A dam fine time in Sheffield

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I always thought it would be possible to have a great weeks holiday without leaving the city boundary. Now with a lockdown and a stay home message we were about to find out without going more than a few miles from home. So with exercise pretty much the only thing we are allowed to do we choose some of our favourite walks and are blessed with some sunny days.
Day 1 Wharncliffe Side and Greno Woods are criss crossed by paths, mountain bike trails and bridle pathways. The mountain bikes were out in force, they hurtled past on parallel paths at death defying speeds. A path through the forest is laid out with balancing bars, stepping stones and woodland poems. The city peeks through the trees at various points. Close by in Grenoside is a decent fish and chip shop.
Day 2 Wadsley Common is one of the only remaining areas of lowland heather in the country and it's a constant battle to stop the birch trees and bracken from taking over. It's a lovely place to wander the various paths. Numerous birds make the common their home over the year and the birdsong cheers me whatever my mood. Looking backwards are views over the city and down to the home of Sheffield Wednesday. From the other end of the common are beautiful views out along the fields of the Loxley Valley.
Day 3 We are on holiday so a flask of tea and a packed lunch are in order with a view looking out from a bench over the village of Bradfield. The scene looks like the Yorkshire Dale's and is in fact a Yorkshire Dale but with reservoirs adding to the scene. Agden Reservoir takes an hour to circumnavigate with just a small amount of mud to dodge. With the Noman Church at High Bradfield with its collection of grit stone houses on the hill above, sheep in the fields and the sun shining on the water it's a picture. Wild swimmers far braver than me are enjoying the water as much as the geese. Families are out playing on the cricket pitch, the ice cream van is missing but the post office is doing a good trade in cups of tea and Our Cow Molly ice cream from the farm up the road.
Day 4 The Pudding Ladies are doing takeaway at the cafe at Rivlin so ice creams are in order as we walk the length of Rivlin Valley. The path runs along the river passing the sites of multiple water wheels, the oldest going back to 1580, reminding us of Sheffield's cutlery making history. There's a school group playing on the stepping stones and dogs enjoying the water. We walk an hour either way.
Day 5 On the edge of the city boundary is Langsett Reservoir where the local cafe still sports a gable end painted in polka dots in welcome of the Tour de France in 2014. The variety of this 2 hour walk makes it interesting, starting on a path through pine trees along the banks of the reservoir, climbing up over moors for a short time before joining a forest trail and country lanes before crossing the reservoir wall and coming back round to the car park. Another packed lunch is enjoyed at the picnic benches in the sunshine. Driving home across country through winding lanes we take a meandering route to enjoy the sun on the hills.
Day 6 Given this is a holiday at home some chores were going to be inevitable. This left us with a shorter walk today around Moorhall Reservoir, a favourite for whiling away some time with a flask at a bench with a view. This used to feel like a secret valley but its definitely been found in the last year. However late afternoon is quiet and it's the ducks who refuse to move off the road causing a traffic jam. The pine trees make it feel like we have been transported to Scotland.
Day 7 Starting at Malin Bridge this is a new path for us following the River Loxley along Loxley Valley. It passes the site of old water wheels and one modern one. To say we are very much still within the city it is a rural idal with fields of goats, sheep and horses. The blue skies and sunshine help but there are some very pretty houses I would love to live in no matter the weather. We stop at the bowling green and derelict brick factory, the site of an ongoing protest about a large housing development.
A couple of weeks later and we could have enjoyed a night on the real ale trail but a takeaway pizza from our favourite Napoli Centro will have to suffice instead of a night in town. So without venturing into Derbyshire or even into what I would call the posh bits of town we have enjoyed some lovely walks and appreciated the countryside on our doorstep.

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