Three books about Sheffield for World Book Day #WorldBookDay
Today is World Book Day and so it seems appropriate to pick out some books that are worth a read if you want to know more about the history of Kelham Island and Neepsend, and of Sheffield as a whole. As you can imagine, anyone who takes walking tours has a lot of local history on their shelves, and so for this post I’ve picked just three.
A History of Sheffield by David Hey
The first is David Hey’s A History of Sheffield. There’s a few books that are considered classics on Sheffield history and this is one of them. Although published in 1998 it is a great read for anyone who wants a concise, readable but informative history of the city from the earliest settlers up to (almost) the present day. David Hey was a hugely respected historian and the one time president of the British Association for Local History. He sadly died five years ago but his legacy and contribution to studying Sheffield’s history is huge.
Made in Sheffield: The Story of James Dixon & Sons Silversmiths by Pauline Cooper Bell
Cornish Place is one of the most famous landmarks in Kelham Island, and the firm of James Dixon & Sons who owned it are one of the most significant in Sheffield manufacturing. This short book Made in Sheffield by Pauline Cooper Bell takes you through the development of the company, stories about the Dixon family itself, the highs and the lows and changes at Cornish Place itself. It’s a great book written by someone whose family worked in the factory and has been really helpful background reading for Kelham Island Walks and contains far more than the walks ever can. If you want to get a feel for how a Sheffield family-owned silversmiths grew, became a world leader and then declined this is a good pick.
Sheffield Public Houses by Michael Liversidge
No post about Kelham Island would be complete without mentioning pubs and this book Sheffield’s Public Houses by Michael Liversidge is from one of the city’s experts on the subject. It’s is another pick from the late 1990s and so some pubs have closed or changed their name since, but it’s still a fascinating read. Not only is it a comprehensive list of all pubs in Sheffield past and present with potted histories of many of them, it also includes some fascinating stories about pubs with connections to the Sheffield Flood, crime, ghosts, and the city’s music and sporting history.
So that’s three books about Sheffield history, but there could have been many more. One thing that Sheffield does really well is local history books and so we can’t wait for the bookshops to reopen. This of course includes Kelham Island’s very own Kelham Island Books and Music that has a section dedicated to local history. You’ll also sometimes find some interesting reads in the antique shops that have opened in Neepsend such as The Kelham Flea and The Blind Mole.