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History
Past to Present
Medieval Times
Before the 1600s, Norfolk Park was part of a huge park that stretched from the Town Hall to Arbourthorne. This land was a deer park for Sheffield Manor and was grazed by around 1,000 fallow deer, which were hunted by the local gentry. The land was owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury and included the Manor Turret, one of the places used to hold Mary Queen of Scots a prisoner.
1600s - The Dukes of Norfolk
In 1637, the land passed by marriage to the Howard family, Dukes of Norfolk. Over the following century, most of the land was sold for mining and farm land. The area of parkland was slowly reduced until only an area of 70 acres (27 ha.) was left which now forms Norfolk Heritage Park.
1800s - Designing the Park
In the 1840s, the 12th Duke of Norfolk initiated plans for the layout of the park in the style fashionable during the Victorian era. The lime and oak tree avenues and the circular carriageway were established, and later the lodges and entrance gates. In 1848, Norfolk Park was one of the first parks in Britain to be opened free to the general public. The park quickly became a popular place to walk in the woodland, play sports and go for carriage rides. Every Whitsuntide the park played host to 100s of people from churches all over Sheffield for the 'Whit Sings', when everyone sang hymns to celebrate the church festival.
1897 - '50,000 Children Sang'
On May 21st 1897, Queen Victoria visited Sheffield to open the new Town Hall. As part of her tour, she visited Norfolk Park to listen to 50,000 children singing patriotic songs and hymns including "Strike Loud Notes of Triumph". 200,000 people gathered in the Park to see the Queen, which was over two-thirds of the population of Sheffield at that time!
1900s - 'A Gift Worth £60,000'
This was the headline in May 1909 when the 15th Duke of Norfolk announced that he would give Norfolk Park to the City of Sheffield, to hold in trust. The newspaper describes the Duke as Sheffield's "friend and patron at every turn" and the park as the "greatest gift to the City". From this date Norfolk Park belonged to the citizens of Sheffield, with the condition that the Arbourthorne cottages and the approaching roads remained for the Duke's use.
To commemorate the event a refreshment pavilion (the old cafe) was built in 1910. A stone entrance arch was carved with the Duke of Norfolk's image. This arch still stands and is now the entrance to the viewing terrace.
Later in the century proposals were put forward for formal sports facilities including bowling greens and tennis courts. Many of these were established between 1930 and 1950 and the bowling greens are still used by one of Sheffield's oldest bowling clubs.
1960s - City in the Sky
Until the 1960s, most of the land surrounding the park was still farm land used for grazing. This was soon to change and the area was redeveloped as one of Sheffield's modern high-rise estates - a City in the Sky. The now familiar tower blocks were built and the population of the area increased dramatically. Today Norfolk Heritage Park still remains a green oasis in the heart of a busy city.
1990s - Restoration of the Park
Over recent decades, Norfolk Heritage Park declined as resources to care for the park were limited. In the 1990s Sheffield City Council and the local community decided they wanted to restore the park. A plan was developed, and because of the national importance of Norfolk Park, it was awarded £2.3 million in 1998 by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Additional money was contributed by other funding organisations, bringing the total money for restoration to £4.7 million. The initial plans to restore the dilapidated lodges, erect the new playgrounds and build the new Centre in the Park have now all become a reality.
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