History of Sheffield of the 7th century. An enduring Celtic presence within this area is evidenced by the settlements called Wales and Waleswood close to Sheffield—the word "Wales" derives from the Germanic word "Walha", and was originally used by the Anglo-Saxons to refer to the native Britons. The name "Sheffield" is Old English in origin. It derives from the River Sheaf, whose name is a corruption of "shed" or "sheth", meaning to divide or separate. "Field" is a generic suffix deriving from the Old English "feld", meaning a forest clearing. It is likely then that the origin of the present-day city of Sheffield
Geography of Sheffield a regular occurrence especially in the city centre that was at the bottom of a natural bowl. The River Don became one of the most polluted rivers in Europe. In his 1937 book "The Road to Wigan Pier" George Orwell said that Sheffield 'could justly claim to be called the ugliest town in the Old World'. However, in the 1930s Sheffield City Council and public benefactors such as J.G.Graves started buying rural land around Sheffield in order to protect it from developers. This was one of the earliest examples of greenbelt land. The residential areas cover the majority of the