Walking Sheffield’s Western Watercourses

Walk leaders: Jonathan & Catherine
Difficulty: Moderate
Start time: 10:00
End time: 16:30
Start and end point (circular route): Endcliffe Park Café, The Old Pavilion, Endcliffe Park, Rustlings Road, Sheffield S11 7AB
Distance (in miles): 12
Ascent (in meters): 463
Is your walk dog friendly?: No

Full description:
This will be a joint walk with the Sheffield 40s Walking Group. We meet at Endcliffe Park Café (please arrive early if you’d like refreshments) to begin our wondrous walk of Sheffield’s western watercourses. We stroll through the park and into Porter Valley, where we will pass Shepherd Wheel, a working museum in a former water-powered grinding workshop, and Forge Dam, an old industrial millpond.

We ascend the valley to the Sheffield Rotary Club Viewpoint, from which landmarks over 50 miles away can be seen on a clear day. From there we cross Rud Hill and descend to Redmires Reservoirs, which were built to provide Sheffielders with clean drinking water following the cholera epidemic of 1832.

From the reservoirs we head to Wyming Brook Nature Reserve, with its babbling streams and mossy crags teeming with wildlife, and on to Rivelin Dams with their lush surrounding woodland. A saunter though Lodge Moor and Fulwood takes us back to Forge Dam (time for an ice cream at the café?), then we return to Endcliffe Park via Porter Valley, taking the path on the other side of the river this time.

This route includes a mixture of country roads, surfaced tracks and unsurfaced moorland paths. There are stiles and some steep gradients. Conditions underfoot can be muddy and wet, so sturdy footwear and suitable clothing are recommended. Please also bring a packed lunch.

Public transport or car sharing options:
There are a large number of bus services which stop at Endcliffe Park. Options include: 6, 65, 81, 82, 83, 88, 181, 272 Peak Link, 786. There is car parking available at Endcliffe Park and in the streets around it, but public transport is advised.

Be prepared:
Please remember to dress appropriately for the time of year. A waterproof is always advised, as well as plenty of food and water. Please bring sun protection if required (sun hat, sunglasses, sun cream, etc). Further information on what to bring can be found on our website here: https://www.sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk/be-prepared

Sign-up:
Sign-up for this walk opens 5 days before the event. If you sign up and can no longer make it, please be respectful of others and remove yourself from the event so that others can take your place. We request you do this ***NO LATER THAN 6pm*** the night before the walk.

Please note:
Sheffield 20’s and 30’s Walking Group is part of the Ramblers, a registered charity. All of our leaders are volunteers. Everyone is welcome to join us on our walks, there is no need to contact us in advance, and as long as you have a place on our Meetup booking system you can just show up. Non-members can come on up to 3 walks before joining the group. After 3 walks, we require you to sign up as a Ramblers member for insurance purposes. More information about the group can be found at https://www.sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk/faqs.