Millhouses Park
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Millhouses Park is a large park in the south of Sheffield. Lying between Abbeydale Road South (A621) and the railway line, it follows the course of the River Sheaf for approximately a mile through the Abbeydale valley. The park contains open grassed areas, woodlands, and floral displays. Sporting facilities on offer include:
- Football pitches
- Bowling greens
- Cricket pitch
- Boating lake
- Basketball court
- Children's play area
- Skate park
- Adventure playground
- Tennis courts
- 9-hole putting course
As well as these, visitors are provided with car parking, public toilets and a cafe serving gourmet food.
[edit] History
In 1907 Earl FitzWilliam gave the city some land in Millhouses. The City Council bought more land and laid out a public park, including many of the current facilities and also an open-air swimming pool and paddling pools. These have had to be closed due to water quality problems; the lido site now houses the children's play area. At one time this park could attract up to 50,000 visitors on summer weekends.[1] Before the existence of the park, this area of Sheffield had been used for farmland, and a number of mills had been built to take advantage of the power provided by the river.[2]
There is an annual fair/festival that takes place in the park featuring live bands, stalls, and a duck race on the River Sheaf, all raising money for the upkeep of the park. There was previously a full-time funfair on the grassed area at the northern end of the park; it had to be removed when Yorkshire Water installed a large storm drain under this area of land, and it is not known whether the fair will return now the work is complete.
[edit] External links
- Sheffield's Parks, Woodlands & Countryside - City council parks guide
- Friends of Millhouses Park - a voluntary organisation devoted to assisting with maintenance of and provision of facilities in the park.
- Notes on History of Millhouses
[edit] References
- ^ Harvey, Peter (1996). Abbeydale and Millhouses. Stround: The Charlford Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 0-7524-0732-5
- ^ Water Wheels on the River Sheaf in Abbeydale (2003-04-20). Retrieved on 2006-08-14.
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Abbeyfield | Beauchief Gardens | Beauchief Park | Beeley Wood | Bingham Park and Whiteley Woods |
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