Porter Valley Parks

{{Short description|Chain of public parks in Sheffield, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}} {{Use British English|date=January 2020}}

thumb|The five Porter Valley Parks 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.<ref name="p&g">{{cite web|url=https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/porter-valley-parks-1 |title=Porter valley Parks|work=Parks & Gardens|accessdate= 27 April 2022}}</ref>

The parks are listed at Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.<ref name="nhle"/> The Friends of the Porter Valley is a registered charity which supports their maintenance and improvement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1069865&subid=0 |title=Friends of the Porter Valley|publisher= Charity Commission |accessdate= 12 March 2023}}</ref>

National Cycle Route 6 passes through parts of Bingham Park, Whiteley Woods and Porter Clough.{{cn|date=July 2023|reason=data taken from OpenStreetMap, which is not a reliable source}}

==Parks== 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."<ref name="nhle">{{NHLE|num=1001502|desc="Porter Valley Parks"|date=30 March 2001|accessdate=27 April 2022}}</ref>

Besides green spaces, the parks contain various recreational facilities and historic monuments.

The Porter Valley Parks are included as a part of the Sheffield Round Walk.

===Endcliffe Park=== {{Main|Endcliffe Park}} Endcliffe Park comprises {{convert|15.5|ha|acre|order=flip}} and is adjacent to Sheffield city centre.<ref name="p&g"/> It was opened in 1887 to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

The park is home to three monuments dedicated to Queen Victoria, as well as the "Mi Amigo" memorial and ten American Oak trees, marking the crash site of a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-46958696|title=Sheffield bomber crash: Fly-past to mark anniversary after campaign|date=22 January 2019 |work=BBC News|access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-47323045 |title=Sheffield bomber crash: Flypast on 75th anniversary |work=BBC News |date=22 February 2019 |access-date=22 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfbhistory.org.uk/Pages/History/Section07.html|title=The History of Sheffield Fire Brigade|website=www.sfbhistory.org.uk|accessdate=25 April 2021}}</ref>

===Bingham Park=== {{Main|Bingham Park}} Bingham Park is the largest in the chain at {{convert|24.5|ha|acre|order=flip}}, and is separated from Endcliffe Park by Rustlings Road.<ref name="p&g"/> It was originally donated to the people of Sheffield in 1911, by industrialist Sir John E. Bingham, and was later expanded.<ref name="nhle"/> Situated up a hillside, it offers good views out over the valley.

===Whiteley Woods=== Whiteley Woods is adjacent to Bingham Park and covers {{convert|11.5|ha|acre|order=flip}}.<ref name="p&g"/>

The woodland and an existing dam and goit were also acquired in stages. In 1897/98 T Walter Hall presented land to Sheffield Corporation. A further grant of land was made in 1913 by Sheffield Town Trustees and in 1932 the J G Graves Charitable Trust donated land to the corporation.<ref name="nhle"/>

The Shepherd Wheel is a working water wheel and museum, located on the Porter Brook where it runs through Whiteley Woods.

White Watson, geologist, was born in Whiteley Woods in the 1760s.<ref name ="ford">{{cite magazine|last=Ford |first=Trevor D. |title=White Watson's Tablets |magazine=Geology Today|issue=14:1 |year=1998|pages= 21-25}}</ref>

===Forge Dam=== {{Main|Forge Dam Park}} Forge Dam Park was originally created in 1938 and covered {{convert|20|ha|acre|order=flip}}, but today occupies only {{convert|9.5|ha|acre|order=flip}}.<ref name="p&g"/> The dam was originally built to supply water for the manufacture of cutlery.<ref name="nhle"/>

===Porter Clough=== At {{convert|7.2|ha|acre|order=flip}}, Porter Clough is the smallest of the five parks.<ref name="p&g"/> Long but narrow, and for the most part with steep wooded sides up the valley, its south-western end extends {{convert|7|km|order=flip}} from the city centre, to join up with the Peak District.<ref name="p&g"/>

==Porter Valley Woodlands==  The Porter Valley Woodlands is a designated local nature reserve (LNR), sited partly within the Porter Valley Parks. It comprises the wooded areas of the parks, together with the adjacent Bluebell Wood.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteLNRDetail.aspx?SiteCode=L1083122&SiteName=Porter%20Valley%20Woodlands&countyCode=38&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Porter Valley Woodlands LNR|publisher= Natural England |accessdate= 7 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=Ref_CODE%3D%271083122%27 |title=Porter Valley Woodlands LNR |work=Magic Maps |publisher=DEFRA |accessdate= 7 May 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Forests and woodlands of South Yorkshire Category:Grade II listed parks and gardens in South Yorkshire Category:Parks in Sheffield Category:Porter Brook Category:Local nature reserves in South Yorkshire

==External links== * [https://www.fopv.org.uk/ Friends of the Porter Valley] website.