The slideshow above I put together from a selection of photographs taken during a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll from Victoria Quays, which is just across the road from where I live in Sheffield, to Meadowhall, on 19 October 2014.
I’ve walked along part of the Sheffield Canal towpath before, but never all the way to Meadowhall (a shopping centre on the outskirts of Sheffield). In fact we didn’t quite make it all the way this time either. There’s a sign by the canal basin in Victoria Quays which optimistically announces: ‘Meadowhall 2 miles’. This may possibly be true as the crow flies, but definitely not as the water flows…
We’d allowed an hour for the walk, taking it slowly and pausing from time to time to admire the view, explore the odd side footpath, and take a chocolate break. After two hours we still hadn’t reached Meadowhall, late Sunday breakfast seemed a long time ago and the call of Sunday dinner was becoming more insistent.
So we left the towpath at one of the points where the Sheffield Supertram runs close by. The final photograph is a view across to Meadowhall from the bridge to the tram stop.
I recommend the walk, which is probably nearer five miles than two. Most of the walk is completely hidden from roads. You pass the backs of factories, many now derelict, but a reminder of the importance of the canal in the past as an industrial thoroughfare. Depending on the time of year there’s plenty of greenery and wildlife. Look out for the Tinsley Flight, a rise of five locks, and the nearby narrow boat moorings.
You can combine this with the Five Weirs walk along the River Don to make a wonderful round trip providing a fascinating mix of nature and industry.
The brief video below shows the before-and-after views of a few experiments with Photoshop and Perfect Effects.
Letters For Friends 