Yorkshire
Free date ideas in Sheffield
Updated
Sheffield is generous to couples on a budget. In the middle of town, the Winter Garden is a free glasshouse of palms and tree ferns that opens straight into the Millennium Gallery, with its cutlery, silverware and Ruskin’s treasures. Kelham Island Museum is free too: time it for the River Don Engine running in steam and feel the floor shake. Weston Park Museum has a polar bear and a woolly rhino, and the Botanical Gardens’ lawns and glass pavilions cost nothing in any season. For fresh air, follow the Porter Brook up to Forge Dam, wander the Victorian General Cemetery, or head out to Stanage Edge for the last hour of light over the Hope Valley.
Our picks
Stanage Edge
Above Hathersage, about ten miles west of the city centre
Address: Stanage Edge, Hathersage, Hope Valley S32 1BR- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Out of town
Walk along the top of the long gritstone edge above Hathersage, with moorland behind you and the Hope Valley spread out below.
Why it's a good date: One of the great views in the Peak District, and a short climb from the car parks at Hollin Bank or Upper Burbage. Go for the last hour of light, take a flask and a layer, and watch the climbers on the rocks below.
Photo: Michael Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Sheffield Winter Garden
Surrey Street, city centre
Address: Sheffield Winter Garden, Surrey Street, Sheffield S1 2HH- Outdoors
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Wander among palms, tree ferns and thousands of plants from around the world under the huge timber arches of the city-centre glasshouse.
Why it's a good date: A warm, green place to meet in the middle of town whatever the weather. It opens straight into the Millennium Gallery, so you can turn a quick stroll into an afternoon.
Photo: Andrew Tryon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Millennium Gallery
Arundel Gate, city centre
Address: Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PP- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Browse the free gallery next to the Winter Garden, with Sheffield's collection of cutlery and silverware, Ruskin's treasures and changing exhibitions.
Why it's a good date: The Metalwork Gallery shows off the city's steel-making skill in a way that's surprisingly beautiful. Check what's in the big exhibition space, then get a coffee and walk through to the glasshouse.
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Sheffield Botanical Gardens
Clarkehouse Road, Broomhill
Address: Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Clarkehouse Road, Sheffield S10 2LN- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Stroll the lawns, rose garden and themed borders of the Victorian botanical gardens, and step inside the curving glass pavilions.
Why it's a good date: Free, peaceful and lovely in every season, with the glass pavilions for a short shower. Bring a picnic for the lawns in summer, then wander down to Sharrow Vale Road for a drink.
Photo: A J Paxton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Kelham Island Museum
Alma Street, Kelham Island
Address: Kelham Island Museum, Alma Street, Sheffield S3 8RY- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See how Sheffield made its steel, from little workshops to the River Don Engine, a colossal steam engine that still thunders into life.
Why it's a good date: Time it for the engine running in steam and feel the floor shake. It's free to get in, and the pubs of Kelham Island are on the doorstep for afterwards.
Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Weston Park Museum
Western Bank, by the university
Address: Weston Park Museum, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Explore the city's free museum of natural history, archaeology and art, from a polar bear and a woolly rhino to Sheffield's own story.
Why it's a good date: Easy to wander for an hour without a plan, and free. Walk round Weston Park's lake and bandstand afterwards if the rain stops.
Photo: Adrian Richardson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)
Sheffield General Cemetery
Cemetery Avenue, Sharrow
Address: Sheffield General Cemetery, Cemetery Avenue, Sheffield S11 8NT- Outdoors
- Free
Wander the overgrown paths of a Victorian garden cemetery on a hillside, past grand gateways, chapels and the graves of the city's steel barons.
Why it's a good date: Quiet, green and full of stories, and lovely in autumn when the leaves turn. Pick up a trail from the trust's website first, then head to Sharrow Vale or Ecclesall Road for a coffee.
Photo: Warofdreams, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The Porter Valley to Forge Dam
From Endcliffe Park, Hunters Bar, to Forge Dam, Fulwood
Address: Forge Dam, Fulwood, Sheffield S10 3TE- Outdoors
- Free
Follow the Porter Brook from Endcliffe Park up through woods and old mill ponds to Forge Dam, with a café at the top.
Why it's a good date: About an hour of gentle uphill walking beside water the whole way, and easy to reach by bus. Get a hot drink at the Forge Dam café and stroll back down.
Photo: Ian S, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Quick answers
Can we get into the Peak District from Sheffield without paying?
Yes. Stanage Edge is free to walk, a short climb from the car parks at Hollin Bank or Upper Burbage, and the Porter Valley walk to Forge Dam starts in Endcliffe Park, easy to reach by bus.
Which Sheffield museums are free?
The Millennium Gallery, Weston Park Museum and Kelham Island Museum are all free to get in, and the Winter Garden next to the Millennium Gallery is free too.
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