Best of Sheffield - A Complete Night Photography Guide
- Fai Redefined
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
Sheffield is not a common travel destination and some may not even heard of it; yet stainless steel, which we encounter in our daily lives, was born right here in this city. This is also the reason why it is called as the Steel City. Back in 2018 to 2019, I spent a brief but fulfilling period studying abroad in this city. Seizing the opportunity, I devoted much time to exploring every corner of it, aiming to capture its beauty under the best light and angles. Here, I've summarised my adventure and sweat into a photography guide, so that everyone can savour the charm of the Steel City.
Sheffield can roughly be divided into four main areas: the central City Centre, the eastern Park Hill & Wybourn, the northern Neepsend & Burngreave, and the western Western Bank & Upperthorpe. We'll start with Park Hill & Wybourn and the City Centre, which serve as the city's gateway.
Sheaf Valley Park
Sheffield Railway Station is right on the edge of Park Hill & Wybourn, with the post-war large-scale public housing estate on the hill behind it. From the east exit of the station, climb the stairs to reach Sheaf Valley Park, which is also the city's most accessible viewpoint.
Since the park faces west, you can see sunsets all year round, and if the weather is good, you'll catch incredibly beautiful clouds.
Besides, the Sheffield's city centre slopes gently upwards from east to west which makes this spot offers a view of the city skyline unfolding like ascending steps in front of you.
Manor Laith Road
If you find the relatively flat composition at Sheaf Valley less than ideal, you can head to higher ground further back at Manor Laith Road and nearby Skye Edge Avenue for shooting. Here, you can also see the ridges behind the skyline, and from this angle, it's easy to notice that Sheffield's main residential areas are actually built on higher terrain.
Towards Skye Edge Avenue, you can overlook the plains of the Lower Don Valley, where the large suburb shopping centres: Ikea and Meadowhall located, as well as major heavy industrial zone with steelworks of various sizes situated.
I happened to catch the moonset when I visited this spot in December, so I tested it out and found it's actually suitable for photographing moonsets.
Granvile Street
Granville Street is actually a small road in between Sheaf Valley and the railway station. Although there are walls of about adult height along this path, if you set up your tripod on top of the wall, you can see the station and the tracks.
I used the Manfrotto PIXI EVO mini tripod here, as its small size fits perfectly on the wall for steady shooting.
Besides the tracks, you can also find spots to photograph the platforms, and pairing them with evening glow can yield some nice photos.
Park Square Roundabout
If you walk to the end of Granville Street, you may find a footbridge spanning across Park Square Roundabout, from where you can see the tram flyover area. Since tram services aren't very frequent and traffic isn't always heavy. To get ideal light trails, you'll definitely need to stack images.
The other direction from the footbridge also offers a view of the railway station, so it's worth capturing that angle too.
Lady's Bridge
Sheffield has five rivers running through the urban area, with the main one being the River Don to the north of the city centre. At Lady's Bridge along the River Don, you can capture reflections on the water.
Near Lady's Bridge, there's also the old town hall and the old Victoria Quays to photograph. Though it is notable that this area can be quite quiet at night, so stay safe when shooting alone.
Trinity Street
Due to the salient elevation differences, Sheffield actually has worthwhile angles if you're willing to venture into its alleys. I personally highly recommend the views from Trinity Street where sloping lanes are paired with industrial buildings, allowing you to capture Sheffield's character in a single photo.
Town Hall / Fargate
The Fargate area around the Town Hall is the high street of Sheffield, with vibrant shops and banks lining this street.
The current town hall was completed in 1897 and still serves as the Sheffield City Council's offices and open to the public for visits.
Fargate often hosts various stalls or events, including the Christmas period's Festival of Minds where Fargate features wooden huts selling food and Christmas souvenirs, along with temporary bars and a Ferris wheel— a place where you can feel a strong festive atmosphere.
Furnival Gate
Located at the periphery of the City Centre, there's the recently rebuilt large shopping street: The Moor, where the Food Court in The Moor Market offers plenty of cheap, tasty, and unique food options. If you're unsure where to eat, it's worth a visit.
Nearby Furnival Gate has a multi-storey car park, from the top of which you can shoot night views of the roundabout and some suburban scenery.
Since it is in proximity to the railway station, it can be a spot to visit just before leaving.
Bridgehouses Roundabout
Having the City Centre spots covered, let's move to the northern Neepsend & Burngreave area.
This was once Sheffield's most thriving industrial district. Yet after World War II and the economic shifts following the oil crisis, a considerable number of industrial sites here have undergone redevelopment in recent years. The development around Kelham Island is a key example. But unfortunately after the 2008 financial crisis, the UK's economy has remained sluggish, delaying many valuable projects.
Along the River Don, we can still see many former industrial buildings, but like other English cities, Sheffield faces shortages of housing and office space, so vacant industrial sites are being repurposed — some into offices, and some others into residential uses.
Andover Street
The Neepsend & Burngreave area is characterised by very pronounced elevation differences, so heading to higher ground allows you to take in panoramic city views. When I first arrived in Sheffield and happened to come across good weather, I went to Andover Street to shoot a moonrise, though it wasn't as spectacular as I'd imagined.
However, the location also offers views of the Netherthorpe area, which pairs nicely with a sunset at its backdrop.
Parkwood Springs
If you've seen the YouTube thumbnail photo of my timelapse video created, it's clear that Parkwood Springs is the highlight recommendation in this article for a very simple reason: the view of Sheffield from here is just way too gorgeous and you may overlook the entire panoramic city skylines.
Parkwood Springs is on the fringe of the city centre, mainly surrounded by existing industrial operations. Follow Rutland Road to the highest point and you may find the park entrance, then pass through a wooded path to reach this perfect location. Since it faces mainly south, for sunsets, it's better to visit in winter when the sun is more inclined southerly.
Looking afar at Upperthorpe, you can see the orderly streets climbing the hills, like the pulsing veins of the city, displaying its vitality every moment.
But because the view here is too wide and panoramic, I recommend using a 70-200mm telephoto lens to avoid lacking focus in the composition.
According to the city council's planning documents, Parkwood Springs is planned to be redeveloped into a premier outdoor leisure destination with mountain bike trails, a new outdoor leisure facility, as well as a new access road connecting Oakham Drive with Vale Road to support the development.
The Arts Tower, University of Sheffield
Having covered the other areas, now to the final Western Bank & Upperthorpe district. Western Bank is home to the University of Sheffield campus, so much of the land here is university buildings. Since my daily classes at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning were in this area, and the tallest building here is The Arts Tower — the tallest university teaching building in Western Europe.
Occassionally, the upper floors host student exhibitions from the architecture and landscape department, so you may go inside for a shoot. Nevertheless it's not advisable to head up if you're not a student.
The Art Tower also houses one of Britain's few remaining Paternoster lifts, which is a fascinating experience to ride.
The Ponderosa
The Ponderosa is one of the larger parks in the district, with several independent apartments nearby. In summer, it's perfect for picnicking while watching the sunset, though sunset doesn't come until 9 pm.
Walking a bit further into the park, you'll start seeing distant views. You can capture the Veolia E.S. waste treatment plant with a 200mm telephoto lens and this spot is best in winter to catch the evening glow at the same time.
The Blake Street
Since the Upperthorpe district is on the edge of the Peak District mountains, the whole area rises gently from east to west and some of the streets are built with extremely steep gradient.
Blake Street is England's third steepest residential street, and you can see distant city views from its highest point.
Once when shooting here, an old man came over and told me that his ninety years old neighbour had seen German air raids on Sheffield from this spot during World War II. Since Sheffield's steel industry was mobilised for weapon production during the war, which made it a key target for Nazi Germany, with attacks on 12th and 15th December 1940.
Bolehills
The final spot is another key recommendation: Bolehills.
This is at the highest point between Crookes and Upperthorpe; since it's just a 30-minute straight walk from my dorm, I often treated it as exercise and hiked there, and even on the way up, you get nice views. Sheffield is actually the greenest city in the UK, with extensive tree planting around the city; but in recent years, authorities planned to fell some trees, sparking resident discontent, and locals are now campaigning to protect them.
Back to Bolehills: facing the Rivelin Valley directly ahead, you get clear views of the suburbs town around Stannington and the extensive Peak District hills.
It's suitable for sunset viewing year-round, and with the right light, it's great for portraits too which i once planned to take graduation photos here.
A panoramic wide shot of Stannington, one of my favourite photos taken throughout the year in Sheffield.
Since summer nights fall in a very slow pace, you'll have to wait a very long time for the houses below to light up, so patience is key when shooting.
Very importantly, this spot is usually extremely windy and waiting here can be freezing. So remember to dress warmly if you come.
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As a post-industrial city, Sheffield doesn't have many tourist attractions, but as an urban planning student, it provided me with an excellent classroom and real-life examples for contemplating urban visions — from industry and housing to redevelopment planning, everywhere offers reference points for my hometown: Hong Kong. I've never regretted my choice.
Although UK weather is often dreadful, short and cool summers, cold and grey winters with frequent drizzles that sap your energy. During my stay in Sheffield throughout the year, it didn't feel as bad as imagined. I often encountered blue skies, white clouds, and magnificent sunsets. At the same time, the city's unique geography let me wandered to riversides and various hills for shooting, allowing me to view this Steel City from another angle: cherry blossoms, factories, cityscapes, trams, street photography, mountain views which I believe it can satisfy photographers of all interests.
[This is an AI-translated article of my writing back in 11th February 2020]
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