Sheffield City Centre Parks

 In Brief.

There are lots of parks in Sheffield, several quite close to the city centre, which itself boasts some green areas.  The Weston Park was developed in the late 19th century, and is located just to the West of the city centre, with meandering paths and the imposing Weston Park Museum.  Just under a mile away, the Sheffield Botanical Gardens were designed by the same garden designer, and share with Weston Park both winding paths and a grand building at its highest point, this time in the form of a glass house, though the Botanical Gardens has a much broader and more extensive range of plants, as its name would suggest.

Weston Park and Museum

What's Here?

Weston Park is compact, so exploring it doesn't take long, though it does have the striking memorial column to Victorian designer Godfrey Sykes and a pond that was hosting a great many wild fowl on my visit. The Weston Park Museum is much more modern on the inside than its Neo-classical exterior would suggest, and contains galleries that cover a rather wide range of topics, from Egypt and Natural History to Geology and the history of Sheffield. This was more diversity than was perhaps ideal for a single visit.

The stately Pavilion at the Botanical Gardens

The Sheffield Botanical Gardens are are also big on diversity, though in this case by featuring plants from  across the globe.  Larger than Weston Park, it would take a considerable time to wander along every path in the Botanic Gardens, which are partitioned into many themed areas by its meandering paths.  The spectacular Pavilion provides several zones that host plants that would be less at home outside in the British weather. There are many benches throughout the gardens, and with a superior cafe with a terrace, there are various opportunities to take in the surroundings or people watch.

The Rock and Water Gardens at the Botanical Gardens

Practicalities

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 37 miles

Drive Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Price: Botanic Gardens: Free; Weston Park Museum: Free, Donations Requested

Parking: I parked at Q-Park Durham Road. Good multi-story, city centre prices.

Food and Drink: There is a pleasant, light cafe at the Weston Park Museum, where I had a slightly below par pastry. Joni, the cafe at the Botanic Gardens has a nice outdoor terrace, where I had a well above par avocado on toast.

Retail Therapy: There is a substantial gift shop at the Weston Park Museum, mostly targeted at pocket money.

Child Friendly: Neither the Weston Park nor the Botanic Gardens have play areas, but there are ducks to feed at Weston and places to explore at the Botanic Gardens.

Toilets: In the museum and at the Botanic Gardens.

Do it justice in: Weston Park / Museum: 90 minutes; Botanic Gardens: 90 minutes

Inside-Outside: 40:60

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Closer to Nature at RSPB St Aidans and Lotherton Hall

Image
In Brief. RSPB St Aidans is a nature reserve that occupies a former open cast coal mine, and which now provides a variety of habitats for birds and other wildlife, traversed by walks of varying lengths.  Nearby Lotherton Hall is run by Leeds Museums and Galleries , and includes more managed nature, in the form of formal and less formal gardens, a deer park, a woodland walk and a small zoo. Reedbeds from the Lowther Loop Walk What's Here? The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) runs over 200 nature reserves in the UK, which tend to combine the opportunity for a walk in the countryside with some more serious wildlife photography. Evidence for the latter is how many people are packing impressive camera gear.  Some RSPB sites seem better than others for walkers, and St Aidans is one of the better ones.  There are plenty circular walks, and not just walks that lead to hides; indeed there are no hides at St Aidans, and there is a cafe with good views. In terms o...
Read more

A Day Trip to Shrewsbury, Ending in Prison

Image
In Brief. Shewsbury is a sprawling market town, with a compact historic centre almost enclosed within a loop of the River Severn, the longest river in England. There is more than a day's worth of things to see and do in Shrewsbury; I took a boat trip on the Severn, made a rather brief visit to the museum, and took a tour of the prison.  However, there is also a historic town centre to explore, an abbey and a castle.  What's Here? Having parked near the Abbey, I started by walking along the riverside path towards the Quarry Park, a large open area between the town centre and the river.  This includes the Dingle, an immaculately maintained garden area, with characterful water features and colourful borders.  The Dingle in Quarry Park. My destination was a Sabrina Boat Trip , which as it turns out visited the same part of the river as I had just walked. However, with at-seat refreshments and a commentary providing historical context and humorous asides, this was both a...
Read more

Breezy Knees Gardens and the Yorkshire Arboretum

Image
In Brief. Breezy Knees is a collection of varied, themed, modern gardens close to York. The themes include those based on the time of year when they are at their best, with gardens for May, June and September, and the site was densely planted and colourful in my June visit (in particular the June garden!).  This is a short drive from The Yorkshire Arboretum , in parkland adjacent to Castle Howard , which includes ancient and more recently planted trees in rolling countryside with an emphasis on open vistas. The Lawned Garden at Breezy Knees What's Here? The Breezy Knees gardens occupy over 20 acres of largely level countryside, which has been divided into a collection of gardens mostly themed by type of planting or time of year. There are various natural routes from garden to garden, including places to sit and take in the views. I had a fairly tight schedule to fit in with the guided tour at the Yorkshire Arboretum, but wished that I had taken a book and could have a lazier time ...
Read more