We are the Sheffield 40s Walking Group and we are a local group affiliated to The Ramblers - as the name suggests, essentially we are a group based in Sheffield and the surrounding area and we cater for the 40 plus age bracket. The group was formed in September 2007 by our current chairman Pete Feetham as a spin-off from the outrageously successful Sheffield 20s and 30s Group. We have done several walks so far and we are now offering a walk every Sunday and most Saturdays, subject to having enough available walk leaders. See the Walks page for up-to-the-minute details.

See the pictures on the Galleries page. People like that go on our walks...!

Absolutely not! - Although we are based in Sheffield we have members from many of the surrounding counties as well. Basically, if you can get to the walks then you can join us.

No - Although we are technically a "40+" group, you can show up whatever age you are. As long as you have a younger frame of mind you should fit in.

At the other end of the scale, you have to be at least 18 if you are coming on a walk although this requirement is waived if you are accompanied by a responsible adult when you will be made most welcome. This is an insurance requirement.

No - We are planning to offer a range of walks of varying lengths, widths and depths. Although we are part of the Ramblers Association we tend to go in pubs and tea shops rather than sit under a hedge in the rain discussing the latest trends in bobble hat technology!

Usually walks are around 8-12 miles with a tendency towards shorter walks in the winter when the days are shorter. Each walk is graded so you can get some idea of the length and difficulty of the walk beforehand.

We try to cater for everyone.

We now walk every Sunday and most Saturdays, alternating between local walks and those a bit further away - up to an hours drive away. There are also Thursday evening walks during the summer, starting and ending at pubs, for some reason. See the Walks page for rendezvous details.

Yes please. We would really appreciate it if you could text the walk leader on the day before the walk to let him or her know that you're coming. Also, let us know if you have any special requirements or if you are bringing lots of people. Be sure to check our website on the day to make sure that nothing has changed.

Where is the next walk?

We publish a quarterly program of walks which is bang up to date on the day we print it and obsolete almost immediately afterwards! For up-to-the-minute details of walks, socials and weekends away - see the website.

We are planning a weekend away at least once every couple of months. So far we have stayed at a large b&b in the Yorkshire Dales and a private Youth Hostel in the Lakes and we have done a two day hike over the Dark Peak. Further plans include a camping weekend and more two-dayers.

No - You need good walking boots with ankle support and adequate sensible clothing (including waterproofs but excluding denim).  A small rucksack or day pack for carrying food, drink, spare clothing, etc.

Winter - gloves and hat are essential as well as waterproofs and warm layers such as a fleece. The weather can change quite quickly during the course of a six hour walk.

Summer - carry extra water and some sun cream. A brimmed hat is very handy too.

 Can I bring my dog on the walks?

The default answer to this question is no, unless there is a little dog symbol against the walk indicating that it is dog friendly.

Obviously your dog will have to be on a lead if there is any livestock around, and you (not the walk leader) will be responsible for keeping your dog under control. Derbyshire is just full of sheep, they're everywhere. If in doubt, ring the walk leader. For the Ramblers' view of dogs on walks see   Ramblers' Dog Policy 

Once I start, do I have to come on every walk?

No - although many people will do most of the walks, you can turn up as often or as infrequently as you like.

No - You are welcome to come along and try us out on a couple of day walks, but if you want to keep coming after this you will need to join the Ramblers Association. This is for insurance purposes and also because they fund the group via a contribution from central funds. Note that you must be a member of the Ramblers Association to come on weekends away. Again, this is an insurance requirement.

If you are already a member of the Ramblers Association it doesn't matter if you have already specified a different group, or didn't specify one at all, and you don't need to do anything more to join us. But if you do end up mainly walking with us, rather than your old group, we would be grateful if you would "change your allegiances" to us.

So what are the advantages of joining?’

The nice reason: The Ramblers Association gives us some money to run the group and the amount is loosely dependent on how many members we have. If we get some more members, we get some more money and then we can spend it on navigation courses and stuff like that.

The even nicer reason: As the group has grown, we have had to limit numbers on some events, particularly weekends away and the monthly meals out which are always oversubscribed and tend to fill up almost as soon as they hit the website. The only way to do this has been to restrict them to actual members of the S40WG. So, if you join, you can do the meals out and the weekends away.  Also there's a regular email update to members so you get a chance to book stuff as soon as it appears. 

Most certainly. We have a regular social evening once a month at a pub in Sheffield. See the Socials page for more details.

Why not drop us an email then. Our email address is

updated: 05/09/08 KH