Crookes Valley Park, Sheffield
A lakeside park in Crookesmoor, Sheffield, laid out around the Old Great Dam, a reservoir from the eighteenth century.
- Open 24 hours
- S10 2TU
Prefer OpenStreetMap? Walking directions on OpenStreetMap
- Ways in
- 4
- Lake loop
- about 0.6 km, 7 minutes' walk
What's at Crookes Valley Park
The lake is the central feature, with grass banks and paths round the water, and there's a play area, a bowling green and a table tennis table close by.
- LakeThe Old Great Dam, an old reservoir
- Free fishingYou'll need an Environment Agency rod licence
- Children's play area
- Table tennis tableThere in a photo from July 2025
- Bowling greenMapped as the Crookes Valley Park Bowls Club green
- Dogs welcomeGoogle lists dogs as welcome; we couldn't confirm the lead rules
Not in the park
- No public toiletsAccessAble records none in the park
Next to the park
- Dam House Bar & RestaurantNext to the park and run separately. Check its hours before you go
Map of Crookes Valley Park
Tarmac paths follow the water's edge. The map marks four ways in: one off Crookes Valley Road, two from Mushroom Lane and one by Dam House.
Map of Crookes Valley Park showing its boundary, the lake, its paths, the play area and the bowling green, 4 numbered ways in and 3 nearby bus stops. The numbered ways in are listed below.
- Park boundary
- Way in
- Path
- Steps
- Water
- Bus stop
- Private or customer parking
- Building
Ways in
- 1. Crookes Valley Road at Harcourt Road
- 2. Mushroom Lane, east side
- 3. Mushroom Lane, south side
- 4. By Dam House
Drawn from OpenStreetMap and Ordnance Survey data. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Getting there and parking
Buses stop on Crookes Valley Road, about 50 metres from the nearest way in, and the 95 runs along it between Walkley and Rotherham. There's no car park for the park itself.
Old Great Dam, Sheffield S10 2TU
What visitors say
4.7 out of 5
Peace and quiet comes up more than anything else in the 100 reviews we read: people sit on the banks looking across the water, walk or run laps, and in spring they come for the blossom. Upkeep draws the most complaints, with a few people describing broken paths and taped-off areas by the lake.
What people like
- Somewhere quiet to sit and look across the water
- Walking or running laps of the lake
- The cherry blossom, when it's out in spring
- A play area that families with small children rate
Common complaints
- Broken paths and cordoned-off areas by the water
- A few found it crowded at busy times
Can you swim in the lake?
Swimming isn't allowed in the lake. Sheffield City Council advises everyone to stay out of the water: it's about 30 ft deep in the middle, it's cold, there are unknown objects under the surface, and it can't be seen well from the main road.
Source: Sheffield City Council, quoted in The Star, 21 July 2020
Photos of Crookes Valley Park
More photos, newest first. They are dated and may not show the park as it is today.
A short history
The lake is the Old Great Dam, one of a string of ten reservoirs built in the eighteenth century to supply Sheffield with water, and for many years it was used as a boating lake.
In its working days it held about 21 million gallons, according to Friends of Crookesmoor Parks.
Dam House on the bank goes back to the 1780s, the Friends say, and they link it with the water company's solicitor.