Sheffield, UK
Highlights
Sheffield City Centre
Park Hill
Kelham Island
Broomhill and Crookes
Nether Edge
Sheffield Round Walk
Endcliffe Park
Forge Dam
Ecclesall Woods
Graves Park
Meersbrook Park
Brincliffe Edge and Chelsea Park
Millhouses Park
Rivelin Valley
Norfolk Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Why visit Sheffield?
For lovers of the outdoors in the UK’s most underrated city - with amazing green spaces, vibrant culture and welcoming local people.
Sheffield, the Outdoor City, is a fantastic place to live and visit.
Getting There
Sheffield is in the centre of England and is connected by railway to London St Pancras, Manchester and Birmingham.
Sheffield is a 2-3 hour drive (with traffic) or a 2 hour train journey from London.
The city centre is compact and easy to navigate on foot. Sheffield has a tram and bus network.
Accommodation
We live in Sheffield but for visitors there are a number of good hotels in Sheffield including Kenwood Hall, Mercure St Paul’s, Leopold Square, and Brocco on the Park. The city also has all the usual budget hotel chains including Ibis and Premier Inn.
Sheffield City Centre
Visitors arriving by train into Sheffield City Centre will be greeted by Sheaf Square, a fantastic example of well designed public realm, funded by the EU.
Following the Cutting Edge sculpture and water features up the hill from the station, visitors will find that the City Centre has a number of other high quality public spaces including Tudor Square, the Peace Gardens, Winter Gardens and Millenium Square, all located adjacent to each other.
Newly opened in 2023 is Pounds Park. Located right in the city centre, convenient for the Moor shopping area, this playground provides more than enough to interest kids of all ages.
There is a sand and water play area, pyramid climbing towers with slides, a big boulder for rock climbing, a see saw, play houses and more.
Our kids were 7 and 10 when the playground opened and they gave it a thumbs up for having a good variety of challenging obstacles.
Sheffield has a vibrant independent retail scene. Some of our favourite shops in the city centre are Juno Books on Chapel Walk, Collard Manson on Division Street, and La Biblioteka on Eyre Lane.
We love browsing the different markets that Sheffield hosts throughout the year.
The Moor Market is open Monday-Saturday and alongside an array of fresh produce and clothing stalls, also houses a range of hot food stands with indoor seating and very reasonable prices.
On the third Sunday of every month, the newly regenerated Castlegate ‘grey to green’ area hosts Pollen - a fantastic plant and flower market with stalls displaying beautiful floral goods.
There is also a monthly market at Victoria Quays, and further afield there are buzzing neighbourhood markets held quarterly, at Crookes, Nether Edge and Sharrowvale.
Soya Express is one of our favourite places to eat in the city centre, with its cheap but top quality plates of Chinese food.
Other good places to eat in the city centre are Lucky Fox on Division Street, Tamper on Arundel Street, Vero Gusto on Norfolk Row, and the Kommune Food Hall in Castlegate. Also check out the Hungry Buddha in the aforementioned Moor Market - they serve delicious thali trays.
When our kids were little they enjoyed the Emergency Services museum. Older kids would have lots of fun at the National Videogame museum.
Sheffield has two good board game cafes - Treehouse on Boston Street and Patriot Games on Mary Street. Both are within easy walking distance of the city centre.
In the city centre there are three main theatres - the Crucible, the Lyceum and the Montgomery; two art galleries - the Millennium Galleries and Graves Art Gallery; and four cinemas - the Light, Curzon, Showroom and Odeon.
Park Hill
The Park Hill housing estate was originally built from 1957-1961 as social housing after World War II to replace back-to-back terrace housing demolished as part of slum clearance.
It consists of four high rise blocks built into the hill, with the roof line remaining level across the estate. The concrete estate is an example of mid-century brutalist architecture and in 1998 it was listed.
The estate sits behind Sheffield Station on the southern edge of the city centre, overlooking the city. Because of its elevated position there are fantastic views from here.
In the 1970s and 1980s the estate suffered from deprivation, social problems and crime. In 2009, in partnership with English Heritage, Urban Splash began renovating the buildings.
The redevelopment has been a commercial success. Sadly no longer social / public housing, the flats are now primarily owner occupied or private rented.
Landscaping and new public parks have revitalised the outdoor space. When we arrived in Sheffield in 2001 we were told not to go near the area as it was unsafe. This has changed, and the estate is now safe and pleasant to visit.
Tours encompassing the history of the estate and the lives of the people who live there, as well as a look inside one of the renovated flats, are provided by the residents’ association for £10 per person.
Recently the estate became the subject of the wonderful musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge. This play started in Sheffield before moving to the West End in London. It’s a fantastic exploration of Britain’s social and political fabric and a wonderful homage to Sheffield. It features gorgeous music by Richard Hawley.
We’d highly recommend seeing this show if you can get tickets!
Kelham Island
On the northern edge of the city centre is Kelham Island, an ex-industrial area with a rich heritage and redeveloped spaces.
There is the excellent Kelham Island Museum which has fascinating exhibits on the important role this area played in Sheffield’s economic development, technological advances, and engineering innovations.
Medieval Mayhem soft play is one of the cleanest and best run play centres in Sheffield. It’s great fun for kids aged about 6 and under and unlike most soft play facilities, it actually has an above par healthy food offering too.
Kelham Island’s old workshops and industrial spaces have been transformed into modern apartments and hipster bars, cafes and restaurants. The Cutlery Works food hall offers lots of variety from different street food outlets. Depot Bakery serves delicious food including amazing cakes, pastries and bread.
Jöro, one of our favourite restaurants in Sheffield, is in Kelham Island. It’s a wonderfully experimental restaurant that fuses British, Scandinavian and Japanese cuisine. It has 3 AA rosettes but thoroughly deserves a Michelin star. Until it gets one we are happy to keep it relatively secret! We don’t recommend it for kids unless they are brave foodies.
Broomhill and Crookes
On the western edge of the city centre are the neighbourhoods of Broomhill and Crookes. Sheffield University is in this area, and there is a cosmopolitan vibe with a mixture of students and families.
Broomhill is home to Weston Park Museum which covers local and natural history and caters well for children. The museum is adjacent to Weston Park, which along with the neighbouring Crookes Valley Park, makes for a pleasant afternoon.
Broomhill’s high street offering stretches along Fulwood Road with independent shops and cafes including Nam Song Vietnamese where they serve bowls of delicious noodle soup.
A really fun place to visit with kids in Broomhill is the LGBTQ+ inclusive and kid-friendly Steel Cauldron cafe, where afternoon teas are full of magic, witchcraft and wizardry.
Up the hill from Broomhill is the area of Crookes, ever popular with students and families, and home to a great selection of independent shops and eateries. We like Bolehill Recreation Ground which has a good playground, and wonderful views.
Nether Edge
Heading south from the city centre along London Road and Abbeydale Road are many bars, fast food takeaways and restaurants. Nether Edge Pizza is fantastic (though check opening times carefully), Bragazzis is an institution and the place to go for fresh ingredients and good coffee, and Forge Bakehouse sells delicious bread and pastries.
The Abbeydale Picture House is a listed building and the subject of a long-running renovation. It occasionally opens for indoor markets and cinema screenings. The basement is home to Picture House Social - a popular bar for a night out. Other bars and pubs in the area include Barrowboy, Two Thirds Beer Co., The Dead Donkey, and the ever popular Broadfield pub.
Head up Sheldon Road into the centre of Nether Edge and the area takes on more of a village feel with local independent shops and cafes. Relax in Cafe No.9 with a coffee or hot chocolate (and check out their music nights), pop into Zeds for organic and locally sourced groceries, browse books in Oxfam, pick up gifts in Wickwire, visit Kollective for a delicious lunch, or try Bench for a bistro dinner.
Sheffield Round Walk
The Sheffield Round Walk takes you on a fantastic walk around the west and south of Sheffield. It’s about 14 miles and because of the hills can be challenging.
Because it’s a circular route you can start it at any point and it’s a lovely way to get a feel for Sheffield’s geography and proximity to the Peak District. The Round Walk really helps you to appreciate how green the city is.
Here we describe the whole Round Walk and explain how to make your way from one green space to the next. But of course it’s possible to make the walk more manageable by breaking the route into smaller segments, or to visit any of the parks individually.
The Sheffield Round Walk connects a number of our favourite parks and green spaces including Endcliffe Park, Forge Dam, Ecclesall Woods, Graves Park, Meersbrook Park and Chelsea Park.
Endcliffe Park
Endcliffe Park is located about a mile to the west of the city centre with a playground, cafe, duck ponds and outdoor gym.
Sheffield is home to a large rock climbing community and a number of parks in Sheffield have giant boulders to scramble on which children love.
The Porter Brook river weaves its way through the park, and provides lots of fun opportunities for paddling and stepping stones.
At Easter, the Porter Brook river plays host to an annual duck race where hundreds of ducks are released.
Spectators sponsor a duck (all money raised goes to charity) and ‘help’ the ducks along as they make their way downstream. It’s fantastic fun!
At the end of the park, where Rustlings Road meets Oakbrook Road, there are some lovely duck ponds to walk past and lots of different (real!) ducks to see.
Forge Dam
To reach Forge Dam, leave Endcliffe Park and cross Rustlings Road into Bingham Park. Go past the allotments and Shepherd’s Wheel (on the weekends the antique water wheel is operating and is a great way to see and learn about the industrial past of Sheffield’s river valleys), and still following the river, continue on to Whiteley Woods.
After about a mile of following the river through Whiteley Woods (don’t miss the stepping stones through the river for bonus fun) arrive at Forge Dam where there is a good cafe and playground, dam and lake (with more ducks).
At the far end of the lake is an excellent bridge for ‘fishing’ and playing Pooh Sticks.
Ecclesall Woods
For a challenge, continue up the hill from Forge Dam for another mile to reach the hamlet of Ringinglow where there is a farm with alpacas (who love to be fed), and the excellent Norfolk Arms pub. Nearby is Lady Cannings plantation which has mountain bike trails.
To continue further on the Round Walk, head downhill from Ringinglow along the Limb Brook river, through the woods to Whirlowbrook Hall and Whinfell Quarry Gardens, and into Ecclesall Woods. The Quarry Gardens are pretty and have some unusual plants and rock formations.
Walk on to Ecclesall Woods. There are 2 million trees in Sheffield and it feels like Ecclesall Woods has a million of them!
The thick woodland has beautiful bluebells in spring, a discovery visitor centre and a small cafe.
The woods are great for kids who like to make dens and play hide and seek.
On Sundays during the summer and at Christmas, a model railway society at the lower entrance to Ecclesall Woods opens to the public. It’s perfect for toddlers - enjoy an afternoon riding miniature steam trains and eating ice cream!
Graves Park
From Ecclesall Woods, trek up (a very steep) hill through Ladies Spring Wood, past Beauchief Abbey which dates back to the 12th century, through Chancet Wood and on to Graves Park.
Graves Park is the city’s biggest park and sits to the south of the city centre. The park is a mixture of open fields and woodland, with several streams and a lake. It has a golf course, cricket pitch, tennis courts, bowling greens and two playgrounds, one with a large sandpit.
The highlight of the park is the animal farm. When our kids were little they loved feeding all of the animals. At Easter, Graves Park hosts an Easter egg hunt, and in summer time there is a ‘Highland Fling’ festival with music, cattle and dog shows, food stalls and funfair rides.
Meersbrook Park
From Graves Park, walk on to Carr Wood and downhill through Meersbrook Park. A steep park to the south of the city centre, Meersbrook has a small playground and a pretty walled garden. The steep hill can be challenging but it does provide fantastic views over to the city centre.
Brincliffe Edge and Chelsea Park
From Meersbrook Park walk to Abbeydale Road and up to Nether Edge and the woods of Brincliffe Edge (where incidentally we have our allotment).
On exiting Brincliffe Edge woods, cross the road and walk through Chelsea Park - a small and peaceful park.
Chelsea Park has a small playground best suited for younger kids, and lots of fantastic climbing trees. It’s great for a short walk, and in winter is the place to go for bonfire night and fireworks, and when it snows - sledging!
From Chelsea Park it’s a quick walk downhill to Hunters Bar and back to Endcliffe Park.
Millhouses Park
While not technically part of the Sheffield Round Walk, a short detour from Ecclesall Woods down Abbeydale Road will bring you to Millhouses Park.
Millhouses Park
Millhouses is a 15 minutes drive or bus ride to the south west of the city centre. The park is linear and, as is common with lots of Sheffield parks it runs through a river valley, in this case the River Sheaf.
Our kids learnt to ride bikes & scooters here. The park has a small BMX track and a large skate park. It also has a zipline, obstacle course, climbing frame, swings, boating lake, tennis courts and a decent cafe. In summer there is a water play splash area.
Rivelin Valley
This is another of Sheffield’s wonderful outdoor places. Located along the Rivelin River, to the north of the city centre, here the kids can play in the paddling pools and water play area (open in summer), and of course in the river itself. There is a decent playground and a good cafe here with delicious cakes. Look out for the giant chair statue on an island in the river, reached by a series of stepping stones.
Norfolk Park
And just to the south of the city centre is Norfolk Heritage Park. The playground here is relatively challenging with large boulders for scrambling on. It’s located in a sheltered woodland setting, so it’s great for both rainy and sunny days. And crucially, there is a decent cafe.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
45 minutes drive north from Sheffield is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
The Park is situated in the 500 acre Breton Hall estate and is home to a stunning collection that includes works by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Damien Hirst.
The visitor centre includes a decent cafe and a shop full of locally sourced clothes, food and crafts. The Park also has a smart restaurant called The Weston, if you fancy a treat.
We love visiting at different times of year, seeing the spectacular landscape change with the seasons.
The Park is also home to sheep, deer and highland cattle.
The YSP is a fantastic place for a walk, in a gorgeous setting, where you can encounter surprising, innovative, and pleasing art along the way.
Final Thoughts
Sheffield is one of the top destinations for families moving from London and is a fantastic place to live and visit.
The city is friendly and welcoming (and prides itself on being the UK’s first city of sanctuary for refugees).
It has a small town charm feel but with all the facilities and amenities of a big city. The two Universities and a tonne of creative industries give it a youthful and vibrant feel.
Sheffield is one of Europe’s greenest cities and with the Peak District providing the city’s western boundary, it is known as the Outdoor City.
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