Blacka Moor Nature Reserve
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Sheffield
What it’s like
Free moorland walking with a real chance of spotting wild red deer and a proper hill to earn the view.
This is 181 hectares of open heathland on the edge of Sheffield, laced with public rights of way that let you pick your own route rather than follow a set trail. The big draw is the red deer, which live on site and are apparently at their most impressive in autumn when the antlers are out in full. Summer's the better bet for birdwatching, with willow warblers, black caps, cuckoos, wheatears and stonechats all passing through.
It's free to get in and there's no booking, so it works well as a turn-up-and-go plan. Give it at least two hours, more if you want to properly explore, and wear proper walking shoes or boots. Some of the routes climb steeply uphill, which is fine for older kids who like a challenge but a slog with a buggy, and parts of the reserve get genuinely wet and boggy underfoot.
Cattle and sheep graze here. There's free parking at Stony Ridge, Piper Lane layby and Strawberry Lees Lane.
Need to know
- Best for
- Kids old enough to walk the distance themselves, not buggy age
- Parking
- Free parking at Stony Ridge car park, Piper Lane layby, and Strawberry Lees Lane car park
- How long to allow
- At least 2 hours
- Wear walking boots or proper shoes, the ground isn't pushchair territory in places
- Cattle and sheep graze on site so keep dogs and younger kids close
- Autumn is best for seeing the red deer with their antlers, summer for migrant birds
- No set trail, just a network of rights of way, so it helps to have a rough plan before you set off
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, it's free to visit.
Do we need to book?
No booking, just turn up.
How long should we plan for?
At least two hours to explore properly. Longer if you want to walk further out onto the moor.
Is it buggy friendly?
Not really the terrain for it. Several routes are steep and some ground is wet and boggy, so it suits kids who can walk themselves.
Where do we park?
Free parking at Stony Ridge car park, Piper Lane layby, or Strawberry Lees Lane car park, all options depending which side of the reserve you want to start from.
What might we see?
Red deer year round, at their best in autumn, plus migrant birds like cuckoos and stonechats if you go in summer. The heathland is covered in heather and bilberry too.
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