The Five Weirs Walk runs alongside the River Don in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. From

Lady's Bridge Lady's Bridge is the oldest bridge across the River Don in the City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the central section of the city, linking the Wicker to the north with Waingate to the south. History The first bridge The original woo ...

in Sheffield City Centre (), it heads downstream, northeast, over the

Cobweb Bridge The Cobweb Bridge, also known as Spider Bridge, is located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, near the disused Sheffield Victoria railway station. Completed in 2002, its design solves a difficult problem: passing the rive ...

, through

Attercliffe Attercliffe is an industrial suburb of northeast Sheffield, England on the south bank of the River Don. The suburb falls in the Darnall ward of Sheffield City Council. History The name Attercliffe can be traced back as far as an entry i ...

to Meadowhall (). As the name of the walk suggests, it passes five

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

s. It is now possible to continue the walk along the Don, under the

Tinsley Viaduct Tinsley Viaduct is a two-tier road bridge in Sheffield, England; it was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. It carries the M1 and the A631 for a distance of over the Don Valley, from Tinsley to Wincobank, also crossing the Sheffie ...

, to

Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...

. As of 2010, the section of the walk between Sheffield and Meadowhall has been linked with the parallel Sheffield and Tinsley Canal towpath as a circular walk known as th
Blue Loop
The walk links with the

Upper Don Walk The Upper Don Trail formerly known as the Upper Don Walk is a 15 mile long recreational multi use trail which links the centre of Sheffield to the village of Oughtibridge with various sections continuing out towards Stocksbridge and Langsett Re ...

at Lady's Bridge. 5weirs

History

The Walk was conceived, developed and steered to completion by the Five Weirs Walk Trust, a handful of enthusiasts bolstered by support from statutory authorities, private companies, local charities, national funding bodies and countless members of the public. Over a period of 20 years and more, the Walk developed from a bright idea to a keystone in the regeneration of the urban river corridor. A detail history can be found in the following document by the University of Sheffield:
Five Weirs Walk History

Weirs

1. Walk Mill Weir Walk Mill includes bypass steps for kayakers & canoeists to avoid the weir. 2. Burton Weir 3. Sanderson's Weir – This weir includes a fishpass which was also designed to accommodate safe passage for canoes & kayaks. 4. Brightside Weir 5. Hadfield's Weir Brightside weir on the River Don - geograph

Brightside weir on the River Don - geograph

The end of the Five Weirs Walk (geograph 3672711)

Salmon Pastures nature reserve

Salmon Pastures is a small (0.19 ha (0.47 acres)) nature reserve, managed by the

Wildlife Trust for Sheffield and Rotherham Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering Sheffield and Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It has 15 reserves with its base in Sheffield. Reserves The trust manages fifteen reserves: : Agden Bog : Blacka Moor : Carbr ...

, adjacent to the walk. The site is visited by mistle thrush, bullfinch, goldfinch and long tailed tit. Kingfishers, little grebe, moorhens and mallards can be seen on the adjacent banks of the River Don. Invertebrates such as dragonflies, moths, butterflies and hoverfly can be seen at the reserve.

References

External links

Five Weirs Walk – Website

Five Weirs Walking GuideBlue Loop Map
Transport in Sheffield Geography of Sheffield Tourist attractions in Sheffield Footpaths in South Yorkshire {{SouthYorkshire-geo-stub