Rotherham to Sheffield Canal Walk

6.4 miles (10.3 km)

This walk follows the River Don Navigation and the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal from Rotherham to Sheffield. The route runs for 6.4 miles, following the Trans Pennine Trail south east to Blackburn Meadows Nature Reserve and the Meadowhall centre at Tinsley.... The route then continues along the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, before finishing at the canal basin in the city centre.
The varied waterside walk follows a fascinating route through the Lower Don Valley, combining industrial heritage with important wildlife habitats and modern regeneration. The River Don Navigation and Sheffield and Tinsley Canal were developed to carry coal, steel and other goods into the heart of Sheffield, and today they provide an attractive traffic-free corridor for walkers and cyclists.
Leaving Rotherham, the route follows the River Don through a landscape that has been transformed in recent years. At Blackburn Meadows Nature Reserve, wetlands and reedbeds now attract kingfishers, herons, little egrets and a wide variety of waterfowl. Beyond Meadowhall, the route joins the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, passing the impressive Tinsley Flight of locks before continuing through increasingly urban surroundings towards Sheffield.
The walk finishes at Sheffield Basin, close to the city centre. Once a busy inland port serving the city's famous steel industry, the basin has been sympathetically regenerated with waterside apartments, cafés and public spaces. From here it is only a short walk to Sheffield's shops, museums, restaurants and railway station, making this an enjoyable route linking the city's industrial past with its modern waterfront.
The route also links up with the Five Weirs Walk, another popular waterside trail in the area.