Sheffield Circular via Porter, Limb, Sheaf and Gleadless Valleys Walk

Strenuous excursion through the south westerly wooded valleys of Sheffield

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Fri, 03-May-19 Bluebells in Sheffield: Sheffield Circular (via Porter, Limb, Sheaf and Gleadless Valleys) [Peak District Trip] 12 rainy start then dry but overcast
Sun, 14-Aug-16 Sunday Third Walk (ex rota) - Sheffield Circular (via south westerly valleys) 9 grey to begin warm humid sunny for most of the day

Friday 03-May-19

Length: from 15.0 km (9.4 mi) to 27.7 km (17.3 mi).
Cumulative ascent/descent: from 430/365 to 780/732m.
Buses or trains take you back to the station from various points on the route, for details see below
Net Walking Time: 4–8 hours.
Toughness: from 5/10 to 10/10
Take the 09.02 Sheffield train from St. Pancras, arrives Sheffield at 11.01.
Return trains to London are plentiful, either direct to St. Pancras or via Doncaster to King’s Cross. Some reasonable prices are available.
Trains on the Hope Valley Line towards Grindleford, Hathersage, Bamford, Hope and Edale leave xx.14 to 21.14, then 22.47 and 23.27.
“This walk leads from the hustle and bustle at the centre of one of the most populous British cities through gradually less urban areas into excellent walking country – with ancient escarpment woodlands, tumbling streams and panoramic views – through the scenic, wooded valleys of Sheffield’s south west, the greenest and cleanest of Britain’s large towns.
Escape from Sheffield’s City Centre, first along streets and through the atmospheric landscaped Victorian General Cemetery , then the woodlands of the municipal Endcliffe Park and the narrow wooded Porter Valley (part ancient woodlands, part plantation or meadows) to a viewpoint on the edge of moorlands at the fringe of the Peak District , and from there to the early lunch option (with views) in Ringinglow.
Continue by descending through the steep-sided Limb Valley, Whirlow Brook Park and Ecclesall Woods to Dore, a late lunch stop and your first chance for an early finish: a train or a bus back to the City Centre. Several other opportunities for early finishes by bus arise in the further stages of the walk, whose following woodlands and valleys offer somewhat diminishing returns in pleasure and in ‘otherness’.
From Dore you climb once again through Ladies’ Spring Wood and Chancet Wood to Graves Park. From there the walk continues through the Gleadless Valley and Meersbrook Park back to the City Centre, but for the return to Sheffield Midland Station you’ll need to take a bus, regardless of where you finish.
The route includes large parts of the waymarked ‘Sheffield Round Walk’ , but diverges in places. Opportunities to avoid most of the hard surface walking at the start are described.”

Walk Options:
To cut some – or all – of the tarmac-heavy urban stretches at the start take one of the bus shortcut options from Sheffield Interchange (see the walk directions for how to get there from the train station). Details about bus frequency, bus stops to use, and the exact walk route once off the bus are provided at the end of the main walk text under ‘Bus Shortcuts’:
cut 1.6 km net: buses 4/4A to Sheffield Cemetery;
cut 3.2 km net: buses 6/65/271/272 to Endcliffe Park;
cut 3.8 km net: bus 120 to Whiteley Wood;
cut 6.2 km net: bus 120 to Forge Dam Café.
You can take a train back to Sheffield from Dore & Totley Station (15.0 km/9.4 mi) on the Hope Valley Line (8 mins journey time).
You can take a bus back to the City Centre from many places along the route, from Dore onwards.
Lunch: The Norfolk Arms in Ringinglow (10.2 km/6.4 mi, food served all day) or The Summerhouse in Dore (15.0 km/9.3 mi, food served all day).
Tea: The Rose Garden Cafe (open to 16.00) plus plenty of options in Sheffield Town Centre.
For walk directions, map, height profile , photos and gpx/kml files click here . T=swc.267
  • Thu, 14-Feb-19

    Worried about carrying your luggage for the whole trip during the walk? There is a www.leftit.co.uk outfit just 1 minute from the station: £5 for the day, open 09.00-21.00 hours.

  • Thu, 04-Apr-19

    If you intend catching a bus to Forge Dam Cafe, I advise you to have the full address on you because when I caught this bus a couple of years ago the bus driver had know idea where Forge Dam Cafe was. This caused problems because the bus driver had know idea what to charge us, plus she couldn't tell us where to get off. The Forge Dam Cafe is in Fulwood.

  • Fri, 05-Apr-19

    The bus stop is called: Brookhouse Hill/Silver Birch Avenue. See page 11 of the walk directions.

  • Anonymous
    Fri, 03-May-19

    Is there a meeting place this evening, Friday. I see the cafe mentioned closes at 4pm.thank you, Gavin 07986789893

  • Fri, 03-May-19

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  • Fri, 03-May-19

    It took just about 10 minutes to sort out the excess luggage problem, wwith 3 walkers dropping theirs at a 7-11 100m away and 1 other diverting past her hotel to meet us further along the route. This walk was posted as 'Bluebells in Sheffield', more in hope than expectation, but boy, did we get bluebells! From the General Cemetery onwards, the cemetery itself, every park and wood had them, there were no 5 minutes without patches, full slopes or valley bottoms of bluebells. Confidently the most I have seen in a day's walking, ever. Generally a little past the best, slightly paler than full coloured, but still taller and fuller than in the South. In the Porter Valley, the blues were outnumbered though by wild garlic, unbelievable as that may sound.

    12 had started in rainy weather, but after an hour or so it turned to occasional drizzle (after elevenses at the Forge Dam Café), then stayed dry after lunch (at The Norfolk Arms). In Endcliffe Park we had amazingly passed the memorial for the 1944 fighter jet crash, just as the Sheffieldonian who had cared for it since then turned up for an interview with BBC TV. We saw a couple of herons in the Porter Brook, later plenty of ducklings and even some alpacas at Mayfield.

    Walkers started dropping out at Dore Station, where the Hathersage-based 4 took the train to sort out food and drink supplies for the weekend. Then at every one of the next main road crossings one or other took a bus to the town centre.

    rainy start then dry but overcast .

Sunday 14-Aug-16

SWC Walk 267 Sheffield Circular (via Porter, Limb, Sheaf and Gleadless Valleys)
Length: from 15.0 km (9.4 mi) to 27.7 km (17.3 mi)
Ascent/Descent: from 430/365m to 780/732m; Net Walking Time: 4–8 hours
Toughness: from 5/10 to 10/10
This is an ex-rota posting solely targeted at the people coming out on the Saturday to walk SWC 266. Due to rail works on the day, there is no convenient train out on Sunday morning anyway. Thanks to Pete B for allowing me to post it as a third walk. The aim is to have a relaxed walk, by starting earlier than one would if taking a train from London, and/or by cutting some of the urban start ( identical to SWC 266) by taking a bus.
Return trains - affordable advance tickets for reasonably quick connections at the moment: 18.10, 18.28, 19.10 and 20.28 to KGX at £20.00, and 19.28 and 20.26 to STP at £19.50.
New Walk! We will take the opportunity to check the walk directions.
This walk leads from the hustle and bustle at the centre of one of the most populous British cities through gradually less urban areas into excellent walking country – with ancient escarpment woodlands, tumbling streams and panoramic views – through the scenic, wooded valleys of Sheffield’s south west, the greenest and cleanest of Britain’s large towns.
Escape from Sheffield’s City Centre, first along streets and through the atmospheric landscaped Victorian General Cemetery, then the woodlands of the municipal Endcliffe Park and the narrow wooded Porter Valley (part ancient woodlands, part plantation or meadows) to a viewpoint on the edge of moorlands at the fringe of the Peak District, and from there to the early lunch option (with views) in Ringinglow. Continue by descending through the steep-sided Limb Valley, Whirlow Brook Park and Ecclesall Woods to Dore, a late lunch stop and your first chance for an early finish: a train or a bus back to the City Centre. Several other opportunities for early finishes by bus arise in the further stages of the walk, whose following woodlands and valleys offer somewhat diminishing returns in pleasure and in ‘otherness '.
From Dore you climb once again through Ladies’ Spring Wood and Chancet Wood to Graves Park. From there the walk continues through the Gleadless Valley and Meersbrook Park back to the City Centre, but for the return to Sheffield Midland Station you’ll need to take a bus, regardless of where you finish.
Opportunities to avoid most of the hard surface walking at the start are described.
The recommended early lunch stop is The Norfolk Arms in Ringinglow (10.2 km/6.4 mi).
The recommended late lunch stop is The Summer House in Dore (15.0 km/9.3 mi).
There is also the Peppercorn Restaurant next door to the Summer House.
The highly recommended tea stop in Sheffield Station is The Sheffield Tap . There is also a well-stocked supermarket in the station.
For summary, map, height profile, photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here .
T=swc.267
  • Mon, 04-Jul-16

    ...travelling back on the 20.26 to St. P.

  • Fri, 05-Aug-16

    Suggested start: 09.45 outside the station.

  • Wed, 10-Aug-16

    then elenvenses at The Forge Dam Cafe...

  • Wed, 10-Aug-16

    Table for lunch booked at The Summer House

  • Anonymous
    Fri, 12-Aug-16

    Dear Thomas

    will u pls stop crowing, some of us r ill & can't go on these lovely walks,hoping u'll repeat weekend later if successful? ta

  • Anonymous
    Fri, 12-Aug-16

    meant in a jokey way !!

  • Fri, 12-Aug-16

    crowing? me? haven't even started yet...

    'tis like any old walk: if enough people turn up and afterwards express their contentedness/satifaction/delight/... with a walk, it will be re-posted.

  • Karen
    Mon, 15-Aug-16

    9 grey to begin warm humid sunny for most of the day

    Despite overindulgence in wine and pizza the evening before, 7 met up at Sheffield Station at 09:50-ish with plans to pick up the other two weekenders along the way. Followed the same route out of the city as the morning before. Another pitstop at the Forge Dam Cafe. Not too long after the cafe break, the walk diverted onto a different route from day 1. The previous day, we made our way through a very open landscape, whereas on this walk, much of the route was through wooded areas. Some steepish climbs, which at the time seemed horrible, but on reflection, were worth it.

    A very nice relaxed lunch at The Summer House where lunchtime cocktails were the order of the day... A steep climb after lunch through another wooded area. A stop for ice cream at the Rose Garden Cafe was much needed as the sun was at the most intense it had been all weekend. Not long after, one walker had to catch the bus as he was booked on an early train. We continued on, now in the suburbs of Sheffield and discovering how hilly it is. And also how much nice parkland they have at their disposal.

    Everyone eventually got back to the city centre, dispersed for food and drinks and two to the train. 6 eventually met up at the Sheffield Tap at the station and on to the train where over the course of two and a half hours they managed to deplete the stocks of red wine in the buffet car.

    So, for an overall assessment of the weekend, I'd have to say that it was very fun indeed. Nice to stay over, but even if you don't fancy that option, the Sheffield to Bamford walk is worth the day trip. At this time of the year, a very feasible option.

    The only blight on the weekend was someone's insistence on reading aloud 'fun' facts from the CAMRA magazine on the train journey back to London. As we are good people, we indulged this quirk, but hope it never happens again.

  • Mon, 15-Aug-16

    reg. CAMRA-mag...remind me: what again were the origins of the saying to 'mind your p's and q's' ? just checking...