Meadowhall - Definition and Overview

Meadowhall is a large shopping centre located three miles northeast of central Sheffield, England. Built on the site of a derelict steelworks, it was opened in 1990 creating thousands of new jobs and attracting regular visitors from many surrounding towns and cities. It was, however, widely blamed for the closure of many shops in Sheffield city centre and in the nearby town of Rotherham. At the time of opening it was arguably the largest indoor shopping centre in the UK, but since then other centres such as the Trafford Centre and Bluewater in Kent have been built and the Metro Centre in Gateshead has been extended.

Meadowhall is situated next to the M1 motorway, between Sheffield and Rotherham, in the shadow of the Tinsley viaduct. It forms the end of the Five Weirs Walk. As the region's main shopping and leisure centre its popularity continues to grow and a large expansion is currently (2004) planned, though some less shopping-oriented detractors have nicknamed it "Meadowhell".

Meadowhall can be extremely busy in the run-up to Christmas, and other major shopping periods.

Meadowhall also has a transport interchange, including Meadowhall railway station, a bus station and a Sheffield Supertram stop.