Martyn's Blog

A pleasant Thursday, the 8th of June 2023, saw me back in South Yorkshire on my mission to visit every railway station in the area. I opted to pluck some low-hanging fruit by calling at the next station along from Sheffield on the line towards Lincoln, Darnall.

The journey from Burton on Trent to Sheffield usually takes just over an hour. However, engineering work on the Clay Cross Tunnel meant that my train had to take a long diversion, via Long Eaton, Toton and Ilkeston. The guard on the train kept us informed of the diversion, and when we arrived at Chesterfield 17 minutes early, he invited passengers to get out and stretch their legs while we waited half an hour before the scheduled departure.

It was a fine day in Sheffield when I eventually arrived there. I had twenty minutes to wait for the train, which I rode one stop to Darnall.

Darnall railway station was opened in February 1849 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. It was initially mis-named as Darnal, but gained its extra ‘l’ in 1887, thirty-eight years after opening. It was rebuilt by the Great Central Railway in 1928 as an island station, with tracks either side. Entry to the station is via a dark underpass which emerges onto the platforms. It is statistically the least-used railway station in South Yorkshire, with 12,426 passengers in 2021-22. Rumours of its closure crop up periodically, but it remains open to serve the community of Darnall.

Darnall was historically a centre for farming and coal mining. The Darnall Works, a steel foundry, operated from the 1830s until the 1970s, providing jobs for locals. Its closure led to mass unemployment in the area.

The first place I visited was High Hazels Park, a large open space. It was originally a private estate, but was bought by the council in 1894 and turned into a public park. The centrepiece of the park is High Hazels House, originally built in 1850 as a private residence, but turned into a museum in 1901. The house was requisitioned as a base for the Home Guard during World War II. After the war, the museum closed, and the house became the club house for Tinsley Park golf course, which it remains today.

At the entrance to the park is the Formal Garden, laid out in 2005. An arch at the entrance spells out the word “welcome” in various different languages, reflecting the cultural diversity of the area.

Located around the park are various similar sculptures, forming a circular walk around the park.

Close to High Hazels House and the municipal golf course is the Sensory Garden, opened in June 2004 and designed to stimulate the five senses. It too has a sculpture in the middle of it.

North of High Hazels Park is Seventy Acre Woods, a woodland with footpaths and stunning views over the city of Sheffield. There is a sculpture to be found there as well, called The Observers.

Darnall station doesn’t have an hourly service to Sheffield during the day, so I had to make my way back to the station to catch the next train back to the city, or else face having to catch a bus back.

I recently found out that Sheffield station doesn’t actually have ticket barriers at its entrance. I assumed (without checking) that it did, being a major main line station. Apparently, East Midlands Trains (the franchise holder prior to East Midlands Railways) applied to have them installed in 2009, but this was turned down by the council. When I think back to September last year when I had a two-hour wait at the station on my way to Bamford, I could have spent the time in Sheffield city centre.

I decided, seeing as I had a bit of time to spare, to have a quick tour of the city centre. Outside the station is Sheaf Square, named after the River Sheaf which flows through Sheffield. It is a stunning public square, with a fountain and plenty of seating, which was being well-used in the fine weather.

I had a walk up to the Winter Garden, an indoor glasshouse hosting around 2,000 different plants. It was opened in May 2003 by the late Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband, Philip.

Viewers of the BBC’s coverage of the World Snooker Championships will recognise the place as the setting for their studio during the tournament. Which is, of course, held at the nearby Crucible Theatre, and has been since 1977.

The Crucible opened in 1971, and was named after a process in the steel industry, and not, as I previously thought, after the famous play of the same name. One day, I’d like to go to see a session of snooker there. Maybe next year.

I only had a short time for walking around Sheffield, as I had to get the next direct train back to Burton on Trent. I will come back some other time for a proper tour around the city. My train arrived on time at Sheffield, and I was able to get a seat all to myself. A tip from me; if you’re travelling on a long-haul train without a seat reservation, Coach F is usually the unreserved coach, meaning that nobody will tap you on the shoulder and ask you to leave your seat.

That’s it for this post, and for train travel for at least a few weeks. Hot weather + train travel = not a good time, so I will be taking a break from train travel. Thanks for reading.