The Looping Boat "The Industry"

What it’s like

A striking bit of public art on the towpath, a boat frozen mid-loop, free to look at and gone in ten minutes.

This one's less a day out and more a stop on a walk. The Industry is a boat sculpture stuck mid-loop on the canal, and the only thing to do is view it from the towpath. You can't get on it or into it, so don't build a whole afternoon around it, but it's a proper double-take moment if you're pushing a buggy along that stretch and haven't seen it before.

There's no entry fee, which makes sense given there's nothing to actually enter. It sits near Tinsley Marina, a short walk from there, and it's an easy add-on if you're already heading to Meadowhall or out on the towpaths with the kids on scooters.

Getting there is straightforward if you're not driving. The Carbrook supertram stop is about two minutes' walk away, which is about as convenient as public transport gets for this kind of thing. If you do drive, the free parking is at Meadowhall, and that's a fifteen-minute walk, so factor that in rather than expecting to park right by it.

It's outdoor and open to the weather, so check what it's doing before you set off, there's no shelter mentioned and no indoor bit to duck into if it starts raining on you.

Facilities

Need to know

Parking

Free parking at Meadowhall, approx. 15-minute walk

Getting there by bus or train

Carbrook supertram stop approx. 2-minute walk

• It's outdoors with no shelter, so this is a fair-weather stop rather than a wet-day plan.
• Don't expect an attraction with a gate or entrance, it's a sculpture you view from the towpath as you pass.
• Combine it with a Meadowhall trip or a towpath walk rather than making it the whole outing.

Plan your visit

Featured in 2 Huddlepin lists

See all Steam Railways & Boat Trips in Sheffield · Things to do in Sheffield