5 members of Sheffield South West group started our walk in Whinfell Quarry Gardens. These gardens are built in an old quarry which used to quarry flagstones. In 1895 Samuel Doncaster, an important steel industrialist of Sheffield converted the quarry into a garden, containing unusual trees and shrubs. It now belongs to Sheffield City Council and is lovingly tended by a volunteer group.
The 2 giant redwood trees in the garden were grown from seeds brought back from the Yosemite Park in America.
From here the walk took us a short way up the Limb Valley before entering Whirlow Brook Park, a landscaped garden of 39 acres with a hall built by Percy Fawcett in 1906. This park holds many wonderful memories for us all. We visited the ‘U3A memorial stone’, which one member’s husband had arranged to be placed there from Birchover stone quarry several years ago.
The morning was completed with delicious cakes and drinks in ‘The Shelter cafe’.