Catcliffe

Catcliffe Glass Cone

Catcliffe · 0.1 miles

A rare surviving example of an industrial glass-making cone rises in the village of Catcliffe, South Yorkshire. The brick structure reaches roughly 20 metres in height and features archways around its base to admit maximum airflow, a design typical of the large-scale glassworks that appeared in Britain during the early nineteenth century. It is the oldest extant glass cone in Western Europe and one of only four remaining in the United Kingdom, the others being at Lemington, Wordsley and Alloa. The landmark is listed at Grade I and protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, underscoring its architectural and historic importance. The cone formed part of the Catcliffe glassworks founded in 1740 by William Fenney, who chose the site because his mother-in-law’s will barred him from establishing a glassworks within ten miles of her Bolsterstone operation; Catcliffe lies just over that limit. The works ceased around 1887, briefly reopened in 1900, and the cone later served as a prisoner-of-war camp during the First World War and as a canteen during the 1926 general strike. Threatened with demolition in the 1960s, the foundations of the surrounding buildings were excavated in 1962, and the cone received its Grade I listing in 1968. Access to the site was closed in 2006 after bricks began falling from the top, and restoration work was carried out in 2014. No admission charges or visitor facilities are mentioned in the available material.

Shire Brook Valley

Woodhouse · 3.1 miles

Set on a reclaimed brownfield site near Woodhouse, the Shire Brook Valley Local Nature Reserve occupies roughly 100 hectares on the edge of Sheffield. Designated in 1999, the area was formerly the Coisley Hill Sewage Works, which ceased operation in the early 1990s; the former manager’s office now serves as a visitor centre. The reserve’s boundaries encompass a mixture of reclaimed industrial land and natural habitats, reflecting its transformation from utility to public green space. Key ecological zones include Beighton Marsh, a reed-grass swamp at the eastern end that supports species such as reed bunting, grasshopper warbler, barn owl, harvest mouse and water vole. The Grade II-listed Birley Spa Bath House, restored in 2001 with Heritage Lottery funding, lies within the site alongside Wickfield Plantation, one of Sheffield’s remaining lowland heath and coppiced oak woodland blocks. Carr Forge Dam, a Tudor-era structure, now functions as a wildlife pond hosting toads, frogs and the endangered great crested newt. A series of ponds—originally the Centenary Ponds opened in 1993 and later additions in 2016—provide amphibian habitat, while the landscaped Linley Bank Meadow, a former landfill, attracts skylarks and offers a perch for buzzards. A network of paths, including the Transpennine Trail, makes the reserve popular with cyclists, walkers and local running clubs, and the area is used for orienteering, geocaching, corporate team-building and school visits. Visitors can access a car park off Stone Lane, and opening times are listed on the reserve’s official signage. The Shirebrook Heritage Group, formed in 1999, manages the ranger programme and regular meetings in the bath house and visitor centre, while the Shire Brook Valley Conservation Group has carried out volunteer habitat work since 1989, meeting on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

South Yorkshire Transport Museum

Eastwood · 3.7 miles

The South Yorkshire Transport Museum (SYTM) is a volunteer-owned museum of transport located in Rotherham, England. Established in 1995, it focuses on the transport history of South Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

Graves Gallery

The Heart of the City · 4.3 miles

Located above Sheffield’s Central Library in the city centre, the Graves Gallery presents a permanent programme that intertwines historic British and European works with contemporary pieces. Visitors can follow the development of artistic movements through paintings by J. M. W. Turner, Alfred Sisley and Sir Stanley Spencer, alongside later contributions from Helen Chadwick, Marc Quinn and Bridget Riley. The gallery is operated by Museums Sheffield and regularly hosts temporary exhibitions that explore a range of themes and artists. The building opened in July 1934 with the support of businessman John George Graves, whose original donation of almost 700 paintings still forms a core part of the collection. Early leadership by John Rothenstein, later director of the Tate Gallery, and painter George Hamilton Constantine expanded the 20th-century British holdings, acquiring works by Walter Sickert, L. S. Lowry and Henry Moore among others. Financial constraints halted most purchases in the late 1980s, but a 1999 revival—backed by the Contemporary Art Society, the Heritage Lottery Fund and private benefactors—re-energised acquisitions, adding contemporary highlights such as Marc Quinn’s *Kiss* and Sam Taylor-Wood’s *Self-Portrait Suspended VII*. A refurbishment in 2009 re-hung the collection around key themes, and recent temporary shows have included the Blk Art Group and Andy Warhol’s late self-portraits. Practical details note limited wheelchair access and that opening times are published on the gallery’s listing. The venue occupies the third floor of the Central Library complex, with the nearest town recorded as “The Heart of the City” in mapping data. Facilities are managed by Museums Sheffield, and further visitor information can be obtained from the official website.

Devonshire Green

Devonshire Quarter · 5 miles

Devonshire Green is a small public open space at 53.3789°N 1.4783°W within Sheffield city centre in South Yorkshire, England. It covers an area of approximately 9000 square metres and is designated as a district park by Sheffield City Council.

Weston Park Museum

Crookesmoor · 5.6 miles

Located a mile west of Sheffield city centre, the museum sits within the grounds of Weston Park and occupies a Grade II* listed complex that is overseen by Museums Sheffield. Entry is free and the premises are step-free, providing full wheelchair access. Opening hours are listed on the venue’s official page. The institution began serving the public in 1875 when it opened in Weston House, the residence whose parkland later became the surrounding green space. An Ionic-order neoclassical wing was added in 1887, and a purpose-built extension adjoining the Mappin Art Gallery was completed in 1937 after the demolition of Weston Hall; local benefactor J. G. Graves contributed to its funding. For many years the site was known as the Sheffield City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery, housing collections of archaeology, natural history, decorative art and social history, while the Mappin Gallery displayed the bequest of John Newton Mappin and hosted temporary exhibitions. The gallery suffered a direct hit in the Sheffield Blitz of December 1940, remaining partially derelict until it was made safe and reopened in 1965. A comprehensive refurbishment began in March 2003, financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sheffield City Council and Objective 1, and the complex reopened in October 2006 under its current name, consolidating the museum and gallery identities. Today the museum presents seven themed galleries, including displays of Bronze-Age rock-art replicas, artefacts collected by Thomas Bateman such as the Benty Grange helmet, and exhibitions on ancient Egypt, geology and contemporary Sheffield life. The Royle Gallery is dedicated to rotating shows that explore the city’s stories and creative output. An on-site weather station, operating continuously since 1882, supplies long-term climate data for the area. Practical information such as admission, accessibility and opening times can be found on the museum’s website.