Explore the parks of the UK's greenest city
Walk for a few minutes in any direction in Sheffield and you’ll most likely wander through at least one of its 800-plus managed greenspaces, including woodlands, parks and public gardens. If you’re lucky, you might even get lost in one of them.
The UK’s Greenest City is a title that surprises many who have yet to visit Sheffield and have misguided perceptions about the so-called "industrial north" and ironically, we have the city's industrial heritage to thank for its hundreds of beautiful leafy, grassy, flower-filled municipal areas.
The process of making steel requires lots of heat, which in turn requires lots of fuel, so at the peak of Sheffield’s industrial dominance, the city made sure it had lots of trees.
Meanwhile places like the glorious Sheffield Botanical Gardens were developed to act as "lungs of the city", offering Sheffielders a place to breathe clean air away from the factory chimneys.
Today, much of the steel industry has gone, but one of its legacies is this array of green gifts, strewn across the city in different shapes and sizes. Here are a few of the key ones to explore...
Sheffield Parks
Norfolk Heritage Park
A unique inner-city green space consisting of 28 hectares of Grade II* listed historic parkland with some amazing view over Sheffield's city centre and beyond.
Endcliffe Park
Endcliffe Park is a large park and popular family visitor destination in Sheffield. Comprising parkland as well as woodland, is the first in a series of parks and green spaces, known collectively as Porter Valley Parks, which you can follow all the way out to Peak District.
Meersbrook Park
Meersbrook Park covers approximately 17.845 hectares and is situated in the centre of Meersbrook, an inner suburb of Sheffield about 2 miles outside the city centre.
Graves Park
Sheffield's biggest park in the South West of the city, Graves Park is made up from a mixture of open greenspace and woodland, and boasts lots of facilities for visitors including a cafe, two children's playgrounds and Graves Park Animal Farm.
Millhouses Park
Millhouses Park is located approximately 3 miles south-west of Sheffield City Centre on Abbeydale Road South. It contains a skate park, playing fields, playground, bowls green, basketball court, boating lake and and incorporates a section of the River Sheaf corridor.
Sheffield Botanical Gardens
Situated close to the urban city centre, Sheffield Botanical Gardens were opened in 1836 and now cover 19 acres on a south-west sloping site. The Gardens are listed by English Heritage as a Grade II site of special historic and architectural interest.
Hillsborough Park
Hillsborough Park is located approximately 3 miles north-west of Sheffield City Centre. The park features sports facilities, a children's playground and walled garden, along with a park cafe operated by Depot Bakery.
Manor Fields Park
Manor Fields Park is increasingly known as a real ‘hidden gem’. A naturalistic district park tucked away just ten minutes from the City Centre.
South Street Park
South Street Park has an arboretum, or living tree collection, and a beautiful amphitheatre.
Pound's Park
Pound’s Park, named after Sheffield’s first Chief Fire Officer, Superintendent John Charles Pound, is hugely popular spot for everyone in the city to relax and for children to play.
Greenhill Park
Greenhill Park, situated in Lowedges, is one of the 20 District Parks in Sheffield.
Firth Park
The Park was given to the people of Sheffield by Mark Firth in 1875, and opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Park is held in trust by the City Council for the residents and visitors of the city to enjoy.
