Endcliffe Park

Last updated

One of the many woodland pathways in Endcliffe Park. Endcliffe Park, Sheffield.jpg
One of the many woodland pathways in Endcliffe Park.

Endcliffe Park is a large park in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The park was opened in 1887 to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria. When travelling West from the city centre it is the first in a series of parks and green spaces, known collectively as the Porter Valley Parks, all of which lie along the course of the Porter Brook. The next park in the sequence is Bingham Park, separated from Endcliffe Park by Rustlings Road. [1] In 1924 Patrick Abercrombie said of the parks, "The Porter Brook Parkway, consisting as it does of a string of contiguous open spaces, is the finest example to be found in this country of a radial park strip, an elongated open space, leading from a built-up part of the city direct into the country, the land occupied being a river valley and so for the greater part unsuitable for building." [1]

Contents

Endcliffe Park comprises parkland as well as woodland. The portion along Rustlings Road is grassy and used as a recreation ground whilst the Northern border, separated from the recreation grounds by the Porter Brook is woodland, and is traversed by many paths.

The Ecclesall Road entrance to the park is next to the former Hunter's Bar toll bar on the former Sheffield and Chapel-en-le-Frith toll road.Old-Maps - the online repository of historic maps - home page Next to the entrance is a Grade II listed pavilion and lodge, built in 1891. [2]

Close to the park's entrance is the Hallamshire Tennis & Squash Club.

Monuments

Erected by Citizens of Sheffield in honour of a Great Queen MDCCCCIV. Endcliffe Park - Queen Victoria's statue 13-05-06.jpg
Erected by Citizens of Sheffield in honour of a Great Queen MDCCCCIV.

The park features three monuments dedicated to Queen Victoria. Near the entrance is a statue of Queen Victoria and midway up the path towards Whiteley Woods is an obelisk also in honour of Queen Victoria. [3] [4] Both originally stood at the top of Fargate in Sheffield city centre. In the centre of the park, enclosed by railings, is a pile of rocks arranged to form a dolmen. The top stone has a coat of arms and an inscription which refers to the founding of the park. [5]

A tree planted by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee stands near her statue.

There is also a memorial stone marking the crash site of the USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress "Mi-Amigo" with a description board, installed by the Parks Department ahead of the 75th anniversary. The stone was put in place in 1969 after a fund-raising drive by the Sheffield branch of the Royal Air Force Association, who have since organised the annual service of remembrance. Ten American oak trees, one per airman, were planted by the City Council in 1969 and since then, if any have needed replacing, another tree has been planted in advance, as happened in 2019/20. [6] [7] [8]

Facilities and events

The park has a playground which was revamped in 2008 which has many attractions for children. The park also includes a parkour training facility which was built in 2014, funded by the Sheffield Parkour Movement group. There is also an outdoor gym area which includes pull up bars and self-weighted machines. All these facilities are currently free to use. There is also a family-friendly cafe which is open daily, serving a wide range of food and drinks. There are also toilet facilities and a small children's amusement area next to the cafe.

The park often hosts many events in the summer, such as circuses, musical events and a fair; including the Easter duck race event. The Folk in the Forest music festival is held in the park during the Tramlines Festival . [9] The Endcliffe parkrun takes place weekly. [10]

The second, and larger, pond Endcliffe Park - Second pond 13-05-06.jpg
The second, and larger, pond

Ponds

The Porter Brook, although flowing freely between the many old trees of the park, is dammed and forms two ponds, home of ducks and feral pigeons. The first pond, situated to the West of the park has an island. There is no access to the island. Like all the ponds along the Porter Valley, the ponds in the park are old mill ponds and retain their races that once drove a water wheel. In Endcliffe Park these have been semi-blocked to achieve an attractive waterfall effect. Endcliffe Park and many of the other parks and public spaces along the Porter Brook, are a re-claimed, pre-steam-age industrial landscape.

These days the ponds act as wildlife refuges, especially the island in the larger pond, with mallard, moorhen and coot resident, joined by a flock of black-headed gulls each winter. The ponds also enjoy frequent visits from grey herons and kingfishers throughout the year. The Porter Brook itself supports many more species, including the territories of dippers in its higher reaches. Grey wagtails frequently feed on insects just above the brook all along its length and are usually first glimpsed as a flash of bright canary yellow when strolling along those paths of Endcliffe Park that follow the course of the Brook.

Special designations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Park</span> Royal Park in London, England

Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of London's Royal Parks and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park. It is now a national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation and is included, at Grade I, on Historic England's Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Its landscapes have inspired many famous artists and it has been a location for several films and TV series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porter Brook</span> River in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

The Porter Brook is a river which flows through the City of Sheffield, England, descending over 1,000 feet (300 m) from its source on Burbage Moor to the west of the city to its mouth where it joins the River Sheaf in a culvert beneath Sheffield railway station. Like the other rivers in Sheffield, its steep gradient made it ideal for powering water mills and works associated with the metalworking and cutlery industries, and around 20 dams were constructed over the centuries to facilitate this. At its lower end, it is extensively culverted, but parts of it are gradually being restored to open channels, as part of a daylighting scheme for the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenwich Park</span> Royal Park and former hunting park in Greenwich, London

Greenwich Park is a former hunting park in Greenwich and one of the largest single green spaces in south-east London. One of the Royal Parks of London, and the first to be enclosed, it covers 74 hectares, and is part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site. Surrounding the hilltop Royal Observatory and straddling the Greenwich Prime Meridian, it commands elevated views over the River Thames, the Isle of Dogs and the City of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broomhill and Sharrow Vale</span> Electoral ward in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

Broomhill and Sharrow Vale — which includes the districts of Broomhill, Broomhall, Crookesmoor, Endcliffe, Sharrow Vale and Tapton Hill — is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. The ward was created following the 2015 local government boundary review out of parts of the old Broomhill, Central and Nether Edge wards. It is located in the western part of the city. The population of the Broomhill ward in 2011 was 16,966 people in 5,708 households, covering an area of 2.7 km2. Broomhill & Sharrow Vale is one of the wards that make up the Sheffield Central Parliamentary Constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannon Hill Park</span> Public park in Birmingham, England

Cannon Hill Park is a park located in south Birmingham, England. It is the most popular park in the city, covering 250 acres (101 ha) consisting of formal, conservation, woodland and sports areas. Recreational activities at the park include boating, fishing, bowls, tennis, putting and picnic areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Victoria Park, Bath</span> Park in Bath, England

Royal Victoria Park is a public park in Bath, England. It was opened in 1830 by the 11-year-old Princess Victoria, seven years before her ascension to the throne, and was the first park to carry her name. It was privately run as part of the Victorian public park movement until 1921, when it was taken over by the Bath Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queens Park, Crewe</span> Park in Crewe, Cheshire, England

Queens Park in Crewe, Cheshire, is a 44.5 acre (18ha) Grade II* listed public park opened in 1887, little changed from its original plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead Park</span> Public park in Birkenhead, Wirral, England

Birkenhead Park is a major public park located in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Heritage Park</span>

Norfolk Heritage Park is a 28-hectare (69-acre) public park in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England surrounded by the Norfolk Park residential suburb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bingham Park</span> Park and woods in South Yorkshire, England

Bingham Park is one of the chain of Porter Valley Parks in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillsborough Park</span>

Hillsborough Park is a large parkland area in Hillsborough, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is situated three miles north-west of the city centre. It owned by Sheffield City Council and is one of the 13 designated "City Parks".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Park, Middlesbrough</span> Public park in North Yorkshire, England

Albert Park is an open access, free public park, located in Middlesbrough, in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forge Dam Park</span> Park in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

Forge Dam Park is a park in Fulwood, in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Forge Dam Park is the fourth of the Grade II listed Porter Valley Parks, a connected series of parks along the course of the Porter Brook. The 49 acres (20 ha) park is on the site of the Old Mayhouse Farm and Forge Dam. It was acquired by the J G Graves Charitable Trust in 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endcliffe Hall</span>

Endcliffe Hall is a 19th-century, 36-room mansion situated on Endcliffe Vale Road in the City of Sheffield in the suburb of Endcliffe. The hall is situated just over 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the city centre and is a Grade II* Listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Park, Bolton</span> Park in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

Queen's Park is a roughly circular 22 acres (8.9 ha) Victorian park lying on sloping ground to the north-west of Bolton town centre, in Greater Manchester, England. Opened as Bolton Park on 24 May 1866 by Lord Bradford it was renamed in 1897 in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Goldring</span>

William Goldring was a landscape architect, and naturalist. Goldring arrived in Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1875) where he was in charge of the Herbaceous Department at the world-famous botanical garden. He served as the Assistant Editor of The Garden (1879), and the Editor of Woods and Forests (1883-1886). He was also President of the Kew Guild, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, England (1913). Goldring's work included many private houses, hospitals, asylums and public parks in England, Wales, India, and the United States of America. He is responsible for work on nearly 700 different garden landscape projects in England alone.

Alfred Turner was an English sculptor notable for several large public monuments. These included statues of Queen Victoria, works in the Fishmonger's Hall in London and several war memorials, both in the Britiah Isles and abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Park, Kitchener</span> Urban park in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Victoria Park is the oldest park in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, situated downtown. It is the site of numerous events and festivities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Park</span> Public park in Devon, England

Rock Park is an urban park in Barnstaple, Devon, England. The park was donated to the public by William Frederick Rock and opened in 1879. It has a number of listed structures including an obelisk at the entrance to the park, a lodge and a range of historic lamp posts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porter Valley Parks</span> Chain of public parks in Sheffield, England

The Porter Valley Parks are a series of public parks and green spaces in Sheffield, England. Lying along the valley of Porter Brook, they run radially out from the city centre, providing a direct green-space connection to the Peak District national park. Created variously between 1855 and 1938, they comprise in order from the city centre; Endcliffe Park, Bingham Park, Whiteley Woods, Forge Dam Park and Porter Clough.

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England (30 March 2001). "PORTER VALLEY PARKS, Non Civil Parish (1001502)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "PAVILION AND LODGE AT EAST ENTRANCE TO PARK (1254803)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  3. ↑ Historic England (12 December 1995). "JUBILEE OBELISK AT SOUTH WEST END OF PARK, Sheffield (1270592)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  4. ↑ Historic England (28 June 1973). "STATUE OF QUEEN VICTORIA AT SOUTH EAST END OF PARK, Sheffield (1254804)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  5. ↑ Historic England (12 December 1995). "JUBILEE MONUMENT AND RAILING IN CENTRE OF ENDCLIFFE PARK, Sheffield (1058979)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. ↑ "Sheffield bomber crash: Fly-past to mark anniversary after campaign". BBC News. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Sheffield bomber crash: Flypast on 75th anniversary". BBC News. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "The History of Sheffield Fire Brigade". www.sfbhistory.org.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Welcome to the Folk Forest". The Folk Forest. 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "Endcliffe parkrun". www.parkrun.org.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2024.


53°22′08″N1°30′25″W / 53.369°N 1.507°W / 53.369; -1.507

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.