walk exploring the ‘Shaftesbury Avenue’ of Sheffield and the history of local music hall. A walk round the West Bar area, visiting the sites of long gone music halls, circuses and pub singing rooms, with tales of the managers, artistes and clientele of these establishments. Bookings by Eventbrite.

The history of the Gardener's Rest talk with cellar tour, Neepsend Lane

Wednesday 15 September

A chance to learn about the fascinating history of this Victorian pub, plus a rare opportunity to visit the cellars and learn about how real ale is kept. Bookings by Eventbrite.

Zion Graveyard, Attercliffe, Sheffield. Resting place of Mary Anne Rawson. Photo: Anders Hanson

Wardsend Cemetery, Livesey Street, Hillsborough

Sunday 12 and Tuesday 14 September

Join us for " A Wardsend Wander" in our Cemetery next to the River Don. You will hear about producers of agricultural tools and silverware manufacture through market gardening, livestock rearing and brewing, to a world of competitive sports’ achievements. Bookings by Eventbrite.

Zion Graveyard, Lawrence Street/Zion Lane, Attercliffe

Sunday 12 September

Explore a unique historic burial ground and find out about key members of Georgian Attercliffe. You will also see the grave of Kelham Island's very own Mary Anne Rawson. Just turn up.

Three books about Sheffield for World Book Day #WorldBookDay

Today is World Book Day and so it seems appropriate to pick out some books that are worth a read if you want to know more about the history of Kelham Island and Neepsend, and of Sheffield as a whole. As you can imagine, anyone who takes walking tours has a lot of local history on their shelves, and so for this post I’ve picked just three.

A History of Sheffield by David Hey

The first is David Hey’s A History of Sheffield. There’s a few books that are considered classics on Sheffield history and this is one of them. Although published in 1998 it is a great read for anyone who wants a concise, readable but informative history of the city from the earliest settlers up to (almost) the present day. David Hey was a hugely respected historian and the one time president of the British Association for Local History. He sadly died five years ago but his legacy and contribution to studying Sheffield’s history is huge.

Made in Sheffield: The Story of James Dixon & Sons Silversmiths by Pauline Cooper Bell

Cornish Place is one of the most famous landmarks in Kelham Island, and the firm of James Dixon & Sons who owned it are one of the most significant in Sheffield manufacturing. This short book Made in Sheffield by Pauline Cooper Bell takes you through the development of the company, stories about the Dixon family itself, the highs and the lows and changes at Cornish Place itself. It’s a great book written by someone whose family worked in the factory and has been really helpful background reading for Kelham Island Walks and contains far more than the walks ever can. If you want to get a feel for how a Sheffield family-owned silversmiths grew, became a world leader and then declined this is a good pick.

Sheffield Public Houses by Michael Liversidge

No post about Kelham Island would be complete without mentioning pubs and this book Sheffield’s Public Houses by Michael Liversidge is from one of the city’s experts on the subject. It’s is another pick from the late 1990s and so some pubs have closed or changed their name since, but it’s still a fascinating read. Not only is it a comprehensive list of all pubs in Sheffield past and present with potted histories of many of them, it also includes some fascinating stories about pubs with connections to the Sheffield Flood, crime, ghosts, and the city’s music and sporting history.

So that’s three books about Sheffield history, but there could have been many more. One thing that Sheffield does really well is local history books and so we can’t wait for the bookshops to reopen. This of course includes Kelham Island’s very own Kelham Island Books and Music that has a section dedicated to local history. You’ll also sometimes find some interesting reads in the antique shops that have opened in Neepsend such as The Kelham Flea and The Blind Mole.