Reasons To Staycation In Sheffield

*This is a collaborative post with The Outdoor City, but all thoughts and opinions are my own

Over the years I’ve been to Sheffield countless times, but rarely seen further than a hotel, bar or gig venue. But with international travel as baffling as ever before 2021 is still firmly the year of the staycation.

Sheffield has 61% green space

Sheffield is dubbed The Outdoor City because it has the highest percentage of green space of any city in the world. A third of the city sits within the Peak District. So there are more trees per person than any other city in the UK making it the greenest city in the country. This means if you’re one for outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, or climbing you’ll be able to do that in the city without having to travel far.

I didn’t manage to make it into the Peak District on my trip but I did spend some time exploring the Winter Garden situated right in the city centre. The Winter Garden is the largest urban greenhouse in Europe and home to over 2,500 varieties of plants. It was originally called the Peace Gardens after signing the pre-Second World War Munich agreement. The greenhouse is free to enter and a super relaxing place to wander around or relax with a drink and your book. This is exactly what I did.

There are plenty of free things to do

City breaks don’t have to be expensive and there are plenty of free things you can do in the city. One of the first places I explored was the Millennium Gallery to see the new John Hoyland exhibition. Hoyland is one of Britain’s leading abstract painters and was born in Sheffield. The exhibition is running to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death. And it showcases some of his last created works from the last eight years of his life. He’s known for his bold use of colour and inventive forms with a career spanning over 50 years. There are also other exhibitions in the Millennium Gallery but I loved discovering Hoyland’s vibrant work. The Ruskin Collection at the Millennium Gallery is the most visited free attraction in the North of England.

Across the street from the Millennium Gallery is the Graves Gallery located on the top floor of the Central Library which I also explored. One of the standout exhibitions is a new one called Phlegm’s Pandemic Diary. It’s a collection of 67 pen and ink drawings and one engraving showing artist Phlegm’s response to the lockdown. While the pandemic is still fully out there there were some drawings of stockpiling toilet paper and people being told to avoid something invisible which did make me chuckle.

There’s also a Summer in the Outdoor City programme running with a lineup of events, markets and festivals to explore.

Sheffield has the biggest theatre district outside of London

I had no idea that Sheffield had the biggest theatre district outside of London but it’s true. Made up of a collection of theatres including the Crucible Theatre, Lyceum Theatre and Crucible Studio there’s always something you can catch in the city. From touring West End shows like Waitress and Grease, through to dramas.

The Lyceum has sat in the same location since 1879 and while I was in Sheffield I booked in to see Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell there. The show was based in 1930’s London and revolves around a tavern called The Midnight Bell. The show is entirely dance based with no spoken word. But somehow the show still managed to be funny, intense and heartbreaking.

It’s easy to get to

If you’re thinking about a staycation then Sheffield is a great option as it’s really easy to get to. There are direct connections with lots of other cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Norwich, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh and London. And a train directly from Kings Cross St Pancreas only takes 2 hours. I was so impressed at how quickly you could get there as I’d always travelled to Birmingham and then on to Sheffield.

Other things I enjoyed doing in Sheffield during my stay

There’s so much to do in the city that I wanted to shout out about some of the other things I did during my stay including:

• Exploring the cities street art which you can see everywhere you go in Sheffield. From street art, graffiti and murals plenty of artists have made Sheffield even more colourful and it’s a great excuse to wander the city on foot.
• Sought out as many bears as possible! The Bears of Sheffield is a huge public art exhibition all across the city. There are 60 big bears that have been designed by professional artists and each one sponsored by businesses and individuals. And then 100 little bears that have been designed and painted by children and young people. At the end of the summer, the bears will be auctioned off to raise funds for Sheffield Children’s.
• Eating pizza at Craft and Dough on Kelham Island. Kelham Island is a manmade island formed in the 1100s and is one of Sheffield’s oldest manufacturing sites. What was once the beating heart of the industry is now a super exciting part of the city full of great foodie spots. Craft and Dough do pizza, amazing sides (I recommend the dough balls) and plenty of drinks and cocktails.

Have you ever been to Sheffield?

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