Salmon of Steel: Steel City River Walk – Podcast

Local historians, environmentalists and ecologists take you on a journey along the River Don to tell the story of the river and how it has shaped Sheffield.

The project

Local historians, environmentalists and ecologists come together to celebrate the regeneration of the River Don and the return of the iconic salmon. Highlights include the Salmon of Steel itself, a 7ft sculpture of a leaping salmon made by Scrap Metal Artist Jason Heppenstall; a beautiful trail map, illustrated by Sophie Carter; and a podcast, in which invited speakers reveal the story of the river. The project grew out of an earlier collaboration between the Don Catchment Rivers Trust and Dr Deborah Dawson, a conservation geneticist at the University, investigating the return of Atlantic salmon to Sheffield after an absence of 200 years.

The Salmon of Steel exhibition is available to view online, and the sculpture is on display outside Sheffield Railway Station.

Salmon of Steel Trail podcast contributors – 

Dr Ed Shaw, Don Catchment Rivers Trust

Chris Firth MBE, Don Catchment Rivers Trust

Sally Hyslop, Don Catchment Rivers Trust

Prof John Moreland, Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield

Paul Richards, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust

Lizzie Dealey, Canal and River Trust