Walk · South Yorkshire

Rivelin Valley Nature Trail

Sheffield · S6 5GE
N 880 YD
4MILES
2h 15mON FOOT
105mCLIMB
Out & backSHAPE
Off-road 90% 10% shares tarmac with cars
Field & moor path 85%Lane & track 5%Road with traffic 10%

Our drawing of the route — the shape of the walk, not a navigation aid. Carry OS Explorer on the hill. Off-lead information here is what walkers reported or what signage allows — never our advice. Whether and when a dog is off the lead is the owner’s decision and legal responsibility; keep dogs under control near livestock and follow signs on the day.

Starts at
Rivelin Park car park off Rivelin Valley Road, by Rivelin Park Cafe and the water play area, S6 5GE S6 5GE
Parking
Free council car parks strung along Rivelin Valley Road, the biggest by the cafe and water play; on a hot day in the school holidays the water play fills every one of them by eleven, and the laybys fu
Directions to the start →

The Rivelin runs down a wooded valley from the dams at Rails to Malin Bridge, and the trail beside it passes twenty-odd former mill dams, goits and wheel pits from the cutlery trade, most of them now still ponds full of ducks. This is council land, so the city's Responsible Dog Walking Code of Conduct is what governs it: dogs in sight and under control, on a lead if recall is not reliable, short leads from March to August on the sensitive stretches, out of the water and on the paths. The river is shallow and easy to get into for most of the length, which is exactly why the code asks you not to. Rivelin Park Cafe, the water play area and the toilets are all at the Malin Bridge end.

THE SMALL PRINTSheffield City Council's Responsible Dog Walking Code of Conduct applies throughout: "always keep dogs in sight and under control", "keep dogs that do not have reliable recall on a lead", "dogs must be on short leads from March to August" on ecologically sensitive ground, "keep dogs out of waterways to protect vegetation, wildlife, and water quality" and "stick to designated paths". It is a voluntary code, not an order: Sheffield has no dog control PSPO. Fouling is a separate offence with a £50 fixed penalty or up to £1,000 on prosecution. The Rivelin Valley Water Play area opens from the late May bank holiday to the first weekend of September and is busy with small children.

House rules, decoded

Water bowls
REGION · SOUTH YORKSHIRE
GRID · 53.3918, -1.5179
SOURCE · HTTPS://WWW.SHEFFIELD.GOV.UK/PARKS-SPORT-RECREATION/OUTDOOR-SPACES/RESPONSIBLE-DOG-WALKING-CODE-CONDUCT
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