Rivelin Glen Circular.

By Car: The car park is located immediately off Rivelin Valley Road (A6101) to the south of Malin Bridge, Sheffield.

By Public Transport: For details of buses and trams go to www.travelsouthyorkshire.com . The Malin Bridge tram terminus is located just 10 minutes walk from the car park. Leaving the tram, bear slightly left across two (one-way) roads at pelican crossings and turn right. Go ahead to the junction with Rivelin Valley Road. Turn left into this road and cross at the pelican crossing. Turn left and follow the road past the Fire Station to reach the car park on your right.

[1]  Leave the car park on a path with the fishing pond on your left, continuing on the path until you reach a road.  Turn right on the pavement then right again at next junction. Go over bridge, then cross road and keep ahead to go down and along the riverside path to a cafe. After cafe bear right (passing playground on your right) and continue ahead to a footbridge over the river. Cross and follow the main riverside path for a while until it emerges onto Rivelin Valley Road at a double bend. Cross  (caution - busy roads) and descend steps (notice waterfall on left) to rejoin the path along the river. Follow the path along the valley to a footbridge. Cross, then take the path to the left of the pond, continue for a while until you reach a footbridge over the river on the left.

[2]  If you wish to take the shorter 4 mile route turn left over this footbridge and go ahead uphill through two fields. However, do not cross the stile but turn left to join the longer route past Windle House Farm (from Waymark 4 below). For the longer route ignore both this footbridge and the next continuing along the path by the river until eventually you reach a stone arch footbridge on your left.

[3]  Cross this bridge and turn left following the wide path as it climbs to meet the A57. Cross and take the bridleway on the left (Coppice Road). Follow this uphill until you reach some stone gateposts and a fingerpost on the left. Here turn left over a stile and go back down to the A57 and recross. Continue down the path opposite through two fields and over a stile.

[4] Turn right immediately and keep ahead passing Windle House Farm and then along Long Lane. Immediately after (ignore the path before) a small parking area on the left, turn left onto a permissive bridleway heading downhill. Just before the road turn right uphill then go left at the next fork. Continue ahead over a stile and across three fields. At the end of these go over a stile and continue straight ahead until you reach a road (Hagg Hill).

[5]  Turn right uphill for a short distance then cross the road and continue ahead between allotments into a wood. Climb some steps and at a crossing of paths turn left (caution - path becomes indistinct) down for a short distance through the trees to return back to Rivelin Valley Road. Cross and take the path slightly to the left down between the old allotments. Turn right at the end to rejoin the outgoing riverside route, and retrace your steps past the cafe to the starting point.

(A) Rivelin Nature Trail:  The whole of this length of the Rivelin Valley, especially between Waymarks 1 and 3, was once a hive of early industrial activity. Some 21 artificially created ponds or reservoirs supplied water to power 20 mills and forges as the iron and later steel industry developed in Sheffield. The industry has long since moved further down the Don Valley, but some overgrown remains and many of the old reservoirs are clearly visible as you walk along. The last remaining forge building, Mousehole Forge, although no longer in use, can be seen just to the north of the starting point (Waymark 1), behind the Fire Station.    http://www.rivelinvalley.org.uk/downloads/rivelin_walk.pdf

Map: OS Explorer Map 278 

Refreshments:  The Rivelin Valley Cafe is the only refreshment facility on the route itself but there are others in nearby in Malin Bridge. There are public toilets near the cafe.

Visitor Information:  wwwsheffield.gov.uk/out--about/tourist-information

Local Ramblers Group:  Sheffield Ramblers  www.sheffieldramblers.org

Many thanks to The Crowood Press. http://www.crowood.com/default.asp  for their permission to include this walk on the Ramblers Routes website.  The walk is based on a walk from their book ‘100 Walks in Yorkshire’ - part of their 100 walk books series - an updated version is soon to be published.  The Ramblers of South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire have been asked to assist in updating a number of the walks.