It lies three kilometres north of the city centre, it is now a residential neighbourhood consisting mostly of public housing.

In the past it was a rural area made up of farmland and scattered small country houses.

[1] The rural hamlet of "Shiercliffe" started to develop during Anglo-Saxon times and was part of the Saxon manor of Grimesthou (now Grimesthorpe).

The manor of Shirecliffe was sold to George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury in 1572 although the hall remained a separate and desirable residence into the 17th century with the dissenting minister Rowland Hancock living there, followed by Sheffield's leading attorney Joseph Banks.

During World War II, anti-aircraft emplacements were set up in Shirecliffe to take advantage of the hilly terrain.

79 new dwellings were built in 16 locations by the contractors Henry Boot plc in conjunction with the architects Stephenson Bell, the development won a nomination in the 2010 Housing Design Awards.

have their football academy on Shirecliffe Road, they moved there in 2002 but the site was a sports ground long before that.

The Meadows nursery school, a new facility at the heart of the community, opened in Spring 2021, it is a co-operation between SHU, the Council and Save the Children.