Aug 13: Sheffield round walk

A pleasant walk around parts of south Sheffield in the fine company of Vivienne Hemingway, taking in a section of the Sheffield Round Walk.




The first highlight was the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, a perfectly preserved knife and scythe works from the 18th century. For historians of technology out there (like me), Abbeydale has the oldest surviving crucible steel pots in the world.

Further south we joined the Round Walk. From this point on, I had trouble keeping up with Vivienne's brisk pace. Fortunately, there were fine things to see and pleasant places to stop at regular intervals. The next highlight was Beauchief Abbey, a Premonstratensian house founded in the 12th century. This was a local industrial centre, with mining, iron smelting and several mills on the nearby River Sheaf. The tower of the abbey church is the most impressive survival.

After a series of attractive woods, we came to the Bishop’s House, a superb Tudor house from c.1500. Despite its name, it never housed a bishop, but it is a lovely building well worth visiting.


Today: 8 miles
2006: 247 miles