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We're attending an event in the Steel City in a couple of weeks, so are planning to take the bikes up and have a bit of an explore. Planning 3 or even 4 nights there. Is there much urban/gentle path type riding up there (my wife will not be doing any proper off-roading 🙁 )? We like towpaths, old railway line type stuff. Routes with interesting things to see along the way.
Alternatively, if the weather's bad, is there much to see and do in Sheffield? Art, museums etc? Last time I was up there there were still a few old foundries and the like; I'm into urban/industrial photography so could be a good opportunity to take some shots (I'm photographing the event anyway so will have my 'proper' camera).
Gentle rides:
Round Ladybower, start/stop at Fairholmes
Drive to Hassop, food at the station lovely, ride the Monsal Trail
Endcliffe Park for a couple of miles, check out Shepherds Wheel then ice cream at Forge Dam cafe, very easily rideable from city centre
Museums with industrial stuff:
Weston Park
Kelham Island - see the River Don engine running
Abbeydale Indistrial Hamlet
http://www.simt.co.uk/
Magna - https://www.visitmagna.co.uk/
Endcliffe Park has a great route out into Derbyshire, its Ecclesall Road area so depending where you are staying a short bike ride from city centre.
Failing that Trans pennine trail is towards the north of the city and and a nice gentle ride
City centre there is Kelham island etc link below
http://www.simt.co.uk/kelham-island-museum
Restaurants are varied but would recommend London Road for diversity and it's a short taxi journey from centre.
Nice. Like the sound of these. Looking forward to it now! 🙂
Drink Bradfield Brewery's Farmer's Ale, absolutely wonderful beer and £2 a pint in their pub.
The weather's not looking great for the next few days, so we're leaving the bikes at home. The last thing we want is to be stuck out somewhere unfamiliar with bad weather coming in (was trying to persuade the missus to buy a Brompton for this and future trips, but she 'doesn't have time to go to bike shops' so that's a mission for another time). So it's a 'city break' we're having. 😆 I think we'll actually be doing some shopping; a new laptop for her, and I always need new footwear. Was wondering about any tools etc that are still made in Sheffield; are there any, and where to buy?
Any tips on old/decaying remnants of the steel industry? I seem to remember some grim looking forges the last time I was in Sheffield. Anything reasonably accessible?
Visit my daughter's cafe https://realjunkfoodsheffield.com and enjoy a scrumptious meal whilst saving good food from going to landfill.
Famous Sheffield Shop for Sheffield made steel stuff. Keep up the valley to get to Shepherds Wheel, a working water mill with belts and grinders and everything. Keep going further for Forge Dam cafe. Richard Hawley's regular haunt.
Winter Garden is nice. Milliennium Galleries likewise. Weston Park museum is always a good rainy day diversion.
I think the continental market will be on on Fargate.
+1 for the River Don Engine at Kelham Island. Handy for a couple of great pubs too, Fat Cat and Kelham Island Tavern. Fat Cat for good food, veggie options too.
APF
Depending on what tools you're interested in, [url= http://www.rileysmachineryandtooling.co.uk/ ]Riley's[/url] is worth a good poke around. Some will certainly be made in Sheffield.
David Mellor centre in hathersage is great, a tour of the cutlery workshop is very interesting. Easy train ride from Sheffield centre or drive out.
Eccleshall road is good for lots of shops and plenty of eating places.
London road for every ethnicity of food under the sun.
The grind cafe on kelham island for coffee and lunch.
Food wise, the Forge Bakehouse on Abbeydale Road is great for breakfasty/lunchy stuff. (Huevos Rancheros for brekkie and I don't want to eat again until midafternoon!)
Rafters for an excellent evening meal.
Tamper coffee also very much worth a look.
Isnit the food festival this weekend? Right in the city centre I believe...
Tampur for coffee? That's so last year. Howst is where it's at now.
The weather will be fine, I promise!
Eccleshall road is good for lots of shops and plenty of eating places.
Ecclesall Road
Kelham island area has a museum, brewery tour and beer.
Endlcliffe park has a tiny museum and a walk and some nice cafes nearby
If you are down at Kelham Island - Milestone is nice for a spot of dinner, Depot bakery does great donuts.
Also google - Escape Sheffield, not been myself but heard good things.
If you like industrial heritage there is the home of stainless steel:
[url= http://portlandworks.co.uk/ ]May not be open to the public though. [/url]
+1 all the rest, Kelham island, abbeydale, shepherd wheel.
Drink Bradfield Brewery's Farmer's Ale, absolutely wonderful beer and £2 a pint in their pub.
Prefer moonshine from Abbeydale brewery myself. It is £2.90 in my local though.
You are more likely to bump in to Richard Hawley in the back room of the greystones than forge Dam cafe. Although my wife bumped into Phil Oakey there once. And Jess Ennis on the monsal trail, funnily enough.
Well, when my wife suggested we should turn our trip into a mini-break, I have to say I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea, but I have to say, it was actually a wonderful holiday! 😀 I think not having any expectations helped, but neither of us imagined Sheffield would have so much to offer, and be such a great place to visit. In fact, we ran out of time to do stuff, so are already planning a return!
Thanks for the suggestions. Kelham Island proved to be a true delight; that Don Valley engine, when it gets going, is something else, eh? 😯 And the volunteers at the museum, many of whom have worked in the steel industry, are excellent and a true credit to their city. In fact, most of the people we encountered were really nice, and anyone from Sheffield can justifiably be proud to come from such a great city.
Other commitments/stuff prevented us from doing anywhere near what we'd hoped to, which leaves us with loads of stuff to do when we next visit. But we enjoyed a very relaxing break (my wife's laptop charger went kaput which was a blessing in disguise), and it's hard to believe that the tranquility of the Rivelin Valley, just a couple of miles from the city centre. So; hit us with some more recommendations of things to do!
clodhopper - Member...it's hard to believe that the tranquility of the Rivelin Valley, just a couple of miles from the city centre...
if everyone could just look at me for a moment;
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Sheffield is a great city I agree, let down massively by the horrendous conditions of the roads.
Which are currently being resurfaced
very slowly. then dug up again.
"if everyone could just look at me for a moment;"
I don't understand that.
Actually, we agonised over whether or not to go into the Bessemer on Leopold St. Looked very enticing. Please tell us we didn't make a mistake? 😯