Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
11 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
14 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
17 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Sheffield Rivelin Valley Chair
AO Edited

Rivelin Valley Chair

Seemingly straight out of a fairy tale, a steel chair sits on a tiny island only accessible by stepping stones.

Sheffield, England

Added By
Jim F
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
  Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
  Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
  Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
  Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
A throne for elven royalty perhaps?   Snotgrrrl / Atlas Obscura User
I found it!   Snotgrrrl / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the outskirts of Sheffield is the Rivelin Valley Trail, where beautiful riverside walks provide a mixture of nature and industry, lined as it is by ruins and remnants of various water wheels' used to pump water to the mills and steelworks of the city in a bygone age.

Not far from the cafe and playground on the site sits a small island in the river, and on that island is a strange chair. Though it looks like it’s made of gnarled tree roots, closer examination reveals that the chair is actually sculpted from steel. It can only be accessed by a short trail of stepping stones from the river bank. The sculpture is the work of artist Jason Thomson, whose aim was to mix up the countryside and the industrial, while recognizing steel as the predominant industry in the city. It was created as part of the Second Nature project, which supports the exploration of Sheffield’s woodlands.As it is, you're likely to see families and passers-by brave the sometimes partly submerged stepping stones, or wading out on warm days to the island to sit in the strange throne. 

Related Tags

Thrones Woodwork Sculptures Rivers

Know Before You Go

Please note the address is that of the nearby cafe. Follow the path keeping firstly the cafe and then the playground on your right-hand side, over the bridge, and after approximately 0.3 of a mile, you’ll see the Island and the chair in the river.  Continuing on you will discover many of the remnants from the Industrial Age water wheels and buildings, as well as some lovely woodland and riverside walks. There is plenty of roadside parking on the main road near the entrance by the cafe. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Jim F

Edited By

midnightbex, Vaquero, Snotgrrrl

  • midnightbex
  • Vaquero
  • Snotgrrrl

Published

March 11, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/rest-while-artist-unveils-steel-chair-rivelin-valley-1929017
Rivelin Valley Chair
72 Rivelin Park Rd
Sheffield, England, S6 5GE
United Kingdom
53.391507, -1.519112
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hillsborough Barracks

Sheffield, England

miles away

Burton Street School

Sheffield, England

miles away

Alfred Denny Museum

Sheffield, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sheffield

Sheffield

England

Places 28
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Hillsborough Barracks

Sheffield, England

miles away

Burton Street School

Sheffield, England

miles away

Alfred Denny Museum

Sheffield, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sheffield

Sheffield

England

Places 28
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Eliza, standing in the waters of Matilda Bay

    Perth, Australia

    Eliza Sculpture

    A beloved statue of a diving woman in Perth’s Swan River is frequently dressed up in costumes for special occasions.

  • Vancouver, British Columbia

    Two Spirits Carving

    A mysterious sculpture is hidden in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

  • Kiangan National Shrine

    Kiangan, Philippines

    Kiangan National Shrine

    This memorial commemorates where a Japanese commander surrendered to Allied forces on September 3, 1945.

  • El Bolsón, Argentina

    El Bosque Tallado

    This mountainside open-air museum was built from the ashes left behind by a devastating fire.

  • Sprawling cast of wooden figures across a 90-acre estate.

    Cushing, Maine

    Langlais Sculpture Preserve

    A nature and outdoor art preserve features the large-scale, abstract works of a renowned Maine folk artist.

  • Doubice, Czechia

    Doubice Wooden Sculptures and Tanks

    This village in Bohemian Switzerland hosts more than 300 wood carvings inspired by fairytales, folklore, and other oddities, as well as a series of Communist-era tanks

  • Rhine Bridge Sevelen-Vaduz

    Sevelen, Switzerland

    Alte Rheinbrücke (Old Rhine Bridge)

    The oldest surviving wooden bridge over Rhine lets travelers cross easily from Switzerland to Liechtensten.

  • A closer view of the sculpture

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    'Celebration of Water' Sculpture

    This sculpture of a fisherman spent six years at the bottom of the Schuylkill River.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.