BIRDWELL WOOD is a huge 75 acre broadleaved woodland situated between Sheffield Road and the M1…read moreMotorway. Originally today's woodland was farmland which was aquired in the mid 1990s by the Woodland Trust, who with the assistance of local residents of Birdwell and surrounding areas planted lots of mixed trees to create the splended woodland that it is today. Apart from being a woodland it's also a habitat to a wide variety of wild animals and flowering plants. The woodland is open to the general public, free of charge, to roam around at their own leisurely pace and to view the many different species of plant-life that grows there. There's a small car park beside Rockley Lane on the right hand side, just before you reach the M1 Motorway bridge. Birdwell Wood is well worth a visit.

WHITELEY WOOD, Sheffield, is situated in the Fulwood area which lies roughly four miles to the West…read moreof the city centre. The wood consists of a mixture of broadleaved decidious trees and a few none-decidious conifer trees that are evergreen. A narrow stream flows through the wood from West to East. The stream is called Porter Brook, it eventually joins up with the River Sheaf. The wood is well served by at least two major pathways, one of these being a bridleway. So be careful and keep an eye out for cyclists and horse riders who are allowed to use the bridleway. The other path is strictly a footpath and only walkers are allowed to use it. The pathways get very busy in summertime, as they are used as an alternative route to reach the Peak District National Park which is situated to the West of the city. There's hardly any visible signs of wild animals in the wood nowadays. Twenty years or so ago the wood was teeming with grey squirrels. So look out you may be lucky and see one.

Old Moor is a wetland reserve sited on an old colliery. Regenerating the South Yorkshire coalfield…read moreis not an easy task but unlike other local attractions that received lottery and other funding (eg the ill-fated Earth Centre at Conisborough) Old Moor has succeeded in bringing people into the area. It's said that some twitchers are bit sniffy about Old Moor: the cafe, well maintained footpaths and hides and shop are just not hair shirt enough! Old Moor is actually a good local attraction and it is true that the RSPB have spent money and time on facilities to attract the wider public - the restored farm buildings, well appointed shop and excellent cafe mean that even when the birds don't feel like strutting their stuff there are still things to do. The cafe is also very good - hearty fare at reasonable prices. Oh, and I gather that most of the rarer birds frequent Broomhill, the less obvious part of the reserve across the road (where you can also spot the twitchers).

THE SHRUBBERY is situated roughly six miles south west of Doncaster town centre and about one mile…read morewest of the village of Wadworth. The Shrubbery is as the name implies and was once a part of the grounds of Wadworth Hall. To the untrained eye there isn't much to see at The Shrubbery today apart from a mixture of broadleaved decidious trees and the occasional shrubs. There's also a small pond, that is thought to have been an outdoor bathing pool. It's what lies in the central area of The Shrubbery that makes The Shrubbery today historically important. There is three Gospel Wells. Now caged for safety reasons but still easy to view. The wells were thought at one time to be of Spa quality and have great healing powers. But research carried out within the last ten years has proved the wells do not hold Spa Water. The Wells were not wells as such, but cooling pools where the previous owners of Wadworth Hall stored their wines to "chill the drink" before drinking. The Shrubbery is open to the general public free of charge.

ROLLESTONE WOOD is in the South East district of Sheffield known as Gleadless Valley…read more There's records showing trees have been grown on the land where today's wood stands since 1432. The name Rollestone is a throwback of the name Rawlinstone, which was the surname of the farmer that used to own nearby Herdings Farm, and it is believed that the nearby Herdings Wood and today's Rollestone Wood use to be linked together as one huge woodland area many centries ago. Rollestone Wood was around 200 250 years ago a Working Wood, this means a wood that was coppiced for charcoal burning. Even today, in many parts of the wood you can still see the hollow pits were the charcoal burners used to burn the timbers util they produced charcoal that was used to line furnaces in Sheffield. The wood today is a mixture of broadleaved decidious trees and non-decidious fur trees (hardwood and softwood). There's not as many grey squirrels living in the wood now as there was twenty years ago, but foxes are plentiful, especially in late winter when it's their mating season, hedgehogs too can be seen quite often on warm summer evenings. Although not a Parkland as some folks know parks, Rollestone Wood is a Woodland Nature Park set aside for people to enjoy in different kinds of ways.

Rollestone Wood was a great place to play as a kid,lots of adventure,trees to climb,nature to see…read moreand a world full of fantasy for a child,I spent many happy hours playing in the wood.

BITHOLMES WOOD is situated roughly seven miles north of Sheffield City Centre and two miles south…read moreof Deepcar Village, near Stocksbridge. The main entrance to the wood faces Wharncliffe Crags which lie beyond the east bank of the River Don. There's mixed opinion as to the meaning of the name Bitholmes. History shows it to mean a place where people have lived. Sheffield University archeologists have found flint arrowheads and other tools used by Netherandrial Man on and around the Bitholmes site. There has not always been trees on the site, there is evidence to view that the site was once a large clay mine on three levels, there's also evidence to view that Ganister was heavily mined on this site. Ganister is a black coloured rock that when broken into pieces looks like coal. Ganister was used to line blast furnices so that Iron Ore could be melted down into liquid form ready for casting into moulds. History also tells us that the Bitholmes was the deer hunting grounds of local Norman Lords, they built large watchtowers so that their Ladies could admire the thrills of the hunt without participating. The watchtowers are now gone, the Bitholmes is now covered in a mixture of broadleaved trees, the undergrowth densely covers over the earth's scars caused by men digging for Clay and later Ganister. However, in autumn and winter it's easy to see the high plateurs of the three levels where the clay cliffs look down on you. Bitholmes Wood is a truly magnificent place to visit, but please stay on the footpaths provided for it's unsafe to wonder about this wood without a ranger accompanying you, some of the Ganister mineshafts have not been capped and still lay open, unseen under the dense undergrowth.

A really beautiful setting awaits you if you have the time and inclination to get to Thwaite Mills…read more Semi-wild walkways follow along the canal routes and River Aire attracting buzzing wildlife. People can experience the water force once used to drive industry of oil making/refining and putty creating in the functioning mill as well as learning about how the workers lived by touring around the managers house now a Grade II listed building. Thwaite Mills are sometimes involved with wider Leeds events where boat rides to the city centre have been used along side music and dance workshops. It is a lovely place to pass warm summer days...when they arrive.

Lovely hidden gem in Leeds…read more Gorgeous old Watermill setting offering the old buildings & machinery, gardens and canal-side walks to suit all the family (and pooch) Ample parking and gift shop/tuck shop for those little niceties to take away as a momento of the visit.

One of England's first country parks, only 25 minutes from home and I hadn't heard of it before…read more That called for an exploration. Etherow is located between Marple Bridge and Romiley in Stockport borough and was historically an area for mining and milling - the River Etherow flows through the park and there's plenty of evidence of its industrial past still dotted about. With the river and mill ponds, most notably Keg Pool, you'll get to see quite a variety of water fowl swimming about, feeding and nesting. The most impressive manmade feature in the park is the 20 foot high weir, which was used to carry water to the cotton mill; Stockport's own mini Niagara Falls. With a few walking paths criss-crossing the park, you can wander through woodland, up the valley sides and if it's a dry day, have a picnic at Sunny Corner. Failing that, The Andrew Arms pub is only a stone's throw from the main car park and serves hearty homemade meals.