High Street, Sheffield

High Street is one of the main thoroughfares and shopping areas in the city centre of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, located at the approximate grid reference of SK356874.

High Street has the traditional wide variety of shops, financial institutions and eating places which are associated with any British town centre.

The first documented mention was in the 12th century when it was written that Worksop Priory owned five principal properties on the north side of High Street.

[citation needed] Sheffield's first Master Cutler Robert Sorsby bought a house on the south side of High Street in 1611 and had completely rebuilt it by the time he took office in 1624.

[1] High Street was the site of the original Sheffield Town Hall, which was situated by the church gates; it was a modest building which was replaced by a more impressive structure in 1808 on Waingate.

Plans were first put forward to widen High Street by the local council in 1875 but work did not start until 1895 due to objections from shopkeepers and wranglings over compensation and property boundaries.

It was designed by Charles Hadfield in the Tudor Gothic Style and is regarded as one of the best examples of architecture in the city centre; the notable stone carving is by Frank Tory.

It now houses the headquarters of the Sheffield Star newspaper (although the entrance is on York Street) and with its white brickwork and elegant clock tower it is a familiar landmark.

The "Hole in the Road" subterranean system was opened on 27 November 1967, however, the walkways fell into disrepair during the early 1990s and were finally closed to the public on 10 January 1994.