The Moor Quarter

Moorhead.

The Moor Quarter is one of Sheffield's twelve designated quarters, built around and named for The Moor, a pedestrianised thoroughfare. It is bound by Furnival Gate in the north-east, Eyre Street in the south-east, St Mary's Gate to the south, and Moore Street and Charter Row to the north-west.

It is primarily a retail location, with the city's main market now located in the quarter. There are also some offices at Charter Row and Moorfoot.^[1] Owners Scottish Widows Investment Partnership have a long-term redevelopment plan for The Moor to increase the retail, commercial and residential capacity of the quarter to improve its nightlife, and in the short-term to house the relocated markets from the Castlegate Quarter.^[2] It benefits from a good location, centrally between the Devonshire Quarter, Cultural Industries Quarter, Heart of the City and London Road and Ecclesall Road shops. It is also close to the proposed Sevenstone development.

The monolithic Moorfoot Building is at the south-west end of the Moor. It previously housed central British government departments, but is now used by Sheffield City Council.

The Moor

The Moor itself is a primary pedestrianised thoroughfare and one of the main shopping streets of Sheffield, England. Along its length lie some of the most popular department stores and it is seen as one of the primary retail cores of the city centre. The street was originally named Sheffield Moor, then in the early nineteenth century was renamed "South Street",^[3] but was again renamed in order to avoid confusion with a South Street near Hyde Park. The shops along it were rebuilt in the 1950s following damage in World War II and pedestrianised in 1979 with market stalls now occupying the former roadway.

The Moor stretches from Furnival Way, Moorhead to the north to Cumberland Way, Moorfoot to the south, where the former Moorfoot Building blocks the route on to London Road.

The major retailers on The Moor include Debenhams, Atkinsons (department store), Sainsbury's, Poundland and TJ Hughes. There are also numerous smaller units as well as open-air market stalls in the middle of the pedestrianised area.

Regeneration

The Moor Quarter is currently undergoing a programme of regeneration by Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, who own most of the buildings on The Moor. In July 2011, SWIP submitted a planning application for a 55,000 sq ft retail block at the north end of the street, which will feature a large digital screen and space for two shops and a department store.^[4]

Moor Market

Entrance to the new Moor Market.

The Moor Market opened in November 2013^[5] on the corner of The Moor and Earl Street, replacing Castle Market in the Castlegate area which closed on the same weekend. The scheme cost £18 million^[6] and includes 200 market stalls and eight shops.^[7][8]

Sheffield City Council own the market and aim to attract 100,000 shoppers per week. Most stalls have been let rent-free for the first six months and at half-rent for the following six months to encourage businesses to locate in the market.^[9]

Future

Currently, the Moor runs through the middle of the quarter, so the area is deemed to have a good base upon which to build. Office developments and multi-storey car parks will be built at Eyre Street and Charter Row with leisure facilities at ground-level to increase activity all around the quarter. A new route to the rest of the centre will be created at Furnival Square, with a bus interchange at Charter Square.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Moor.

• The Moor official website

Coordinates: 53°22′33″N 1°28′25″W / 53.375789°N 1.47367°W / 53.375789; -1.47367