Can Parkwood park run solve Kelham’s green space problems and unite the community in S5?
Like many residents in the north-west of the city, Seth Kirby used to look out of his window towards the city and wonder about the vast open space towering above Sheffield. A runner and lecturer, Seth found himself tracing a route through Wardsend Cemetery, across the old Manchester railway line and Scraith Wood and up to the majesty of Parkwood Springs, surely the best place for a view of the city and the Peak District beyond.
Parkwood Springs is HUGE. It is the same size as Hyde Park in London, stretching from Rutland Road (latterly laughingly dubbed Upper Kelham) to Wardsend in Hillsborough. Seth’s early forays were similar to my own — this space is vast and that surely contributes to a sense of emptiness — even with mountain bikers, runners, dog walkers and volunteers it can feel, well, remote. Turns out huge numbers of people just don’t venture up there at all since the ski village burned down — although many more cottoned on to its variety and brilliance during Lockdown. There’s also more than a little magic and folklore at play up there. It still has a feeling of an unheralded and underplayed jewel in Sheffield’s outdoor crown.
But that’s all about to change as Parkwood continues its journey to be the country park in the city with the summer launch of a new Park Run. Running in Sheffield since 2012, this will be the city’s eighth 5k event — not counting the various junior park runs that have started recently in Norfolk Park and the Olympic Legacy Park.
I’m here with Seth and our friend Adam to check out the new route, which has been meticulously mapped as a rugged, challenging, Mudder-esque two-lapper. Seth is on the committee of Friends of Parkwood Springs, and has worked with the volunteers and council to get to this point — now a community fundraiser will deliver the cash needed to start staging the event in the summer.
The route starts off near the soon-to-be-completed cafe, following an anti-clockwise trail through a Pear Orchard and around the sports fields formerly part of the old Parkwood College. It’s from there that you hit the first commanding view of the city. Not only can you see mine, Adam and Seth’s houses, but you can see one of Parkwood Park Run’s USPs — you can actually see another park run down the valley in Hillsborough. That course looks insanely small, but, on a clear day, you can watch people finishing it while you start your second lap higher up the hill.
The route takes you past the lookout which one provided war-time defences for the River Don with the barracks in the background — the miniature rifles on the top of the lookout posts point to the area’s rich military history. Back then, there were even houses, destroyed in the war.
Talking of destruction, the route then snakes past the remains of the ski village which trained a generation of British winter Olympians and is now key to a tantalising part of Parkwood’s future — the arrival of a potential Skyline Luge (£19m of government levelling up money has been awarded — the majority to provide access to the site). Dropping down further and it’s the reason why people have fallen in love, been proposed to and seen every available weather, that VIEW of the city. Photos often don’t do it justice, although the one I’ve used in this piece perhaps does.
We all stop for a look, with Seth providing a perfect metaphor for both the story and the location by standing at the end of the rainbow. We all remark about how there will be few parkruns anywhere that will command a view like this. Park Run tourists will be desperate to see it, not to mention the photographers who have become almost as big a part of the Saturday morning experience along with the volunteers who make it happen.
From here, it all gets a bit mediaeval, route and history wise. A narrow trail takes you into the woods and then slowly, painstakingly up to the appropriately named Helipad Field. Once home to the ancient city forebears who kept a deer park up here in the 13th century (Jason Thompson’s excellent Spirit of Parkwood Springs sculpture tells the story), it is now a regular spot for the hospital helicopter, footballers and cricketers. New signage will help people to trace just what happened up here, but Jason’s sculpture is a good start. One lap done.
It all gets a bit cerebral on lap two. We remark about how film crews have been drawn to the area because it is so stark and remote (1984’s Threads and the Disney Full Monty series being two examples). We toy with the idea, deliriously, that maybe we could get the cast of the FM up here for the park run launch. After all, it’s all about widening participation (although some proper kit and grippy shoes are a must)
Joking aside, this is the rub of the new parkrun. Parkwood is not in a wealthy part of the city. Levels of inequality are high here. Yes, people will be drawn here from the new Kelham and Neepsend developments, but the success of this event will be equally felt by getting folks from Shirecliffe, Pitsmoor and Burngreave involved too.
Seth is keen for the local community to engage in the new Park Run. You can sign up for the Friends of Parkwood Springs newsletter, or contribute to the fundraising. Or volunteer to marshall the occasional twists and turns found over 500 feet of elevation.
Not only that, but you have a chance to be part of a community that has truly transformational powers for the city and its people.
Catch an interview with Seth on the relaunched Looking Up Sheffield podcast later in the spring.
Subscribe to the FOPS at parkwood.springs.news@gmail.com or via Facebook.
They have setup a fundraising page to raise the initial setup costs. If you are able to offer any financial support through donations or by sharing this page, they would be extremely grateful! Please donate or share this page here: https://gofund.me/6e3fe525
