'Sheffield's best green spaces and why they mean so much to city's students like me'

Usually, student accommodation is your typical row of multi-storey terrace houses with a shared back alleyway and no outdoor area.

That’s why it’s so important for student-dominated cities like Sheffield to provide a variety of clean, large, versatile outdoor spaces for everyone to use and enjoy.

The amount of people that have taken up walking as a hobby has risen nine per cent post pandemic, and a recent study found that people who spent at least two hours in nature per week were consistently more likely to report higher levels of health and well-being compared to people who spent less time in nature.

As a student at the university of Sheffield, I walk past Crookes Valley Park every single day on my way to uni, into town or into work and when the March heat wave was upon us it was something extraordinary to walk past and to see everyone having BBQs, drinking and having fun with housemates and friends.

“Crookes Valley Park is really important to me because I use it pretty much every day, whether its to go on a walk or a run. I always find going outside helps me to destress.” Said Caitlin Eckley from Broomhill.

I love Sheffield for its distance to the peak district too. If you’re lucky enough to be a student with a car at university or know someone who has, heading out for the day to the close towns of Bakewell, Castleton or Bamford can provide a jumping off point for some great walks or just a nice place to have a stroll.

Another place that feels like it’s outside the city but isn’t is the Rivelin area. With the river running through it and green woodland surrounding the area, Rivelin Valley is a great walking spot in the city.

It takes around 30 minutes to walk from the city centre and provides a six-mile walk once you’re there. There is always the option to shorten it, but I don’t see why you’d want to, especially

with the added bonus of many dogs swimming in the river.

Kieran Morse, 22, from the Crookesmoor area, said: “It’s nice to be able to walk out of the city and be relaxed instantly. It’s peaceful, well-kept and the best place to de-stress. It makes me feel like I’m back at home.”

Sheffield Botanical Gardens is another park in the centre of Sheffield popular among Sheffield Hallam students. The park is a similar size to Crookes Valley Park and provides an area of respite for students and others to have a stroll or simply enjoy some outdoor space.

It’s especially gorgeous in spring when all the flowers come out and make the area so full of colour and really gives you the needed nature you’re looking for.

Athena Stavrou, 21, from Crookes, said: “I think the outdoor spaces in Sheffield are the most important part of the city. They provide an area that is completely separate to the hustle and bustle of the centre and they are always well-kept. I love the history that is within some of the parks too, that is what makes the botanical gardens my favourite.”

Ecclesall Woods is another nice walking spot in Sheffield. I came here in the autumn when the colours were just mesmerising. You walk through the arching branches and everywhere you look is decorated in orange, red and yellow leaves. It’s the most gorgeous place for an early morning walk.

Martin, a Twitter user, said the outdoor spaces are used for socialising, peace and quiet. He added that they’re a place to hang out and provided some much-needed respite during the Covid pandemic.

I couldn’t finish this piece about outdoor spaces without giving a special mention to Bolehills, which is one of my favourite places to go in Sheffield to watch the sunset and also a great place to just sit and chill with friends.

This is my favourite outdoor space in Sheffield, and I often walk the 12 minutes from my house with my book and grab a coffee from one of the many coffee shops on the way. I sit and read my book in peace and it’s a nice way to get out of the student bubble, which its easy-to-get trapped in.

I’ve never not had a back garden, so I worried when first signing my tenancy if I’d be able to cope, but because of the vast amount of space offered in Sheffield I am able to still enjoy my own time outdoors.