From the reign of Elizabeth I to the 19th century, water gushed and wheels turned at cutler’s workshops all over the Sheffield area. The cutlers’ shop is powered by water from the Porter Brook and is a domestic scale example of how our ancestors worked before the Industrial Revolution.

But restoring an old piece of industrial technology demands high levels of skills and knowledge and this £499,500 project has allowed a deeper understanding of how the famous cutlery industry in Sheffield was forged and helped to retain skills that would have otherwise been lost.

This magnificent restoration helps visitors from far and near understand what a unique site of industrial archaeological heritage the Shepherd Wheel is...

Maggie Marsh, Volunteer Co-ordinator for Friends of the Porter Valley Shepherd Wheel

Maggie Marsh, Volunteer Co-ordinator for Friends of the Porter Valley Shepherd Wheel, said: “This magnificent restoration helps visitors from far and near understand what a unique site of industrial archaeological heritage the Shepherd Wheel is and what a tragedy it would have been for Sheffield if it'd been lost.

"Being at the Wheel as a volunteer always enthuses me anew. The engineers and my volunteers have great chats with the fascinated children and adults who admire the workings of the 250 year old machinery in awe and wonder.”