When you think of UK staycations, you may imagine the sandy shorelines of Devon, the constant buzz of London or the heady heights of the Scottish Highlands. Northern England tends to rank lower on the staycation destinations list. And there’s one particular city that often gets overlooked but makes for a stunning city break in the summer months – Sheffield. It’s the city I grew up in and now live in once again, and it has so much to offer, whatever your hobbies and interests.
Sheffield was recently voted the fifth-happiest city in England, and for good reason. We have some of the friendliest people I’ve come across and a range of things to do, see and eat across the city and its outskirts. It’s also relatively easy to get to from all parts of the UK by train. On a good day, you can get to Sheffield from London in just over two hours. So, with all that in mind, these are some of the best parts of Sheffield to include in a long summer’s weekend away.
A thriving food scene
Sheffield’s food scene has only gotten bigger and better over the years. Most of the city’s restaurants are scattered through its suburbs, but if you need good food in the city centre, Cambridge Street Collective – Europe’s largest purpose-built food hall – is the place to go. There’s also Sheffield Plate, an artisan food hall in Orchard Square showcasing a rotating lineup of independent street‑food traders. And if you time your staycation right, you can even enjoy the tastes and delights of the Sheffield Food Festival (usually at the end of May).
Winnats Pass, Peak DistrictGetty Images
The Peak District
With the oldest UK national park on Sheffield’s doorstep, the city is a popular spot for avid hikers, cyclists and nature enthusiasts. However, even if you want to take things slow, there are lots of easier, shorter walks you can do in the Peak District over a weekend. Thor’s Cave is about an hour’s walk, Dovedale and Thorpe Cloud are around two hours, as is Mam Tor and Stanage Edge. The Peak District is accessible from Sheffield by car, but there are also High Peak buses that will take you all the way through to Castleton.
