Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, located 36 miles to the south of Leeds and 45 miles north of Nottingham and Derby. It also stands on the eastern edge of the magnificent Peak District National Park, making it a fantastic location for a dog-friendly holiday.
Sheffield famously rose to international prominence due to its vital role in the Industrial Revolution, where its excellence in manufacturing steel made it a powerhouse. The decline of heavy industry and collapse of coal mining in the latter part of the 20th Century hit the city hard, but it is now undergoing a strong revival as a centre for craft, design and tourism. Sheffield remains one of the prettiest cities in Yorkshire and a place that inspires undying love, pride and dedication in its inhabitants!
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Dog Friendly Sheffield Must Sees
Sheffield Botanical Gardens
Located just to the west of the city centre in the Broomhall district, Sheffield Botanical Gardens first opened its 19 acre site in 1836. It boasts landscaped gardens and over 5000 different species of plants from around the world in a series of ornate glasshouses. There is even a bear pit – although your dog need not be too troubled, as its only current inhabitant is an 8 foot bronze statue of an American Black Bear called Robert. Dogs are allowed throughout the gardens but must be kept on leads.
Visit Kelham Island
Formerly one of Sheffield’s main industrial districts, the man-made Kelham Island has since been regenerated into a hipster paradise. It is packed full of some of the city’s most trendy pubs, venues and restaurants, as well as a continually revolving series of pop-up enterprises, art installations and live happenings. You and your dog are simply bound to find something interesting to do.
Heeley City Farm
Located in the city’s Heeley district, just 20 minutes walk from the city centre, is a city farm which first opened in 1981. An oasis of bucolic calm in the midst of modern city life, the farm today runs educational programmes, regular community events and raises money for local animal charities. However, best of all, you and your dog will get to meet some farm animals.
Go to a match at Sheffield FC
Founded on 24th October 1857, Sheffield F.C. hold the distinction of being the world’s oldest Association Football club. If you and your dog enjoy taking in a match, it is an ideal opportunity to pay homage to one of the game’s most historic clubs. Better yet – although perhaps not better for the die-hard fans of Sheffield FC – at the time of writing the club are in the Northern Premier League Division One, the seventh tier of the English football pyramid, so getting a ticket should be as simple as turning up at the gate on the day.
Abbeydale Miniature Railway
Always a favourite recommendation of ours, a ride on the Abbeydale Miniature Railway would be a perfect way to finish a day exploring Ecclesall Woods, where they are based. Abbeydale has two different trains of different gauges, both of which run around a tree-lined circuit in the woodland between March and October.
Walk the Norfolk Heritage Trail
One of the best ways to learn about the history of the city of Sheffield is this deceptively-named 3 mile walking tour. Starting at Sheffield Manor Lodge, you will discover all kinds of hidden aspects of the city’s history: from Tudor times and the English Civil War; through the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian Era; to the horrors of the World Wars and Sheffield’s evolution to the city it is today.
By the time you wend your way back down to the finishing point at Sheffield Cathedral, you will know the city a little better and your dog will have enjoyed sniffing around its woodlands and parks.
The Best Dog Friendly Walks in Sheffield
Endcliffe Park
First opened in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, Endcliffe Park is now perhaps the city’s most popular green space. Here you and your four-legged companion will find grasslands, woods, ponds and brooks to explore, all less than a mile from the city centre.
Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve
Located 5 miles to the southeast of the city centre, Shire Brook Valley is a 247 acre reserve which up until the 1990s was an old industrial brownfield site. There are a dazzling array of different habitats to discover here, including lowland heath, meadows, coppiced oak woodland and reed-grass swampland. It is also home to a wide variety of rare wildlife species and a popular place for hiking, cycling, orienteering and geocaching.
Damflask Reservoir
Damflask is located to the north-west of Sheffield, inside the Peak District National Park. The Reservoir itself covers a 116 acre area and is one of Yorkshire’s premier fishing sites. As your dog may not have brought their rod or tackle box, you will be happy to learn it is also a beautiful place for a walk, surrounded by hills that give you fabulous views over the entire area.
Graves Park
A few miles to the south of the city centre, the 247 acre Graves Park remains one of Sheffield’s most popular spots for a family day out. In addition to an area of woodland which is over 1000 years old, you’ll find a variety of playgrounds, sports fields and an urban farm. However, unfortunately dogs are not allowed inside the farm.
Forge Dam Park
A 49 acre park in the Fulwood area of the city, not far from Endcliffe Park. Forge Dam Park, as you may have guessed, is centred around a stream which was dammed to provide water for an old industrial forge, creating its large lake. It is home to a series of signposted walking and cycling trails that snake through its fields and woods and also the Forge Dam Cafe, which comes well-recommended.
Parkwood Springs
Parkwood Springs is the largest natural green space in central Sheffield, a 370 acre area of open heath and dense woodland about a mile north of the city centre and within comfortable walking distance of Kelham Island. Over one-and-a-half miles in length, Parkwood Springs has masses for you and your dog to explore.
Dog-friendly Cafés and Restaurants in Sheffield
The Coffee Kennel
74 Catley Road, S9 5JF
An award-winning dog-friendly cafe, located near to the large and heavily wooded park at Seventy Acre Hill. There’s plenty of hot, fresh and tasty treats to be found here, whether you have two legs or four.
The Lounges
Amaro Lounge, 519 Ecclesall Road, S11 8PR
Zorro Lounge, 6 Fox Valley, Stocksbridge, S36 2AE
We love the Lounges, one of the most reliable and consistent places to get whatever kind of refreshment you are after even if you have your dog by your side. Suitable for breakfast, brunch, morning coffee, lunch, dinner or even evening drinks, your dog will also receive a warm welcome, with water and treats offered as standard.
Sheffield’s main lounge is in Ecclesall Road, near to the Botanical Gardens and Endcliffe Park. However, if you find yourself out exploring the Peak District, they also have an additional location in Stocksbridge, a town about 11 miles northwest of Sheffield city centre.
Steam Yard Coffee Shop
Unit 1-2, Aberdeen Court, S1 4GE
Steam Yard is all about providing an American-style diner experience deep in the heart of Sheffield’s old industrial area. A speciality coffee shop, they also offer a range of doughnuts, bagels and favourite American savouries like pastrami and grilled cheese.
Molly’s Cafe & Deli
93 Middlewood Road, S6 4GX
Located in the Hillsborough area to the northwest of the city, Molly’s combines a coffee shop with a delicatessen, with a range of cheese platters, Anglo-Polish fusion dishes and a range of freshly baked cakes. An ideal place for brunch or lunch after a morning spent running around in nearby Hillsborough Park or Parkwood Springs.
Cutlery Works
73-101 Neepsend Lane, S3 8AT
Canteen-style dining is very popular in Sheffield and the Cutlery Works is one of the city’s big hits. Cutlery Works is a food court with open seating and bar stations, served by a continually evolving and revolving selection of global cuisines from pop-up vendors.
Mowgli Street Food
631 Ecclesall Road, S11 8PT
One of a rapidly-expanding portfolio of restaurants popping up in cities all over Britain, Mowgli specialise in Indian food the way that it is eaten both on the streets and in houses all over India. You’ll find a mixture of Tiffin boxes, flavourful hand foods and hearty curries, with a large variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free alternatives. Exciting and fun.
Dog Friendly Pubs in Sheffield
The Dog & Partridge
56 Trippet Lane, S1 4EL
A traditional English inn with a snug, low ceilings and dark wood panels, The Dog & Partridge have been serving Sheffield from their city centre location since 1796. The welcome is warm, the real ale menu extensive and the homemade food hearty and filling.
The Harlequin
108 Nursery Street, S3 8GG
Another old traditional British pub, inside a Victorian building sat on the bank of the River Don, near Kelham Island. The Harlequin particularly pride themselves on the quality and range of their local beers and ciders, but the food also comes highly recommended.
The Royal Hotel
Main Road, S6 6HF
A country-style Georgian pub and hotel situated in the village of Dungworth, 7 miles west of the city centre and on the edge of the Peak District. This cosy pub offers a warm welcome and friendly atmosphere as well as hearty homemade pub grub. It is equally dog-friendly as a hotel, but more of that later.
The Brothers Arms
106 Well Road, S8 9TZ
Located in the Heeley area of the city, a 10 minute walk from the city centre and right next to Heeley People’s Park, The Brothers Arms is a traditional pub with a beer garden, a selection of fine ales and a menu of comfort food classics. It is also occasionally home to live music.
The Fat Cat
23 Alma Street, S3 8SA
A pub based in an old Victorian building on trendy Kelham Island, The Fat Cat – which claims to have been Sheffield’s first real ale pub – serves its own beer brewed on site and also boasts a heated, walled beer garden and a menu of classic pub grub.
Pangolin Craft Beer
80 Middlewood Road, S6 4HA
Located just to the south of Hillsborough Park, The Pangolin started out as a shop for bottled craft beer but has since begun to expand into a bar. It’s a great place to visit to find something new and interesting to drink, and your dog is guaranteed to receive a friendly welcome.
Dog Friendly Shops in Sheffield
MoonKo
89 Division Street, S1 4GE
A gift shop in the city centre, MoonKo specialise in dried flower arrangements but also offer pottery, prints, glassware and handmade jewellery. A small, colourful and unique business that is well worthy of a visit.
Ruby & Sophia’s Dog Bakery
Rother Valley Country Park, Mansfield Road, S26 5PQ
Located on the edge of the lake at Rother Valley Country Park, Ruby and Sophia bake all sorts of dog treats, from traditional biscuits to elaborately frosted pupcakes. With a large green expanse all around them to explore, a visit to Ruby and Sophia’s could be the topper for one of your pooch’s favourite ever days out.
Glass Onion
65 Division Street, S1 4GE
A large and thriving vintage clothing store located in the city centre. While your dog is unlikely to find anything here other than plenty of new friends, any of their clothes-wearing pals could find themselves all kinds of big label bargains.
Unit 6
Dyson Place, S11 8XX
A new addition to a pop-up pod courtyard not far from Endcliffe Park, Unit 6 is a space for local crafters, creators, artists and retailers to showcase and sell their products. You can support the local economy while maybe finding new up-and-coming names for the future.
Wickwire
1B Nether Edge Road, S7 1RU
A gift shop located just south of the city centre in the Nether Edge district. You will find all sorts of locally made gifts and cards as well as a selection of products from well-known brands like Jellycat, Melissa & Doug and Kiss Me Kwik.
The Green Shop
128 Wadsley Lane, S6 4ED
A local convenience store situated not far from Hillsborough Park and Sheffield Wednesday Football Club’s stadium, The Green Shop offers locally-produced grocery items as well as barista-style coffee and grab-and-go lunch items.
Never underestimate how exciting your dog will find going inside a grocery store – what may seem mundane to us is a rare privilege for them and they may find the sights, smells and sounds completely intoxicating. Not to mention all the fuss and attention, of course!
Dog-friendly Sheffield: Where to Stay
If you’re looking to stay in a dog friendly hotel in Sheffield, here’s our recommendations:
Novotel Sheffield Centre
50 Arundel Gate, S1 2PR
A 4-star hotel ideally situated in the city centre, not far from the railway station. Novotel accepts dogs of all shapes and sizes for an additional fee of £12 per pet, per night.
easyHotel Sheffield City Centre
71 High Street, S1 2GD
A 3-star hotel in the city centre, located not far from Park Square, a public park enclosed within a large roundabout on the A61. EasyHotel charges an additional fee of £10 per pet per night.
Mercure Kenwood Hall
Kenwood Road, S7 1NQ
A luxury 4-star hotel and spa in the Nether Edge district, less than a mile from the city centre. It is set in 12 acres of private grounds which features its own nature trail. Dogs stay for free.
The Psalter
178-180 Psalter Lane, S11 8US
A boutique 2-star hotel with bar and restaurant located in Nether Edge. The Psalter has a limited number of rooms available for guests with dogs, and there is a £20 cleaning fee payable once your stay is complete.
Ibis Budget
St. Mary’s Gate: Velocity Tower, 10A St. Mary’s Gate, S1 4LR
Sheffield Arena: 298 Attercliffe Common, S9 2AG
Ibis Budget Hotels are a great choice for people who plan to spend their time getting out and about and exploring the place they have chosen to visit. As Sheffield is known as the Great Outdoors City, there’s no better place to save a little bit of money on your accommodation to invest in activities instead.
There are two pet-friendly Ibis Budget hotels in Sheffield, one in the city centre and the other a mile or so to the east, near the Don Valley Bowl.
The Royal Hotel
Main Road, S6 6HF
We’ve already recommended The Royal Hotel, Dungworth as a pub, but it is also a great place for you and your dog to stay as a hotel. There’s complimentary breakfast but best of all is the location: right on the doorstep of the Peak District National Park, you are still only 7 miles from Sheffield city centre.
Private lets and cottages
Another way to take advantage of all the wonderful natural space that surrounds Sheffield is by taking advantage of the market for dog friendly holiday lets and cottages. When going away with your dog it is always well worth searching Pets Pyjamas and Canine Cottages to see what is available in the area you would like to visit.