Cuckney

Roche Abbey

Stone · 12 miles

Set in the shallow valley of Maltby Beck near the town of Stone, the ruins of Roche Abbey present a substantial archaeological site overseen by English Heritage. Visitors can walk among the surviving stone walls of the north and south transepts, the outline of the former Norman-Gothic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the foundations that hint at the layout of the medieval monastic complex. The setting, once at the northern edge of the historic Sherwood Forest, retains the atmosphere of the Cistercian “White Monks” settlement, and the site remains a scheduled monument and a Grade II* listed landscape within the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Admission is subject to a charge and wheelchair access is limited. Founded in 1147 by Richard de Busli and Richard FitzTurgis, the abbey grew to accommodate a community of roughly 175 monks and lay brothers before the Dissolution of the Monasteries reduced it to ruin in 1538. After the suppression, much of the stone, lead and timber was stripped, leaving the remaining walls that dominate the present landscape. The abbey’s ownership passed through several families, ultimately reaching the Earl of Cumberland at the time of dissolution. Today, English Heritage maintains the site, and a diocesan pilgrimage still takes place on Trinity Sunday, reflecting the abbey’s lingering religious significance.

Shire Brook Valley

Woodhouse · 12 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.

Tickhill Castle

Tickhill · 14 miles

Dominating the landscape of Tickhill in South Yorkshire, the ruins of Tickhill Castle reflect a series of medieval power struggles. Originally erected as the 11th-century motte-and-bailey known as Blythe Castle by Roger de Busli, the site later received a stone curtain wall after a 1102 siege and an eleven-sided keep under Henry II, completed in 1192 alongside a stone bridge and chapel. Its strategic position on the Nottinghamshire–Yorkshire border made it a focal point during the reign of King John, serving alongside Windsor Castle as a principal stronghold against potential French invasion. Throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the castle changed hands, witnessing sieges in 1194, 1321 and a brief imprisonment of Joanna of Flanders in 1343. After falling into disrepair by the mid-sixteenth century, Sir Ralph Hansby repaired the structure in the early seventeenth century. The site remained loyal to the crown during the English Civil War, surrendering in July 1644 and being deliberately razed in 1648. The later Hansby house incorporated the surviving Norman gatehouse and parts of the former hall, while the former bailey now forms part of the surrounding gardens. Today the castle is a private residence owned by the Duchy of Lancaster; the monument is opened to the public only on the second Sunday of June, between 14:00 and 16:00. Wheelchair access is not available, and no additional visitor facilities are recorded.

Catcliffe Glass Cone

Catcliffe · 14 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.

Graves Gallery

The Heart of the City · 16 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.

South Yorkshire Transport Museum

Eastwood · 16 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.