A visit to Sheffield's Megatron has been on our radar for some time now, but we had never gotten around to arranging a trip. The Sheaf & Porter Rivers Trust are currently holding some tours with volunteers to visit the Megatron and hear about the history. We decided to join along on a nice Autumn day to see what was below our home city.
Background
Megatron, Sheffield, is a Victorian subterranean storm drain, which was built in the 1800's. The culverts were built for a variety of reasons, some of which are, to build the railway station, as part of the expanding markets and structures, and to hide the open sewers. Along the rivers you can find remains of old Crucibles — used in steel-making — that had been discarded into the river. A cheap snack for working classes in Victorian times would have been oysters. This fact is visible due to the plentiful of oyster shells to be found along the river journey. There is also other industrial and architectural history. Abandoned artefacts, such as bricks from Sheffield’s Gregory Brick Company amongst others, give a glimpse of the city’s heritage. Meanwhile, the tunnels themselves are an insight into incredible Victorian architecture.
Future ambitions include creating the ‘Sheaf Field’ park and removing part of the deteriorated culvert. This would open out the river Sheaf by the ruins of Sheffield’s old castle at the old Castle Market site. Stakeholders are exploring the possibility of having water sports such as kayaking on a stretch of the river here. There are also plans to open up light wells where access points are currently situated. As a result, fish — including salmon — would be able to move upstream and into the city centre.
On to the photos:
Background
Megatron, Sheffield, is a Victorian subterranean storm drain, which was built in the 1800's. The culverts were built for a variety of reasons, some of which are, to build the railway station, as part of the expanding markets and structures, and to hide the open sewers. Along the rivers you can find remains of old Crucibles — used in steel-making — that had been discarded into the river. A cheap snack for working classes in Victorian times would have been oysters. This fact is visible due to the plentiful of oyster shells to be found along the river journey. There is also other industrial and architectural history. Abandoned artefacts, such as bricks from Sheffield’s Gregory Brick Company amongst others, give a glimpse of the city’s heritage. Meanwhile, the tunnels themselves are an insight into incredible Victorian architecture.
Future ambitions include creating the ‘Sheaf Field’ park and removing part of the deteriorated culvert. This would open out the river Sheaf by the ruins of Sheffield’s old castle at the old Castle Market site. Stakeholders are exploring the possibility of having water sports such as kayaking on a stretch of the river here. There are also plans to open up light wells where access points are currently situated. As a result, fish — including salmon — would be able to move upstream and into the city centre.
On to the photos:
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