13 incredible things not many people know exist in Sheffield from hidden ruins to underground world

By Robert Cumber

Published 22nd Jul 2023, 04:30 BST

Sheffield is an amazing city and, however long you’ve lived here, there’s always something new to discover.

From hidden museums and architectural marvels to a vast underground world, we’ve put together a list of Sheffield’s less vaunted attractions for visitors to check out. Some of them might even be unexplored by locals.

We’d love to hear your suggestions of other unusual and little-known places and things to do in Sheffield which you feel are also among the city’s hidden gems.

These are just some of the incredible places to visit in Sheffield which many people don't know exist

1. Incredible things

These are just some of the incredible places to visit in Sheffield which many people don't know exist Photo: Various

The old prisoner of war camp off Redmires Road in Lodge Moor, Sheffield, is believed to have been the largest such camp in the UK, having housed 11,000 prisoners during the Second World War. Its most famous inmate, Karl Dönitz, who years later became Hitler's short-lived successor, stayed there during the First World War, and it was the scene of an unsuccessful escape attempt. Today you can wander among the extensive ruins and imagine what life there must have been like for those held captive all those years ago.

2. Lodge Moor POW Camp

The old prisoner of war camp off Redmires Road in Lodge Moor, Sheffield, is believed to have been the largest such camp in the UK, having housed 11,000 prisoners during the Second World War. Its most famous inmate, Karl Dönitz, who years later became Hitler's short-lived successor, stayed there during the First World War, and it was the scene of an unsuccessful escape attempt. Today you can wander among the extensive ruins and imagine what life there must have been like for those held captive all those years ago. Photo: Andy Done-Johnson

The University of Sheffield's paternoster lift in the 22-storey Arts Tower is one of only two such continuously moving doorless lifts in the UK. It famously featured in the BBC medical drama This is Going to Hurt, starring Ben Whishaw and has become a rite of passage for students.

3. Paternoster lift

The University of Sheffield's paternoster lift in the 22-storey Arts Tower is one of only two such continuously moving doorless lifts in the UK. It famously featured in the BBC medical drama This is Going to Hurt, starring Ben Whishaw and has become a rite of passage for students. Photo: JPI media

Sheffield has lots of great museums but the Alfred Denny Museum, in the University of Sheffielda's imposing red brick Alfred Denny Building, on Western Bank, is one of the least well known. Named after the university's former professor of biology, it houses specimens from across the globe, including many fossils. One of its most unusual artefacts is the skull of the extinct 'terror bird', which was up to 10 feet tall. The Alfred Denny Museum is usually open for pre-booked guided tours at 10am, 11am and 12pm on the first Saturday of each month. There are only 25 places per tour, so book early.

Named after the former professor of biology, Alfred Denny, the Alfred Denny Museum in Sheffield University's Alfred Senny Building, on Western Bank houses hundreds of skeletons and preserved animals. Many of the specimens have been in the museum since the early 1900s when collecting was at its peak. The Alfred Denny Museum is usually open for guided tours at 10am, 11am and 12pm on the first Saturday of each month. There are only 25 places per tour, and they must be pre-booked

4. Alfred Denny Museum

Sheffield has lots of great museums but the Alfred Denny Museum, in the University of Sheffielda's imposing red brick Alfred Denny Building, on Western Bank, is one of the least well known. Named after the university's former professor of biology, it houses specimens from across the globe, including many fossils. One of its most unusual artefacts is the skull of the extinct 'terror bird', which was up to 10 feet tall. The Alfred Denny Museum is usually open for pre-booked guided tours at 10am, 11am and 12pm on the first Saturday of each month. There are only 25 places per tour, so book early. Named after the former professor of biology, Alfred Denny, the Alfred Denny Museum in Sheffield University's Alfred Senny Building, on Western Bank houses hundreds of skeletons and preserved animals. Many of the specimens have been in the museum since the early 1900s when collecting was at its peak. The Alfred Denny Museum is usually open for guided tours at 10am, 11am and 12pm on the first Saturday of each month. There are only 25 places per tour, and they must be pre-booked Photo: CHRIS LAWTON