© Sunny Bank William Street Entrance © Sunnybank William St Entrance © Sunnybank May 2013 by Sarah Sidgwick © Sunnybank April 2013 by Sarah Sidgwick © Sunnybank April 2013 by Sarah Sidgwick © Sunnybank April 2013 by Sarah Sidgwick © Sunnybank April 2013 by Sarah Sidgwick © Sunny Bank William Street Entrance Sunnybank A scenic short-cut for people and wildlife. Open View more images of Sunnybank Bats Urban Oasis Pond life Sunnybank nature reserve is a hugely valuable green space where people can find trees and tranquillity, away from the noise of the ring road. It is particularly important for wildlife as it is the end of a green corridor which stretches through the leafy streets of Broomhill, to the Botanical Gardens and out through Endcliffe Park and Whitely Woods to the Peak District. Please keep dogs on leads and always follow the Countryside Code. Respect, Protect, Enjoy your local green spaces. Location Sunnybank is in easy walking distance from Ecclesall Road, the centre of town and Broomhall. Broomhall Place, off Ecclesall Road, Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2DG OS Map Reference SK344 863 View on What 3 Words ///round.blog.knots Know Before You Go Size approx 0.8 hectares Entry Fee – Free Parking – On-street parking is available on Broomhall Place . Grazing Animals – No grazing animals Accessibility – A Public Right of Way goes through the reserve, with a network of paths coming off it. The pond area is wheelchair accessible. Entrances to the reserve can be found off Ecclesall Road, Broomhall Close and William Street. Facilities – No facilities Dogs – Dogs on a lead are permitted on the reserve. Other Information: Camping is not permitted at this reserve. Barbecues and campfires are not permitted at this reserve. When To Visit Opening Times – Open at all times. We recommend allowing at least 30 minutes to relax by the pond or explore this reserve. Best Times – Visit in spring and summer for birds and amphibians. Summer puts on a show of bats and dragonflies. In autumn you can find fungi, or maybe even spot a hedgehog. Directions Public Transport Many buses provide access to Sunnybank from Ecclesall Road including the 65, 81, 82, 83, 215 and 272. Find more details on the Travel South Yorkshire website. By Road Travelling by car from Sheffield city centre, drive along Hanover Way heading up to Brook Hill Roundabout. Turn left onto Broomhall Street and then look out for Broomhall Place which is another left-hand turn. About Sunnybank Nature Reserve Despite its small size and urban location (tucked behind a petrol station at the end of Ecclesall Road), Sunnybank is a hugely valuable green space where people can find trees and tranquillity, away from the noise of the ring road. Sunnybank was also the very first reserve created by the Trust (then Sheffield City Wildlife Group) in 1985. Sunnybank nature reserve is particularly important for wildlife as it is the end of a green corridor which stretches through the leafy streets of Broomhill, to the Botanical Gardens and out through Endcliffe Park and Whitely Woods to the Peak District. The pool at Sunnybank is surrounded by aquatic and wetland plants, and is home to several types of dragonfly, pond skaters and the common frog which is a UK threatened species. The woodland and scrub are home to chiffchaffs, greenfinches and blackcap, while butterflies abound on the hay meadow in summer. Species to be found include the small skipper, green veined white, red admiral and common blue, while six spot burnet and cinnabar moths have also been sighted, along with foxes, hedgehogs and pipistrelle bats. Species Meadow brown Speckled wood Common blue Red fox Small skipper Small white Large white Green-veined white Small tortoiseshell Red admiral Gatekeeper Burnet moth Four-spotted chaser 7-spot ladybird 22-spot ladybird Common Frog Common toad Hedgehog Pipistrelle bat Song thrush Chiffchaff Blackcap Greenfinch Habitat Woodland Scrub Freshwater pond Contact If you need to get in touch with us about Sunnybank or any of our other reserves, please email us or call 0114 263 4335. More information Seasonal Highlights In spring you can find frog spawn and hear the dawn chorus. In summer, butterflies drift across the wildflower-rich hay meadow, while foxes, hedgehogs and pipistrelle bats quietly go about their business. The pond is ringed with aquatic and wetland plants, and teeming with life, from dragonflies and pond skaters to the familiar common frog. Frog Rescue! Look out for information in early September about how you can help us catch and protect frogs before the annual meadow cut. History Sunnybank was also the very first reserve created by the Trust (then Sheffield City Wildlife Group) in 1985. Forty years ago, the newly formed Sheffield City Wildlife Group achieved its first major success; persuading Sheffield City Council to let them transform a small, derelict patch of land into a ‘showpiece urban nature park’. The site, tucked off Ecclesall Road near the city centre and not much bigger than a football pitch, became Sunnybank nature reserve. Everything – even digging the new pond – was done by volunteers, including many from the local Council flats, who appreciated the prospect of a green space on their doorstep. Today, that modest plot is a thriving haven for wildlife, and the trees have matured so fully that the nearby petrol station is hidden from view! Updates Volunteer Work Days Come and join in at our Community Work Mornings at Sunnybank. Get some healthy exercise and help us look after this tiny but fantastic nature reserve. It’s a great way to explore and get involved with the reserve. We’ll be undertaking a variety of tasks including vegetation management, fence repairs and access improvements. Everyone is welcome, no experience is needed and we will provide equipment and training. Please email us or call 0114 263 4335 for more details. Find out more about volunteering with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust. Downloads Sunny Bank Map97 KB Sunny Bank nature reserve management plan 2015-2025507 KB Sunny Bank leaflet678 KB Explore our other amazing reserves Agden Bog A classic example of a type of bog that has now mostly disappeared from our landscape. Blacka Moor Blacka Moor is the largest and most spectacular of our nature reserves. It contains 181 hectares of breath-taking scenery and forms part of a much larger internationally important wild landscape. Carbrook Ravine A small but varied reserve nestled amongst the urban landscape. Carr House Meadows A patchwork of flower-rich meadows, perched above the Ewden Valley. Centenary Riverside From steel works to wetland wildlife haven. Crabtree Ponds Crabtree Ponds is Burngreave's hidden gem. Fox Hagg A recently extended patch of heathland and woodland, neighbouring Wyming Brook. Greno Woods An ancient woodland, rich in wildlife and full of historic interest. Hammond’s Field One of the few remaining areas of unimproved farmland around the moorland fringes. Kilnhurst Ings A post-industrial washland on the River Don. Moss Valley Woodlands Majestic beech trees tower overhead in these beautiful ancient woodlands. Salmon Pastures From post-industrial wasteland to a vital green corridor. Woodhouse Washlands A mosaic of wet and dry grasslands, swamp, wet ditches, ponds and scrub. Wyming Brook A little bit of wilderness on the western edge of Sheffield.
Blacka Moor Blacka Moor is the largest and most spectacular of our nature reserves. It contains 181 hectares of breath-taking scenery and forms part of a much larger internationally important wild landscape.