Rother Valley Country Park facts for kids
The Rother Valley Country Park is a large country park located in South Yorkshire, England. It's close to the borders of Rotherham, Sheffield, and Derbyshire. This huge park covers about 3 square kilometers (740 acres)! It features four man-made lakes, many fun activities, and special areas where wildlife can thrive. Most of the park was created on land that was once used for digging up coal. The big holes left from the coal mining were later filled with water to form the lakes you see today.
Discovering Rother Valley Park
The Rother Valley Country Park officially opened on May 27, 1983. It cost about £4 million to build. The park was created for a few important reasons. First, it provides a great place for people to enjoy outdoor activities. Second, it helps bring wildlife back to the area. Third, it acts as a flood protection plan for towns and villages downstream, helping to control water levels.
When the park was finished, the lakes were filled with clean fresh water. This water came from a place called The Moss, which is about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) away. The local River Rother was too polluted at that time, so they couldn't use its water.
Before the coal mining started, this area was a mix of green meadows and marshy areas with tall bullrush plants. On the eastern side of the main lake, you'll find the Bedgrave Mill courtyard. Here, you can visit the visitor centre. It shows a map of the flood defenses and even has the original mill machinery. This machinery shows how the mill used to turn grain into flour. There's also a craft centre and a cafe called "The Stables" where you can relax.
Fun Activities at the Park
Rother Valley Country Park is home to Sheffield Cable Waterski and Aqua Park. The cable waterski system was put in when the park first opened. Back then, it was one of the very few cable waterski systems in the whole UK! More recently, an Aqua Park has been added. This is a fun inflatable obstacle course floating on the water.
Cable waterskiing has become much more popular over the years. Now, many parks offer similar systems. These places often focus on kneeboarding and wakeboarding. A "Wake Park" is like a playground on the water. It has obstacles such as "kickers" (ramps) and "sliders" (rails) that riders can use to do cool tricks as they go around the lake. It's a lot like a snowboard or skateboard park, but on water!
If you get hungry or thirsty, there's also a licensed waterfront bar and a cafe at Sheffield Cable Waterski.
For those who prefer land adventures, an 800-meter (0.5-mile) long narrow-gauge railway opened in 2009. You can find it on the east side of the main lake.
Gulliver's Valley Theme Park
In February 2017, plans were approved for a brand new resort to be built right next to Rother Valley Country Park. This exciting new place is called "Gulliver's Valley". It will be run by Gullivers theme parks, which already has other popular parks like Gulliver's Kingdom in Matlock Bath and Gulliver's Land in Milton Keynes.
Gulliver's Valley is designed especially for families with children. The resort will also include a water park and places to stay, like glamping (glamorous camping). The first part of the attraction, which includes the main theme park, opened in 2020. The entire site is planned to be built in different stages over the next ten to fifteen years.
