“I visited Totley to find out why it’s one of Sheffield’s ‘happiest’ places to live - this is what they said”

Totley is well known to be a desirable destination in Sheffield - the fact that Rightmove reports the average property price in the neighbourhood is £374,000 speaks for itself. 

Not only that, but it was also one of the ‘happiest’ suburbs in the city according to latest data from the Office for National Statistics, scoring above the national average at 7.45/10.

With this in mind, I had to visit Totley to find out just what is so wonderful about this area, and what keeps its residents from packing up.

The photographer and I actually started the day at the Shepley Spitfire, on Mickley Lane, to celebrate its re-opening. You can read more about the pub here, but my initial reaction to the surroundings was that it’s:

1. Quite far away from the city centre (25 minute drive)
2. Quiet (but it was the middle of a weekday)
3. Green and full of singing birds

Perhaps these are the secret ingredients to happiness?

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After packing up, we headed over to Baslow Road, which I was told was the ‘high street’, if you like. It had everything you could really need, from clothes, beauty, food, health and financial advice.

We started off by speaking to Carolyn Rawlings in Tops for Jeans, a store which she took on from her parents when they retired. She told me how she had lived in Totley since the age of around 10 when she attended Totley County School, now known as Totley Primary School.

While she still ‘loves’ it here, she also says it has changed a lot over the years.

Carolyn said: “Everyone does things differently now. This used to be a shopping area next door, there was a fruit and veg shop, a butchers, and a hairdressers. 

“There’s not the footfall there used to be - I wouldn’t say I’m thriving but I wouldn’t know what else to do at the moment.”

Keen to find out some more about the local businesses, we headed off to Moraira Cafe. Jane Wright opened the site 10 years ago, and has grown it into a hub for the community, hosting many events. Her daughter Emily even runs face-to-face Spanish lessons there with Disfruta Espanol.

Jane said the community’s support has been a big part of the cafe’s success over the last decade. 

“It’s a lovely area. It’s changed a lot over the years, even just over the years I have been here.

“In covid, no-one knew what was going to happen, and the community was just so concerned. [They said] we want you here through covid and when it’s finished.

“They’re lovely. A lot of people were just popping in for a coffee and it’s a chat as much as anything. Lots of familiar faces, it’s nice. It’s more like a club than a cafe sometimes.”

Jessamy Sprague, who works at Moraira, told me how she moved with her family to Totley from Hillsborough in 2013.

The mum-of-two said: “We’ve got two children, and when we had our daughter we realised that we wanted to live in a calmer area, and we wanted a nice school for them.”

Her daughter is at King Ecgbert and her son is at Totley Primary, and Jess described them both as “brilliant”. She added it’s a good place to bring up children with both the Peak District and town centre a stone’s throw away.

After visiting the cafe, we stumbled into Tania Kirwin, who was walking two rescue dogs named Sunny and Bosco.

Originally from Scotland, Tania said she had lived in Totley for around 30 years. She said: “I like Totley - nice people, friendly, right on the edge of the countryside. It’s perfect.”

She added that it’s “definitely” a good place for dogs, with walks through the woods and moorland.

With all of this in mind, I can certainly see why it’s such a popular area to live. With a loving and close-knit community, beautiful views, plenty of shops, and endless walks, what more could you ask for.