Well, I don’t know where to start.
Rother Valley Country Park really deserves a whole section to itself. But here’s a little summary of what it has to offer.
To me, it’s the most beautiful place in the Sheffield/Rotherham area. And a perfect cheap day out. It gives you the option to spend lots of money or to stay on a budget. Whatever is best for you!
The activities available seem unlimited. From walks to bike trails, to watersports and golf. There’s plenty of options for a wide range of families.
Serena loves the bike trails – even in the pouring rain as you can see below – and there’s lots on offer at the country park. Bikes can be rented as long as you give them a piece of ID and a £5 deposit per bike. It’s great bonding time for my husband and Serena whilst James and I stroll around the lakes (he’s not much of a cyclist).
James particularly loved that Rother Valley Country has a miniature railway in the summer holidays from 10.30am until the last service at 6pm. It runs for 800 metres near the main lake and can hold 26 people at once. It also has an accessible carriage so can be used by pram owners, wheelchair users and dog walkers. They advise that if you’re making a special trip for the railway to ring before as it is highly affected by weather conditions.
There’s watersports including sailing (which you can do lessons for, both individual and family), family boating (they have a mixture of electric boats, pedal boats and rowing boats), canoeing (which can be rented but also tuition is available for all ages), windsurfing (hire and tuition, 1:1 lessons available), stand up paddleboarding (fun for all the family), jet skiing (although you do have to be a member of the Sheffield and District Jetski Club) and you can even bring your own boat (boats must be insured and within a certain size)! But these are all available during certain hours so check the website for timings (and booking if applicable) by clicking here.
Rother Valley also has an animal farm in the summer months which features rare breed sheep, goats, a llama and an alpaca. The kids love to see pet the animals.
For older kids (they’ll probably enjoy it more once they’re at least 10 as the holes are quite far for little legs), there is a foot golf area at the entrance which is part of Rother Valley Golf Centre and is a super fun way to let off some steam! Prices range from £4.50 for a child and £9.50 for an adult on the weekends (for all prices click here) and I thoroughly recommend booking because it is super popular.
There’s even just benches to sit on as you go round which have large spaces of grass in front of them – perfect for the kids to play on.
There’s even a holiday activity club for the days that you and your partner may both be at work. It’s £10 per session but is only from 10am-1pm so click here to see if it is suitable for you.
Here’s a cute little #throwback Thursday of the kids enjoying a lakeside walk with their Auntie Stella, Ganpa and Nanny!
Rother Valley Country Park is definitely worth a few visits over the summer because there’s lots to explore and to do. Even if you’re just going for a picnic.
It’s best to access by car (£5 parking charge, £4 within three hours of closing) but can be accessed via buses and a short walk (but probably a little too long for younger kids, around 20 minutes with little legs).
For more info here’s their website: http://www.rvcp.co.uk/Home.aspx
Sheffield Mum 