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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
'''Sheffield''' is a former steel mining community that has transformed itself into a vibrant student city since the mines closed in the second half of the 20th century. It is nicknamed '[[England]]'s largest village', as it has a very local, small-town feel to it. It claims more trees and parkland per person than any other [[Europe]]an city, and is built upon seven hills (cycling here is not for the faint-hearted). Despite all this, Sheffield is the fourth biggest city in the [[United Kingdom|UK]].
Many tourists ignore Sheffield, because [[Manchester]] is so close. Many English people also forget that Sheffield exists for some reason. This is fine with Sheffielders - it means that they get to keep their home as their special secret. Sheffield has a strong character of a typical 'northern' city, and there is much to see and do following the recent renovations to the city centre. There is a small but rapidly growing Hospitalityclub community, fueled by the annual 'Bummit' hitchhiking competition organised by Sheffield University. Sheffield is 10 minutes' train ride away from the [[Peak District]] national park, with many mountains and lakes to explore.
Take care when reading the maps on boards in the city centre. Most are not orientated with North upwards. Instead, they are orientated with the forward direction upwards, which can take some getting used to.
== Hitching Hitchhiking Out Northbound (M1 to Leeds, Edinburgh) ==Many drivers are friendly towards hitchhikersFor heading north on the M1, although they often behave defensively at firstyou can take the bus, tram, or train to Meadowhall Interchange from different parts of the city. A sign with Here, there is a city name works well, and so does 'M1 NORTH'/'layby just before the on ramp to the M1 SOUTH(northbound) after the Sainsbury's petrol station.
=== Motorway service stations =Hitchhiking Out Southbound (M1/A1 to Nottingham, London) & (A1 East to Cambridge, Norwich)==The first service station heading north on the There are a few ways to get onto M1 is '''[[Woolley Edge services]]'''. It is between junctions 38 and 39. It is 30km away.southbound from Sheffield:
[[File:manchesterroadsheffield.jpg|thumb|350px|Photo '''1)''': Manchester Road. This photo is taken about 50 metres past SPAR supermarket. Cars using the white-signposted road on the right are going towards Manchester: either hitchhike from here, or walk along this road until you find a more suitable place.]]
To go to Manchester, use the A57 road. It's a small road, but it's fast, beautiful and easy to get a ride. Go to the junction of Fulwood Road and Manchester Road, shown in photo '''1)''' and the map above. It is the A57 and is in the Broomhill district. From the city centre, Broomhill is a 30 minute walk.
*First get to Sheffield University (note: NOT Sheffield Hallam University). From the cathedral in the city centre, follow the tramlines uphill for 10 minutes. You will pass various bars and restaurants (this is West Street), and then the tramlines turn a sharp corner at the university's tram stop. Walk towards the university complex (the large buildings on the 'other' side of the tramline, you can't miss them).
* From Sheffield University walk west along Whitham Road for 15 minutes. It's best if you ask someone around the university for '''Broomhill''': they will point you in the right direction. This is a bit difficult to describe, so asking people is important. Check the map above.
* Once you get to the shopping street in Broomhill, look for the SPAR supermarket. The hitchhiking spot is about 50 metres further along the road from there, away from the city.
The junction itself is not ideal for hitchhiking, being on a corner with traffic lights and a box junction, where the cars waiting to turn right up the fork are not easily accessible by a pedestrian. A much better option would be to start walking along the A57 Manchester Road itself for a short way. Head up past Ashdell girls school, and you've probably gone far enough here. Be careful though, in school hours, there are about a million chelsea tractors parked on the double yellows here, and you won't get seen. Further down the road there are better stopping places for the cars, however a lot of this is uphill and can be tiring.
=== All other directions ===
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Another options might be worth investigating buses in the direction of Grenoside etc. and trying to get a lift up to junction 36. You'd have to hitch from a residential neighbourhood to do this, however, so further research is needed. The roundabout beyond Sheffield Wesnesday's Owlerton stadium (Hillborough) might be a good place to try.
Another option for going North would be to go via Manchester.
The Attercliffe Common/Broughton Lane junctionis junction is another possibility for accessing the M1, although it is unlikely to be much better than the Castlegate/Sheffield Parkway spot described above.
{{hitchbase_city|692}}
[[trash:Sheffield]]
[[Category:England]]
[[Category:E13]]