Peace Garden, Sheffield

Starting in 1930, City Councils in parts of the UK were required to make plans for slum clearance. The idea was to demolish impoverished areas and replace slum housing with other development. Saint Paul's Church of Sheffield, facing the New Town Hall, was among the properties slated to go.

In 1938 the church was razed, and the Gardens took its place. They were called Saint Paul's Gardens. But it was 1938, September, and the Munich Agreement promised peace. So, Saint Paul's Gardens became the Peace Gardens. The Munich Agreement and Saint Paul's are memories, but the Peace Gardens remain.

In 1997 steps were taken to remove what was left of Saint Paul's graveyard. The cemetery was replaced with the Sheffield Millennium Square, with fountains and cascades in the center. Prince Charles formally opened the square. The theme is a river of steel, the steel that made Sheffield famous. Flowing channels are the five rivers of Sheffield.

There are memorials of Sheffield people who have served in wars, including the Spanish Civil War and the Korean War. There is also a memorial to Hiroshima, unveiled by survivors of the blast. The Holberry Cascades are named for the Chartist rebels of Sheffield in the 19th and 20th centuries. Here are memories of wars and hope of peace.