Author Archives: friendsofmillhousespark
Autumn bird watching walk
All interested folk are welcome to join the next Millhouses Park Bird Watching Walk on Sunday 30 October.
Meet at 8am at the foot of the steps into the park from Archer Road. The walk is a fairly leisurely stroll through the park to Tyzack’s Dam and back through Ecclesall Woods, and should take about two and a half hours. Binoculars will be available to borrow
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Millhouses Park on film
There is some great footage of Millhouses Park (and other City parks) on this great archive footage on the BFI player. Shot in the 1960’s it shows how popular the park has always been with great scenes of the old paddling pools (now where the fish pass is) and also the old slide and geometric climbing frame.
you can watch it for free at (Millhouses Park is at 6:40 onwards)!
https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-sheffield-parks-and-gardens-1964-online
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Wetland!
We are very excited to be starting a new project this week to improve the park. What has been a flooded patch of grass for many years is about to become a wildlife wetland/scrub area. Located between the sensory garden and the path, it will have a wetlend area, native wildflowers and new landscaping, with oak fencing and native hedging to keep both the park users and the wildlife safe. Not only will it become a beautiful improvement, it will reduce flooding and increase biodiversity. In the short term it may look a bit of a muddy hole, but bear with us!
As always, this doesn’t come for free. If you would like to make a donation towards the project, please visit our fundraising page here. We are fundraising to contribute to the cost of the planting, fencing and hedges, so every little helps.
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Autumn Birdwalk
On Saturday October 30th. Pete Brown will lead our regular autumn bird watching walk through Millhouses Park and part of Ecclesall Woods. Meet at the foot of the steps into Millhouses Park from Archer Road at 08.00. (Note that there is no access to the meeting point via the mill buildings entrance from Abbeydale Road South due to construction work taking place there). The gentle walk should take about two and a half hours. Pete has a number of pairs of binoculars to lend to participants.
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Playground Update
We are absolutely delighted to let you know that your kind donations, in collaboration with SCC Parks and Countryside and with a CIL contribution courtesy of local councillors, mean that we will have a new multi-purpose climbing unit and some other additional play equipment arriving in the park before the summer. We will try and keep you updated as to when access will be limited during installation, and when children will be able to start enjoying using it. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible.
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December 10, 2020 · 7:31 pm
Northumbrian Garden Parrot
We are very pleased to say that our local birdman and Friend of Millhouses Park, Pete Brown, has published ‘The Northumbrian Garden Parrot’; a semi-autobiography with a lot of local references and interesting tales of bird-watching around the world. Many of you will have followed Pete on his bird-walks through Millhouses Park and Ecclesall Woods.
The book costs £10 (a bargain according to the author!) with any profits going towards our efforts to raise funds for a new children’s climbing frame in the park.
Please email Pete at brownpl38@gmail.com to buy your copy.
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Playground upgrade
Many of you will have seen the very sorry state of the playground. We are devastated that due to the age of the climbing frame it was not possible to repair it when it was vandalised during lockdown and the Council have removed the entire unit, leaving the playground in a very poor state. In the current economic climate it is going to be extremely difficult to find sources of funding to help restore the playground to its former glory, so we desperately need your help. Please donate whatever you can so that once again every child can enjoy hours and hours of free fun in the park.
You can donate here,
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Stop the Pub Takeover
True Brew North – owners of the Wagon & Horses Inn on Abbeydale Rd – has renewed its attempts to take over the section of the Park next to the pub. This was first tried in 2018, but after much local opposition and pressure on Parks & Countryside Dept they were forced to back off, with the Council deciding to review the whole question of allowing commercial use of parks.
Now True Brew North, run by entrepreneur Kane Yeardley, are back and trying again. Unfortunately the fact that they have lodged a Planning Application suggests that Parks & Countryside Dept have given them the go-ahead and agreed to some arrangement. The proposal now includes many even more damaging aspects for the park, including the removal of trees and the addition of three gateways into the park from the pub and an outdoor sales outlet for the pub.
The Friends of Millhouses Park are opposed to this project, but for there to be any hope at all of it not being given the go-ahead, there need to be lots of objections submitted to the planning department.
The link to the Planning Portal – for more information on the Application and opportunity to register Objections or Comments – is Here. The Planning Reference is 20/01667/FUL. You will need to register if you don’t have an existing Login, in order to make a Comment. Several people have reported issues with registration, and if that is the case, please email your comments or objections direct to stewart.greenslade@sheffield.gov.uk
The original petition from 2018 remains live at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-millhouses-park-public
so if you have not already signed it, please add your name and encourage all you know to do so.
We want to do everything we can to protect the park for everyone – please use your voice to help us.
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Friends of Millhouses Park 