Ulley Country Park
🏟 Playground & park · Ulley, Rotherham
Ulley Country Park
A 47-acre reservoir country park near Whiston with a children's play area, waterside walks, picnic areas and birdwatching.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Park open daily; toilets open during park hours; pop-up cafe on the third Sunday of the month · Free · No booking needed
📍 Location & directions
🗺️ Show map ▾
Address: Pleasley Road / Reservoir Road, Ulley, Rotherham, S26 3XL
Plus Code: 9C5W9MQH+47
About Ulley Country Park
Ulley Country Park is a waterside country park of around 47 acres centred on a Victorian reservoir, set in rolling countryside near the village of Ulley and close to Whiston in the south of the borough. The reservoir was built in 1871 to supply water to Rotherham, and the surrounding mix of open water, woodland and rough grassland now forms a quiet haven for wildlife, particularly waterfowl and other birds. Managed by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, it is a popular spot for short waterside walks, birdwatching, angling and sailing, the last run by a local club on the reservoir. For families there is a children's play area, along with picnic areas and tables for a packed lunch by the water. Accessible pathways and disabled parking spaces make parts of the park reachable for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility, and toilets are open during park hours. A pop-up cafe runs on the third Sunday of each month. The park itself is free to enter, though the car park on Reservoir Road is pay and display. It is a calmer, more rural alternative to the borough's busier urban parks.
⭐ What makes this place special
- 19th-century reservoir with waterside walking trails
- Picnic areas and picnic tables
- Birdwatching
- Angling (fishing)
- Sailing club on the reservoir
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Parking: Pay and display car park on Reservoir Road, with disabled spaces
- Toilets on site
- Café / refreshments
- Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible paths; disabled parking spaces in the car park
🧒 Ages & play
- Children's play area
📍 Nearby places to play
- Beaver Hill Recreation Ground · approx 2.7 miles · Woodhouse
- Rother Valley Country Park · approx 2.8 miles · Wales Bar
- Clifton Park · approx 3.1 miles · Clifton
Explore more:
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Ulley Country Park free?
Yes, the park is free to enter, though the car park on Reservoir Road is pay and display.
Is there a children's play area?
Yes. There is a children's play area, along with picnic areas and tables by the reservoir.
Is there a cafe and toilets?
Toilets are open during park hours, and a pop-up cafe runs on the third Sunday of each month.
What can you do at Ulley?
You can enjoy waterside walks, birdwatching, picnics, angling and sailing, which is run by a local club on the reservoir.
Who manages Ulley Country Park?
It is managed by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.