Running route - More Hall and Broomhead Reservoirs, Sheffield, UK

The South West of Sheffield gets a lot of the attention for access to beautiful countryside, and I understand why. I grew up out that way myself, in Sharrow Vale and Greystones, so spent lots of time heading along Porter Clough or up Limb Valley, or cycling out through Ringinglow or Whirlow or Totley.

However, here on the North West we’re almost as spoiled. There’s quick access to Birley Edge, or out along Rivelin Valley or Loxley Road.

Or Middlewood Road, which follows the upper Don Valley, the river mostly invisible in the wooded gorge to the East of the road. You can cross it at various points into Beeley Woods or further on into the great green mass of Wharncliffe Woods, with its broad cinder roads, many narrow, winding trails, and connecting onward to almost continuous green spaces.

Today, though, I went West. There are several great climbs that head up over Worrall and Kirk Edge toward Bradfield, but about a kilometre past Wharncliffe Side there are two sharp left turns, immediately beside each other. The second is More Hall Lane which climbs, past a few scattered houses and transforming at some point into Sunny Bank Road, steeply to Bolsterstone at hill’s top.

I’m not sure if the first turning has a name. It’s an access road for the reservoirs, although there are several houses here and there along its length, and it leads up to Ewden Village. This is a more gentle climb, shaded by mighty fir trees, and it’s just less than a kilometre before you can cross the dam that forms More Hall reservoir and take to the trail. Here the path is broad and fairly easy-going, set back from the water’s edge, especially when the volume is as low as at present. Apparently, each of the two reservoirs can hold about a billion litres of water, and I’d say they’re more than half full.

Narrower paths break off up the wooded hillside to the south, though the trees are spaced widely enough that the forest seems open and airy, especially in such glorious weather. The path very gradually becomes a little rougher - fine for walking, and a push chair would be manageable. At the top of More Hall the path crosses Jack Lane, which separates the two bodies of water and there is a short, sharp climb to Broomhead reservoir.

The path narrows and become wilder, still well-marked but twisting and rent with gnarled, clutching tree roots, but this is the kind of focusses, intense, interesting trail I love to run. I do trip a couple of times, though only fall once, and the way I roll and right myself may be impressive enough to make up for my initial clumsiness. The squirrels seem unimpressed.

Broomhead reservoir is topped with a narrow bridge that takes the quiet road over Ewden Beck, so the path is lost for a few metres, before you can rejoin it to head along the north side of the upper reservoir. Here, the trail is perhaps a bit worse, a bit rockier with sharp rises and falls, and in a few places broken by rills running from the hillside, and still with the mischievous Ent-limbs ready to grab careless feet.

The track doesn’t extend beyond the bottom end of Broomhead, but joins that access road just below Ewden Village. For much of the descent the road has a border of pine needles which eases my footfall.

Back on the main road - Manchester Road, at this point, which always confuses me as I think of Manchester Road as the A57 heading out from Crosspool toward Ladybower - I think I need to head back along the road at least as far as Oughtibridge before I can join a trail, but realise there is a footpath just past the water works where Ewden Beck joins the Don. This climbs sharply to cross the freight trail track that goes to Deepcar steelworks, and into Wharncliffe Woods and the lower cinder path, Plank Gate.

I’ve written of Wharncliffe recently and will do again. I seem to be the only human here, no sign of other runners or walkers, cyclists or equestrians. It is quietly green and magical, and all mine.

I can stay on the trails almost all the way home, only having to revert to tarmac as I approach Middlewood. I may even be early enough to treat myself to a roast pork sarnie from Beres.