The Rivelin Valley Trail is one of Sheffield’s most popular walks. It’s an easy-going mostly flat trail that is perfect for young and old walkers alike and because it is a woodland trail walk, it’s a fantastic choice all year round for it’s scenic nature.
This Rivelin Valley walk was actually voted as one of Sheffield’s best walks in our end of year awards by the dog owners of Sheffield. It’s an ideal off-lead trail for well behaved dogs who love to splash around in water, but be warned – this trail can get very busy, especially during summer with families.
Rivelin Valley Trail at a Glance
Distance: Roughly 4 miles / 6.5 km
Duration: 1 hour 45
Difficulty: Leisurely
Wildlife: None (Perhaps a few ducks)
Terrain: Easy woodland trails with a few steps along the way
Traffic: The walk is mostly away from the road, but there will be a busy road to cross
Rivelin Valley Walk Follow Along
This really isn’t a complex walk, you’re mainly following the the trail straight from start to finish, and then coming back on yourself. So rather than go too in depth with this one, we’ll just point out some spots to watch out for along the way, or perhaps to tempt you into giving this fabulous walk a try.
Rivelin Valley Starting Point: Rivelin Valley Entrance – S6 5FE
As you enter Rivelin park, you’ll walk past the public toilets and notice Rivelin Park Cafe to your right. This is a great spot for a cup of tea and some cake after your walk.
There is a board with a map of the walk ahead, and the type of wildlife you may well be able to spot along the way. Follow the path past the board and past the play area. At the end of the play area, cross the white foot bridge onto the other side.
From here on, you’ll be following the trail in front of you, beware that there aren’t many bins past this point so if you need to clear up after your dog (and you should clean up after your dog) you may need to come back to this point to bin it. Alternatively, wait until you reach the road points where there should be bins.
As you follow along the path, the first thing to spot is the famous Rivelin Valley Chair. If you fancy yourself a character from Game of Thrones, why not wade in and have a photo. The chair is the work of artist Jason Thomas to promote natural play, and during the summer months is a magnet for kids wading over in their wellies to get a photo.
The Rivelin Valley Trail was once part of Sheffield’s industrial past, and the trail features lots of remnants of the past alongside fantastic looking fixtures such as stone bridges like the one a little further along the trail.
This bridge marks the first chance where you can veer off the straight forward path. It’s worth noting that we’re only showing you one path through the Rivelin Valley, but all of these turn-off opportunities will eventually lead you to the same place. If you choose to cross over the bridge here, note that you will be crossing back over the river on some stepping stones a little further up. Perhaps not one for those in trainers.
For this walk, we’ll continue straight along the path.
Holme Head Wheel is the first of a number of wheels marked on this route, a nod to the industrial past of this area of Sheffield. You can read up on the Holme Head Wheel on the board to understand a little more about the history of the area.
These are the remains of a wheel pit and workshop which was once used for grinding cutlery and blades. The area is quite overgrown, but you can still make out certain area. It is now a haven for wildlife.
The next split in the path comes at Little London Wheel. There isn’t much to look at in terms of a ‘wheel’ here, and it really doesn’t matter which path you choose to take. The path to the right follows along the river, whereas the one on the left is a little shorter and is usually popular with runners. Both paths meet back up at the Nether Cut Wheel.
If you’re looking for traces of Nether Cut Wheel or mill, you won’t find it. The building itself was torn down and removed in the 50s, leaving behind only the mill dam, which makes for an ideal little fishing spot.
Follow the path and you’ll reach the first road to cross. This is a very busy road and can be quite difficult to see oncoming traffic as it is an S bend. So please take care when crossing here, and do so quickly. Cross the road and head toward the green sign on the other side. Beyond the side you’ll find some steps down onto the next section of the trail.
As you’ll notice from the picture there is a fantastic little waterfall to check out at the bottom of the steps to the left, and you’ll notice the bridge to your right.
Continue along the trail and you’ll reach our dog Eddie’s favourite part of this walk. A thin trail path with water either side. The waterway on the left is a long stretch of shallow water that our Lab simply loves zooming up and down in.
This section can be quite a thin path so during busier times you may have to let others pass while you try and encourage your dog that there is even more walking to be done beyond this stretch of water. After a short stretch you’ll reach a bridge.
Across the bridge you’ll come to Hind Wheel, another mill dam that is popular with those who like to fish. From here you can take one of two routes, follow the path to the left around the mill dam, or follow the path to the right which goes up a little, before you need to take a left turn and down some steps. We took this route when we did it as the route around the mill dam was closed.
Take the left turn and down the steps, the right turn will lead you back up to the road.
Continue along the trail and you’ll soon come to another rather thing stretch of pathway
You might need to negotiate with other walkers who is passing first at this point, but once past, the path widens back out and leads toward another little bridge.
Over the little bridge the trail continues and will eventually ascend toward another mill pond
Past the pond you’ll approach a weir on the river, and notice a little millstone in the wall ahead
Beyond the gap in the wall you’ll soon reach the next wheel on the trail – Frank Wheel
A former cutlery mill turned paper mill, Frank Wheel still has some visible ruins, alongside the mill you’ll notice another fantastic feature of cascading water on this route.
The path narrows again as you cross a small stone bridge. Follow the path a little more and keep your eye out to the left to see if you can spot another waterfall. The path veers toward it, we opted to take this route, however you can stick to the main path if you wish.
If you’ve veered toward the waterfall, if you continue forward you should notice steps ahead of you. If you do, then you’re following the same route that we did. If you don’t and you stuck to the path, you can probably ignore this next bit.
I like this section of the trail, it feels a little more hidden (it really isnt) but for kids I imagine it’s a bit like a jungle trail which ends up crossing these stepping stones (perhaps not ideal for those in trainers, your feet will get wet)
As you cross the stepping stones, over to the left you’ll spot a little plank bridge if you want to continue the more adventurous route.
This time, we decided to head straight on and up the steps to re-join the other path. If you skipped the last bit, then you’ve just met back up with us on the trail. Hello!
Continue along the trail until you reach a split in the path.
Take the path to the right. As you follow it round, you’ll pass an open area to your right as you continue along the path. You’ll soon spot a small waterfall and one last fantastic bridge view.
As you follow the path you’ll reach the road with a car park opposite. This is the end of the route.
From here you’ll need to follow the route back, but you shouldn’t need directions for that. If we could offer some advice, it would be to take alternative turns on the way back so that you can appreciate the parts of this wonderful trail that you may have missed on the way out.
Don’t forget to grab a coffee and some cake at the Rivelin Cafe, or a 99 from the Ice Cream Van back at the entrance.
If you’re looking for more walk ideas, why not check out our Sheffield Dog Walks page.