Sheffield is famous worldwide as the home of snooker and the birthplace of stainless steel, and it’s gaining a growing reputation as a foodie hotspot.
It’s also known for its excellent arts scene, with the Crucible and Lyceum theatres producing many acclaimed plays, and for bands from Def Leppard to The Human League and Arctic Monkeys which have put the city on the music map.
But for all its top attractions, like the stunning Sheffield Botanical Gardens, and Cambridge Street Social food hall, with its mouthwatering array of global kitchens, there are many amazing places to visit which fly under the radar.
All of these attractions deserve a wider audience, yet most are relatively unknown beyond South Yorkshire and some remain sadly unheard of even by many people living and working within Sheffield.
If you’re visiting Sheffield or have guests coming and want to show them something a bit different, or off the beaten track, here are some of the city’s hidden gems to check out.
5. Whinfell Quarry Gardens
Whinfell Quarry Gardens is a hidden beauty spot beside Sheffield's better known Whirlow Brook Park. The site was used to extract flagstones before being converted into a garden for Whinfell House in 1895 by the steel industrialist Samuel Doncaster. Today it is home to some beautiful and unusual plants and trees, including giant redwood trees from California and rhododendrons from the Himalayas. Walking beside the tranquil pond in the corner of the gardens feels like stepping back millions of years to the days of the dinosaurs. Photo: Dean Atkins
6. Visit market with amazing street food and music
Sheffield has some fantastic markets, inclyding the popular Nether Edge Farmers Market, Sharrow Market and Pollen Market, beside the River Don. But Peddler Market, which takes place each month at a warehouse on Burton Road in Neepsend, Sheffield, is a little bit different. It's a celebration of the best street food in and around Sheffield, which runs from the early afternoon until 11pm, with live music and a variety of goods on sale, from art to fashion. | National World Photo: National World
7. Escape from it all at Victoria Quays
Victoria Quays, at the end of the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal, is a beautiful spot at which to escape from it all. You can still hear the faint rumble of the ring road but it feels a million miles away from the buzz of the nearby city centre. It comes alive each month for the Quayside Market and is also home to the quirky Dorothy Pax pub, which is one of the city's best small music venues, and to the popular True Love's bar and deli. Among the residents living in the narrowboats there is Joe Scarborough, one of Sheffield's most celebrated artists. | National World Photo: National World
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8. Play crazy golf in a truly unique setting
Crazy golf is enjoying a bit of a renaissance these days but few courses are as spectacular as Golf Fang, tucked away on John Street, off Bramall Lane, in Highfield, Sheffield. The venue is like a modern art installation, with gorgeous neon graffiti, paying homage to TV shows and films, blazing throughout. You'll also find cocktails, good food and DJs there, which explains why it's one of the city's most popular nights out, with a near-perfect 4.9/5 rating from more than 2,000 reviews on Google | Golf Fang Photo: Golf Fang