Why visit Sheffield?
The Peak District National Park
Pick a pitch between the Peak District and the city boundaries to place yourself among spectacular scenery when camping near Sheffield. The national park is around a 15-minute drive from the urban area’s boundaries. And if you’ve not got a car, you can travel through the Peak District on the Hope Valley train line from the centre of Sheffield, which chugs through stunning landscapes.
Intriguing industrial heritage
Get under the city’s skin by investigating the region’s industrial heritage while camping near Sheffield. Steel has been forged here for centuries – in the Canterbury Tales, written between 1387 and 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer even made a reference to pocket knives produced in the area. Some 800 or so years on, check out more than 13,000 locally made metal objects in the Millennium Gallery, then learn about 16th-century manufacturing at the water-powered Shepherd Wheel Workshop.
The cool factor
While factories shuttered and warehouses emptied out in post-industrial Sheffield, the city is getting a new lease of life thanks to the thriving art and culture scene. You’ll find everything from galleries to theatres taking over formerly disused buildings. Catch an event at Trafalgar Warehouse, an industrial venue built in the 1930s, and take a look at 2Fly Studios, where big British bands like Arctic Monkeys and Reverend and the Makers have recorded music.
Top things to do in Sheffield
Here’s an assortment of the best activities in Sheffield:
* Tour the filming locations of the Full Monty, the much-loved 1997 comedy
* Wander along the Sheffield Canal Basin to the 19th-century buildings of Victoria Quays
* Find fantastic food at more than 200 stalls in the new Moor Market
* Tour the timber-framed Bishop's House, the oldest abode of its kind in Sheffield
* Catch football fever at a Sheffield United game in the Bramall Lane stadium
Unexplored Sheffield
Grand green spaces
England’s third-biggest city has more than 13 parks, including the Sheffield Winter Garden. One of the biggest temperate greenhouses constructed in the UK within the last 100 years, this 70 by 22-metre behemoth houses 2,500 plants. The botanical gardens are also worth visiting for their Grade II-listed glasshouses with tropical horticulture from Australia, Asia and South Africa. You can also step back to the past at the pristine Victorian Garden.
Hardy hikes
Stroll along the circular 14-mile Sheffield Round Walk through Porter Valley from Endcliffe Park and back, an easy-to-follow walk through cracking countryside. Roam along the River Rivelin as well, beginning at Malin Bridge and stopping at a pub for a pint enroute. There’s a bus back, so you can save a smidgen of time.
Animal antics
Camping in Sheffield with the kids? Mosey over to Mayfield Alpacas Animal Park to coo over the superb South American species. Or get to Graves Park for the petting zoo before letting the kids loose on the two playgrounds. There’s also Heeley City Farm, home to goats, pigs, chickens and sheep, some of which are rare breeds.
Here’s how
So you’re off to Sheffield for a camping trip? It’s a first-rate choice for a break that combines urban and countryside times. With the nightlife being a lure here, perhaps you’d like to go camping in Sheffield with a bar nearby or have a drinking hole on-site?
There’s also a handful of other options for those toting tents:
* Campsites near Sheffield with electric pitches
* Adults-only camping near Sheffield
* Family-friendly campsites near Sheffield
You could also go glamping near Sheffield to lounge in a log cabin or bed down in a bell tent. Alternatively, keep your trip traditional at caravan parks near Sheffield, whether static options or those with pitches for tourers.
Once you’ve finished your Sheffield camping holiday, you could head further up the country to three excellent national parks: there’s the Lake District for wild swimming, the Yorkshire Dales to dawdle through the countryside, and the North York Moors for coastal breaks.
Take a look at our camping guides too for all sorts of ace advice, from making sure trips with the kids go smoothly to putting up a tent in six simple steps.
