Broomhill and Crookes, Sheffield

Creative Tourist

To the west of the city, the suburbs of Broomhill and Crookes, though small, contain some great shops and pubs, while the sights found along the way make them well worth the 20-minute walk out of the centre. We suggest cutting through the University of Sheffield’s campus, dropping into the magnificent Arts Tower (with its famous paternoster lift) and passing through Weston Park, with its blossom trees, duck pond and the city’s last remaining Victorian bandstand. 

The leafy Victorian suburb of Broomhill takes its name from the house that metalworker William Newbould built in the 1790s. It boasts cobbled passages, historic street signs and small independent shops, pretty terraces favoured by students and stone villas that house some of Sheffield’s most affluent. The centre of Broomhill is a fairly small strip, but it accommodates a couple of great pubs (we recommend The York), an ever well-stocked Oxfam, and the excellent Record Collector – there since 1978. And the impressive Sheffield Botanical Gardens – with its Grade II listed Bear Pit and glass pavilions – which date back to 1836.

Follow Crookes Road now as it snakes gently up from Broomhill and you’ll come to the centre of its neighbouring suburb. It may not seem to offer a great deal at first glance, but its strip of charity shops – including Fable and Barnado’s and, in a converted petrol station, a huge St. Luke’s Hospice – is great for an afternoon of rummaging. The nearby Bolehills offer an incredible and panoramic view across the city, too.

Our top picks

Record Collector Sheffield

Record Collector Sheffield, 233-235 Fulwood Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 3BA - Visit now

Record Collector is the largest independent vinyl and CD store in South Yorkshire. The store stocks over 50,000 vinyl records – new and second-hand – alongside 25,000 CDs, making it a one-stop-shop for music lovers in the North.

Record Collector Sheffield. Broomhill and Crookes.
image Gemma Thorpe, courtesy of Our Favourite Places

Sheffield Botanical Gardens

Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Clarkehouse Road, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S10 2LN - Visit now

Sheffield Botanical Gardens boasts a bear pit, a huge, glass-roofed pavilion and acres of peaceful space, where the Parks and gardens were, in the 19th century, considered the “lungs of the city”. The Botanical Gardens have become much-appreciated vistas of green.

Image courtesy of Sarah Abbott.

Drama Studio Sheffield

Drama Studio Sheffield, Shearwood Road, Sheffield, S10 2TD - Visit now

The Drama Studio is an intimate theatre venue with stalls and circle seating over two floors. In addition to the 200 seat theatre, the first class venue houses two rehearsal studios and a host of production facilities. Offering the most varied programme of contemporary work, drama, dance and music, over 40 performances take place here each year.

Drama Studio Sheffield
Image courtesy of The University of Sheffield.

The Alfred Denny Museum, Sheffield

The Alfred Denny Museum, Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN - Visit now

The Alfred Denny Museum of Zoology contains numerous animal specimens from all corners of the world, including the fossils and material of a number of extinct species. For many years this natural history museum was only visited by staff and students of the university. In 2012 the doors were first opened to the general public for Sheffield’s Festival of the Mind.

The Alfred Denny Museum, courtesy of the University of Sheffield. Museums in Sheffield

Halifax Hall Hotel

Halifax Hall Hotel, Endcliffe Vale Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 3ER - Visit now

Located on the west side of Sheffield approximately 10 minutes from the city centre, Halifax Hall is a beautiful period property built in 1840. The Hall was originally a steel baron’s mansion, and then a university hall of residence before being converted into a boutique hotel in 2013. A popular choice for marriage celebrations, the Hall’s stunning architecture, attractive gardens and outdoor terrace provide an amazing backdrop for wedding photography.

Halifax Hall Hotel

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The Alfred Denny Museum, courtesy of the University of Sheffield. Museums in Sheffield
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