South Street Park: We visited Sheffield beauty spot above railway station with breathtaking views seen on film

South Street Park rises welcomingly above the tram tracks at the top of Sheffield Midland Station, rewarding those who make the short climb up the ‘Steel Steps’ with breathtaking views over the city. The spectacular vista will be familiar to fans of film and TV, having featured many times on the big and small screen, most recently in the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, starring Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent.

Located at the foot of Sheffield’s iconic Park Hill flats, Europe’s largest Grade II*-listed building, the park is treasured by those who know it but remains an undiscovered city gem for many, despite hiding in plain view. It even has its own amphitheatre, which hosts plays, music and other events, including regular performances by brilliant travelling theatre troupe the Handlebards, and is also a great spot to sit and take it all in.

When we visited around lunchtime on a sunny Thursday afternoon there were a couple of dozen people there, some taking a nap on the grassy slopes, others sitting and chatting with friends on the tiers of the amphitheatre. There were a few cans and crisp packets dotted around but it was surprisingly clean for such a central and well-used spot, with most people making good use of the many bins.

Sheffield Hallam University students Thomas Adkin and Jess O’Brien, both aged 21, were among those soaking up the sun. They said: "It’s a nice day, the flat’s hot and it’s close to our accommodation. There’s a great view as well.” For Morrad Abad, a 25-year-old English language student visiting Sheffield, it was his first time in the park, which he said was ‘so nice’.

As well as its amphitheatre and grassy slopes, South Street Park has a more untamed area, where the trees, tall grass and pretty flowers provide a welcome wildlife haven on the outskirts of the city centre. It is part of the wider expanse of Sheaf Valley Park, which stretches south-east across Shrewsbury Road to encompass Clay Wood and the Cholera Monument Grounds.

For those feeling peckish, just above the park, on the ground floor of the Park Hill apartment block, is the popular not-for-profit vegan and vegetarian cafe South Street Kitchen, serving up a delicious range of Middle Eastern-inspired food. The park’s also only a short stroll away from the many cafes, restaurants and takeaways in the city centre.

Several hundred years ago, the land formed part of the hunting grounds of the manorial lords of Sheffield, with small fields and water meadow pastures leading down to the now-hidden River Sheaf. As the industrial revolution transformed Sheffield, it became populated by a densely packed mixture of factories, homes, shops, pubs and schools.

The slum housing there was eventually condemned as ‘unfit for human habitation’ and the ‘streets in the sky’ of Park Hill – brutalist masterpiece or concrete monstrosity, depending on your taste – were created in the early 1960s to improve living standards.

The slums were subsequently razed to the ground and South Street Park was created, restoring the area to nature. In 2011, the park was given a major makeover, with the amphitheatre and the ‘Steel Steps’ leading up from the station both added. If you’ve not already been, take a wander up there and you won’t be disappointed.