Tinsley Marina Open Day
Fall in love with Sheffield’s canal this Valentine’s weekend at Tinsley Marina Open Day and discover the benefits of being by the water with your friends and family.
Taking place over Valentine’s weekend, the UK’s largest canal charity, that looks after 2,000 miles of canals (320 miles in Yorkshire & North East), will be sharing their love for Sheffield & Tinsley Canal with an event that showcases some of the many ways that canals can be enjoyed.
From arts and heritage to canoeing and walks – a range of free family-friendly activities for all ages will be on offer, kindly supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery funding.
Additional Information
George Baines, youth and community engagement coordinator at Canal & River Trust is organising the event. He said: “Sheffield & Tinsley Canal is a wonderful place to be, taking you from city to country. Wildlife and greenery line the towpath and the area's rich steel heritage is everywhere along the canal, alongside contemporary artwork and colourful murals.
“Research tells us that our canals and rivers are among the most important places to visit to improve your health, well-being and give our mood a boost. With spring around the corner, it’s a great time of year to help people to reconnect to this hidden gem and showcase the work we do to look after our historic waterways and keep them open and alive.”
Discover the major new public artwork by British artist Alex Chinneck that celebrates the history of Tinsley, Sheffield’s historic waterways and industrial heritage. The Looping Boat is situated just a few minutes’ walk from Tinsley Marina and takes the form of a 13-metre-long canal boat that performs a gravity-defying loop-the-loop on the water. Arts & crafts activities include creating your own canal scene and making your own duck food, perfect for younger visitors.
Learn what it takes to look after over 200 years of living history and see first-hand the Trust’s work to repair and restore our canals this winter. Walk to Tinsley Lock 12 (approx. 1.5 miles along the towpath) to see works taking place at the last lock before the canal enters the River Don. Repairs undertaken while the lock chamber is empty of water include replacing both upstream and downstream lock gates, the lock ladders and brickwork repairs to the chamber wall.
Have you experienced canoeing on a canal? Enjoy a free Let’s Paddle canoe taster session and get closer to Sheffield’s canal. Suitable for people aged 7+ years old, these instructor-led sessions run throughout the day at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm. With limited drop-in spaces available on the day, we suggest you secure your space in advance on Eventbrite.
Experience the canal by foot and join the Well-being Walk. This free two-hour walk along the canal towpath offers a relaxing step into nature. Departing from Tinsley Marina, there will be opportunities to spot wildlife along the way and meet new people. You can book your place here.
Meet the charity’s volunteers and hear about ways you can get involved and make a difference to your local canal. Take away information to help you explore the network with maps, details of upcoming activities on the canal, walking routes and more.
With very limited on-site parking at Tinsley Marina, visitors are advised to use public transport or park elsewhere. The nearest supertram stop is Carbrook. Cross the stepped access only footbridge, then it is an approx. two-minute walk along the towpath. Free parking is available at Meadowhall. There is a ramped footbridge joining the towpath, then it is an approx. 15-minute walk along the towpath. From Victoria Quays, it is a 3.5-mile walk along the towpath.