Ulley Country Park

The beautiful Ulley Country Park is a scenic haven for both wildlife and the public alike. It provides an opportunity for the whole family to get out and enjoy the British countryside in a safe, pleasant environment.

Whatever time of year you choose to visit, there is always something to see, whether it be basking in the summer sun, or taking a brisk, refreshing walk in the winter months.

The 19 ha (47 acre) park, complete with over 12 ha (30 acres) of water, is the perfect place to take a stroll, jog or walk your dog and has a flourishing environment just waiting to be explored.

Ulley is host to a massive variety of plants and animals. This diversity is thanks to the close proximity of the many different habitats, including open water, woodland, grassland, arable land and gorse scrub, which make up the area surrounding the country park.

Ulley Country Park is situated within the South Yorkshire Forest and just 4 miles south of Rotherham town centre on the A618 Pleasely Road. It is easy to access whether you decide to travel by bus or car. Bus times and numbers can be easily obtained by phoning the Travel Line on 01709 515151.

Please click on the link below for more information:
Contact
History
The Rangers
Wildlife
Working with Schools
Recreational Activities
Forthcoming Events

Contact

To book school groups or an event, or for any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Ulley Country Park,
Pleasely Road,
Ulley,
Nr Sheffield,
S31 0YL
Tel: 01709 365332

The park's Visitor Centre is not fully staffed while the park is partially closed for repairs. If there is no answer on the Ulley number, please direct queries to staff at Thrybergh Country Park on 01709 850353.

ulley.countrypark@rotherham.gov.uk

History

Ulley Country park was originally built as a reservoir in the 1870s to provide the town of Rotherham with drinking water.

The reservoir provided approximately 820 million litres (180 million gallons) of water per year! However, by the early 1980s, the reservoir was no longer needed for water supply and was on standby only.

As the reservoir no longer served any purpose to the Yorkshire Water Authority it was sold to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for the token sum of £1. In September of 1986 Ulley was designated as a Country Park.

The Rangers

The Rangers cover a broad range of work not only in the South Yorkshire Forest but throughout the whole of Rotherham.

Here's a list of just some of the things the Rangers are involved in:

• School Groups This includes tree planting, pond dipping, mini-beast hunting, and much more.
• wildlife that can be found in the country park and surrounding areas.
• Wildlife conservation The Rangers are involved in many ways of conserving the wildlife of Rotherham. Some of the ways in which they do this is by managing the grassland, recording Butterfly numbers, pond clearing, hedge planting, making Bat boxes, and much more. The Rangers frequently get involved with other conservation groups such as the South Yorkshire Badger Group, and Rotherham Conservation Volunteers.
• Guided walks This involves taking groups of the public on planned walks around the local woodlands and nature reserves. The Rangers are responsible for creating understanding and awareness of the countryside, biodiversity, and the environment in general.
• Control water levels take leakage readings, and manage the fabric of the country parks.
• Supervising placement students Placement students come to work with the Rangers to gain experience in a working environment and also to learn about the countryside and how it is managed. The Rangers help by letting the students in on their own experiences and skills.
• Producing information for visitors.
• Management of the caravan site (at Thrybergh), and the fisheries at both Thrybergh and Ulley Country Parks.
• Managing other user groups such as Ulley Sailing Club, and Thrybergh Fly Fishing Club.

The Rangers are not always found at the country park, they could be anywhere in your local countryside - so next time you're walking your dog look out for them.

Wildlife

Over 150 species of flowering plants have been recorded in the park, creating an abundance of both insects and butterflies.

Some of the most impressive wildlife to be found at Ulley include Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Little Grebes, Great Crested Grebes, Coots, Moor hens, Dragonflies, over 20 species of butterfly, Kingfishers, Grey Herons, Swallows, Swifts, House Martins, Kestrels, Foxes and many more.

The public’s co-operation is incredibly important in the well being of the wildlife at Ulley, here are some important rules to remember:

• Don’t pick flowers - they could be rare!
• Avoid disturbing wildlife - If you stick to the designated paths there should be little chance of disturbance.
• Don't drop litter - There are bins all the way around the country park and free poop scoop bags are also provided.

Careful habitat management may well increase the diversity of wildlife within the country park. Why not visit Ulley Country Park and see how many of our different animals you can spot?

 Plants at Ulley CP (37K)
 Invertebrates at Ulley CP (33K)
 Vertebrates Animals at Ulley CP (28K)


Working with Schools

The habitats and surroundings of Ulley Country Park provide a rich resource for teaching. The Rangers are trained and keen to encourage educational visits to the parks.

For a fee of £1.25 per child, the Rangers will provide the following facilities for your visit:

• Supervision
• Parking
• Toilets
• All equipment for Ranger led activities
• Pre-visit consultations (if required)
• Multi-purpose room (subject to availability)
• Site leaflets and information
• Shop
• Good access for people with physical disabilities
• Loan of equipment to schools for self run visits
• A fun day out!

Popular school group activities include:

• Pond Dipping (summer only) - Collecting and identifying pond creatures.
• Mini-Beast Hunt (spring and summer only) - Collecting and identifying creatures found in grasslands and on trees etc.
• Seasonal Walks (all year round) - exploring the changes that come about with the changing of the seasons.
• Environmental Games (all year round).
• Food Chain Game (all year round) - the class can build up their own food chain!
• Topic Walk (all year round) - the Rangers can tailor make a walk to meet your specific curriculum topic needs, from wildlife in danger to water cycle.

It is always advisable to be prepared. Waterproofs in winter and sun hats and sun screen in summer are recommended! Sensible footwear is a necessity.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the Rangers on 01709 365332.

Recreational Activities

The main recreational activities to take place at Ulley are walking and angling, which take place all year round.

In the past the water at the country park has been stocked with both Trout and coarse fish, however the site is now managed as a coarse fishery only.

In some places the water depth reaches 12 m (40 feet), making it difficult to fish and no consistent method of catching the large head of Roach, Perch and Bream has been found, although, swim-feeder style seems the most successful. However, large nets of fish are caught, as are good specimens, with 2lb. Roach, 5lb. Perch, and 9lb. Bream being recorded.

Come along and pit your skills against the head of Pike. If you’re lucky you could be rewarded with a 'twenty pounder!'

Fishing Season and Times of Opening:

• Angling is allowed all year round (except Christmas Day) from dawn until dusk. Day Tickets and Season Permits are available.

Angling Matches at UlleyCountryPark:

• Advance notice of angling matches will be given on the notice board by the ticket machine and at other entrances to the park. Usually only one bank will be used at any one time for angling matches, the other still being available for public use.

• All angling matches must be booked via the Rangers service. Ask at the visitors' centre for details or contact us on 01709 365332.

UlleyCountryPark is also home to Ulley Sailing Club, a private club which operates on weekend and some evenings during the summer.

Also at the country park is the Ulley Activity Centre, which is part of the Children and Young People’s Programme Area. This serves the outdoor education needs of the schools within Rotherham as well as providing outdoor education activity training courses for the unemployed.

Please visit the Environmental Agency website for more information about where to fish, and national and regional byelaws for anglers.

Forthcoming Events

Please contact the Park Rangers directly or check out the Events Diary for events that you can get involved with in the Rotherham countryside.