The turning waterwheel
An overshot wheel about five and a half metres across, set going by volunteers from the millpond behind the building; its sight and sound are the best of the visit.
Before Sheffield was the steel capital of the world it was a city of small rivers turning wooden wheels, and the one still turning here on the Porter Brook is first securely recorded in a cutler's will from 1584. It is one of the very few complete grinding workshops to survive from that era: an overshot waterwheel roughly five and a half metres across, fed by a small millpond behind the building, driving rows of heavy grindstones inside over which men bent for long hours sharpening knives and scissors. It is a modest stone building of two rooms, standing on the remains of a brutal trade. When the volunteers open the sluice the water roars, the stones shudder, and you understand in a moment why grinding was one of the most dangerous jobs in England: the dust ate the lungs and a stone could burst in a man's face. The volunteers' explanation is half the visit, so do not just peer in from the doorway. Be honest with yourselves: the workshop is very small, twenty to thirty minutes covers it comfortably, and it opens only on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00, closing on bank holidays. So do not make it the goal of the day; make it a stop on the lovely Porter Valley walk. From the Rustlings Road end of Endcliffe Park it is a 10-15 minute stroll along a surfaced path that takes pushchairs, and you can carry on afterwards to Forge Dam, where there is a cafe and a playground. Entry is free, with a suggested five-pound donation. For families: children love the huge wheel and the rushing water, and the path is shaded and pleasant in summer, but the workshop floor itself is uneven and one section is reached only by steps. There is no car park at the building and no toilets; the nearest are in Endcliffe Park about a kilometre and a half away, and parking is on-street at either end of Bingham Park. In winter the valley turns muddy and the light fades early, so aim for a sunny weekend between May and September.
An overshot wheel about five and a half metres across, set going by volunteers from the millpond behind the building; its sight and sound are the best of the visit.
Rows of original grindstones with the grinder's tilted seat above them, and a frank account of a trade that killed its men young.
The workshop is a natural stop on the shaded path from Endcliffe Park to Forge Dam, where a cafe and a playground wait.
Whiteley Woods, off Hangingwater Road, Sheffield S11 2YE
If that day is a weekday the question answers itself, since it is closed. If it is a weekend, it is not worth a special trip on its own, but it is well worth it if you were already planning a walk in Endcliffe Park and the Porter Valley; combine the two in a couple of hours and you will leave happy.
The path from the park to the workshop is surfaced and fine for pushchairs, and children enjoy the wheel and the water. Inside, the floor is uneven and one section is reached only by steps, and there are no toilets on site, so plan for that in advance.