Sheffield Cutlery Works To Be Redeveloped

heffield Cutlery Works To Be Redeveloped

The Iconic Eye Witness Works and Ceylon Works in the heart of Sheffield city centre, both of which are listed buildings, are to serve as the setting for a new community, as part of plans to regenerate the area.

The new Milton Street development will include 97 loft apartments and townhouses, as well as private courtyards, cobbled streets and a cafe/bar, the Sheffield Star reports.

Eyewitness Works has been a stalwart on the Sheffield skyline for decades, home to Taylor’s Eyewitness for the last 150 years – a company that provided the UK with cutlery.

Developer Capital and Centric offered reassurances that the two buildings would retain their original charm, with residents still able to enjoy features like the 40ft chimney, Victorian safes, timber roof structures, exposed brickwork and 150-year-old pressing machines.

At a planning meeting, the company’s Tom Wilmott said: “We are developers with a real passion for architecture and good design and the restoration of heritage assets. “It’s our first project in Sheffield and we hope it will be the first of many.

“We are passionate about doing more in the city. We feel incredibly fortunate to be involved in the restoration of these two listed buildings and we relish the opportunity to be involved in shaping the history of the last 50 years of these buildings.”

He went on to say that there will be a good mix of townhouses and one, two and three-bed apartments, intended to encourage a broader demographic and create a sustainable community over the long term in this particular part of the city.

Taylor’s itself was founded at the start of the 19th century, producing kitchen and pocket knives, as well as scissors and sharpeners, for more than 150 years. It’s thought that the Eyewitness moniker – which was first registered as a trademark in 1838 – was inspired by a line in Shakespeare’s Henry IV… “no eye hath seen better”.

The area of Sheffield, the city’s Devonshire quarter, is just five minutes’ walk from the heart of the metropolis, with all sorts of cafes, bars and restaurants nearby on the likes of West Street and Division Street, as well as the Cultural Industries Quarter.

A guide to the Devonshire Quarter was released last year by Sheffield Business Improvement District, a 32-page booklet promoting the people and places that make this part of the city famous for its eclecticism.

Did you know that frontman of Pulp Jarvis Cocker broke his arm falling from a window in the Devonshire Quarter while trying to impress a girl? It’s also where Arctic Monkeys were discovered and you can retrace their steps at the Frog and Parrot. These fun facts and a whole lot more can be found in the guide… interesting reading indeed!

For scaffolders in Sheffield, get in touch with us at Burflex today.

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