This may come as a surprise to those that still think of Sheffield as an industrial city but it’s officially the greenest city in Europe having won the Entente Florale competition, the international horticultural competition which has been running for more than 25 years. Sheffield is home to over two million trees – more trees per person than any other city in Europe – as well as over 170 woodlands, 78 public parks and 10 public gardens. In total, 61 per cent of Sheffield consists of green space.
What’s more, Sheffield is the only English city which includes a national park within its boundary; a third of Sheffield covers the Peak District National Park which was designated a national park in 1951, making it the first in the British Isles. Located in the park are some of Britain’s finest stately homes, including Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall and Lyme Park, which acted as Pemberley in the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
While the Peak District is one of the most stunning natural sights in Britain, conservation is an issue for both residents and tourists with problems such as footpath erosion and large-scale limestone quarrying. Conservation holidays are becoming increasingly popular with participants enjoying one of Britain’s most breathtaking areas of outstanding natural beauty while doing something ‘green’ at the same time.
So how do you travel to the ‘greenest city in Europe’ to participate in ‘green’ activity holidays without increasing your carbon footprint – the measure of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels? Travel organisations dispense advice on how to offset your carbon footprint if you’re planning to travel by aeroplane. Nevertheless, many are sceptical whether these schemes actually work, so it might be best to avoid flying altogether until Richard Branson’s bio-fuel research is completed.
Travelling by coach is an altogether more ‘green’ option when it comes to travelling within the UK – you’ll avoid the environmental cost of flying and even reduce the fossil fuels you would have consumed by driving to the city. What’s more, travelling by coach also allows you to avoid laborious check-in queues at airports, and let’s you skip the hassle of dealing with the overcrowded – and often late – British rail network.
So remember, choose coach travel when taking your next holiday to Sheffield and limit your carbon footprint at the same time!
Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist and part time writer.
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