One of the Peak District's most beautiful attractions, the Heights of Abraham, is so picturesque, it's nicknamed 'Little Switzerland' locally.
That's partly thanks to its rolling green hills, but also down to its famous cable cars that travel high above the Derwent Valley.
Visitors to the hilltop park can travel 554 ft uphill to the summit and imagine they've transported themselves to the Swiss Alps.
Image: Supplied / Heights of Abraham
From the top, there are views of the lush countryside of Derbyshire and of the pretty village of Matlock Bath.
The Heights of Abraham is on the eastern side of the Peak District, reachable by car in around an hour from parts of Sheffield.
As well as the cable cars and the sweeping views, you can also explore two incredible, illuminated caverns.
Guided tours will take you deep into the hillside where professional guides will tell tales of mining, geology and tourism.
Image: Supplied / Heights of Abraham
Both the Vista restaurant and the Terrace Cafe stand at around 1000ft above sea level, with views served up alongside local ales and gins, as well as tea and cake.
The Heights of Abraham closes for a short time every winter but is finally back open for business from 11 February and throughout the summer.
New this season will be a trail of willow sculptures by Caroline Gregson, and 12 new butterflies suspended in the treetops.
The estate has actually been welcoming visitors since 1787, when a local hotel owner decided to create a 'pleasure ground' for the wealthy Georgian tourists who flocked to the area.
People in those days believed that swimming in the waters around Matlock Bath would improve their health.
After seven years of planting exotic trees and shrubs, tourists began to climb the paths to take in the 360-degree views from the summit.
In 1810, the Great Rutland Cavern opened to the public, followed by the Great Masson Cavern in 1844, with ex-miners acting as tour guides.
The current owners of the Heights of Abraham bought the estate in 1974 and added the cable car 10 years later.
Tickets to visit cost £24.50 per adult, £17.00 per child and £73.00 for a family of two adults and two children (under fives go free), which includes a cable car flight, two guided cavern tours, access to two adventure playgrounds, a heritage trail, exhibitions, the willow sculptures, the treetop butterfly trail, the restaurant and cafe, and self-guided audio tours.
The Heights offers 20% off to those who work for the NHS, have a Blue Light Card, MOD90/DDS card or MAX card. Take the train or bus to Matlock Bath and save 20% on your tickets too.
Featured image: Supplied
The Sheff
The Hillsborough butcher serving up seriously good pork sandwiches
If there’s one thing Sheffield knows how to do, it’s a pork sandwich.
And while there are plenty of places across the Steel City serving up the classic combo of pork, stuffing, apple sauce and that all-important crackling, there’s one Hillsborough butcher that deserves a bit more attention.
Say ey-up to F Funks, a proper old-school independent butcher where you go in for one thing and somehow end up eyeing up half the counter.
And if you’re hungry, the pork sandwich is the one to know about. We’re talking generous helpings of pork, proper crackling, and a breadcake that does exactly what it needs to do - no fancy brioche, no unnecessary toppings.
But what makes places like F Funks so good is that it feels like a proper part of the neighbourhood.
F Funks has been serving customers since 1890, meaning this isn’t some new food trend that’s suddenly appeared on Middlewood Road.
F Funks butchers in Sheffield. Credit: The Sheff
It’s not trying to be the next big food opening or become Sheffield’s newest Instagram hotspot. It’s simply doing what a good local butcher should do: selling quality meat, making cracking sandwiches, and keeping the regulars coming back.
Whether you’re a Hillsborough local, heading to Sheffield Wednesday, or simply fancy ditching the meal deal for something a little more substantial, F Funks is well worth knowing about.
Sheffield might have plenty of new food spots popping up every other week, but sometimes the best finds are the ones that have been quietly serving the locals for years.
You’re not just buying a sandwich, you're buying a proper bit of Sheffield food history.
Sheffield artists wanted to help put their stamp on huge new neighbourhood
Daisy Jackson
Sheffield artists are being given the chance to leave a permanent mark on one of the city’s biggest new developments.
Capital&Centric is calling on local creatives to help bring its new Fitzwilliam neighbourhood in Mesters’ Village to life – and one lucky artist will ultimately see their work commissioned as part of the finished scheme.
The developer is particularly keen to hear from street artists in Sheffield, asking creatives to send over their portfolios for a chance to take part.
Four artists will be shortlisted and paid to develop their ideas, before one is chosen to create the final piece.
Capital&Centric announced the opportunity on social media, saying: “If you’re an artist in Sheffield who wants to leave their mark on the city, then you’re gonna want to listen to this.
"We’re building Fitzwilliam, a brand-new neighbourhood in Mesters’ Village Sheffield, and we want local artists to put their stamp on it.
"DM us your portfolio, we’ll then shortlist four artists, pay you to sketch out your idea, and then one of you will be commissioned when the building’s done.
"So if you’re a street artist in Sheffield, or know one, share this, tag them, and get involved."
The call-out comes as plans for Fitzwilliam move forward, with the new neighbourhood set to bring 192 rental homes to the site between Sheffield city centre and Kelham Island.
Construction is expected to get underway in early 2027, with the first residents due to move into Fitzwilliam from spring 2029.
The development will feature two six-storey buildings containing the new homes, with the architecture designed to reflect Sheffield’s industrial heritage.
Brick and black steel will feature heavily in the scheme, while residents will have access to a range of shared facilities designed to make the development feel more like a neighbourhood than a collection of apartments.
These will include communal lounges, co-working spaces, a landscaped courtyard and a rooftop terrace offering views across Sheffield.
There will also be space at ground-floor level for an independent café-bar.
Clementine Hall -
5th August 2025 
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