Like many of the City's Parks and Public spaces the majority of this land was gifted to the City. The majority of the land that forms this particular Park was a gift from two prominent landowners in the early 1900's, the Earl Fitzwilliam & the Marquis of Zetland. This land was given over to the control of the City Council in 1909 with small areas of adjacent land being purchased by the Council a few years later.
Millhouses Park lies in a lovely setting in a valley bottom besides the River Sheaf. Residential areas surround it to one side and mature woodland at the other. Within the Park there are many facilities including a Boating Lake, a Basketball Court, a Children's Playground, a Café, a Skate Park, TennisCourts and a 9-hole Putting Green.
Millhouses Park also has Football
Pitches and a Cricket Pitch and has its own local Football and Cricket Team that are both based here. There is also a Bowling Green.
When I was younger Millhouses Park also had an outdoor Swimming and Paddling Pool, something that was unique within the City and when the sun was out in the summer the Kids used to flock here in their hundreds. I have spent numerous days here with my friends and if you mention the name Millhouses Park to most local people of my generation (mid 30's) then this Swimming Pool will probably be the one thing that they remember this Park for. Sadly, although both the Swimming Pool and the adjacent Paddling Pool are still there they have remained empty and disused for many years.
The area of Millhouses which is now incorporated within the sprawling mass of the City of Sheffield has a rich and colourful history and was until a couple of hundred years ago a thriving Hamlet in its own right with a Corn Mill that dated back to the 12th Century.
Millhouses was in the Parish of Eccleshall and laid on the County borders of Yorkshire and Derbyshire, with the River Sheaf that flows through the Park forming the boundary of these two regions. Today Today Millhouses is a very desirable suburb within the City having grown rapidly during the 1870's when the opening of a Railway line that followed the course of the River and Station gave it direct links to London and elsewhere.
The area of Millhouses is steeped in history and the area within Millhouses Park is a pretty good place to start if you wish to explore the area. There are various nature trails through the woods but I would suggest that you take one of the footpaths that is close to the River and walk in the direction away from the City Centre.
This footpath is well walked and of reasonable quality but it can get muddy underfoot during wet spells so sensible footwear is always advisable. There are several Water Wheels along this stretch of the River Sheaf, some of which lie within the boundary of the Park and others that lie just beyond. The largest four Wheels were known as the Rycroft Wheel, Hutcliffe Wheel, Bartin Wheel and Moscar Wheel. There is virtually nothing that remains of the Rycroft Wheel today or the Bartin Wheel which once stood on the exact spot where the Swimming Pool stands today but remnants of the other two Wheels can still be seen along the River.
Within the woods and just outside the boundary of the Park close to Abbeydale there is a Charcoal Burner's Grave that dates from 1786. This was used to burn the wood from the coppices and provided Charcoal for the local Steel Industry.
The woods within Millhouses Park are full of Wildlife and during Spring the ground is carpeted with Bluebells. There are many Mammals here including Squirrels, Foxes, Badgers, Moles, and several species of Bats, and the trees of full of Birds. There are three types of Woodpecker present, including the locally scarce Green and Lesser Spotted as well as the more common Great Spotted Woodpeckers. There are also Nuthatches and Marsh Tits, again two locally uncommon species, whilst the River holds breeding Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Dipper and Grey Wagtail.
Millhouses Park is open daily from dusk until dawn and entry is free. There is a large Car Park adjacent to the main Park entrance and it is also easily accessible by Bus from the City Centre. Some of the facilities including the Boating Lake are subject to reduced opening times outside the Summer Months.
The Café is open every day throughout the year (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day) from 9am until 5pm. This Café has built up rather a good reputation over the years and is run by Diane and Claire, who are affectionately known as the "Pudding Ladies." The menu is quite extensive and includes a Full Breakfast, daytime Snacks and Bistro style Meals during the afternoon/early evenings. The terrace of the Café also has wonderful views across the Boating Lake as an added bonus.
Millhouses Park, like most of the other Public Parks within the City is extremely family and offers a wide range of free recreational activities as well as playing host to travelling Fairgrounds and other exhibitions throughout the year.
There are Public Toilets within the Park and the attendant's keep these spotlessly clean. They also have Disabled Toilets and Baby changing facilities.
Millhouses Park is located on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S8.
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