42 July 2018 Canal Boat canalboat.co.uk
Sheffield
Looking towards the opposite (terminus) end, the straddle
warehouse which bridges the basin is seen to the right, and the
timber canopies over the water to protect unloading craft from
the elements are to the left. The warehouse has survived,
converted to office use, but the canopies have gone – and
where an assortment of vans were parked in the old picture,
today a law firm has its headquarters.Tell us about your boat [email protected]
THEN & NOWSheffield
At the date of this view of Sheffield Basin (taken
looking eastwards along the north side towards
where the canal heads off left towards Tinsley), the
area around the terminal basin was still used for
storing goods – and if it hadn’t actually arrived by
water, the barges were a recent memory. Today the
area has been renamed Victoria Quays, with a marina,
a waterside Hilton Hotel, new office blocks, and café
bars attracting people to this formerly industrial area.
The tip of the church spire is still just visible; below it is
a bridge which carries the modern tramway – what
would Sheffield folk of around 50 years ago (or
visitors by water) have thought of the prospect of
trams ever returning to the city?