Amphitheatre opens up at Ulley Country Park

The old overflow - shown to be insufficient in the 2007 downpours - has been converted into an outdoor performance area called the Spillway.

Kahootz became the first band to play the new stage at the Friends of Ulley Country Park open day on Sunday.

The project was made possible by a £2,500 grant from Rother Valley West Area Assembly, along with materials supplied by Rotherham Borough Council and contributions from the Friends.

Friends secretary Paul Nash said: “Having a performance area at Ulley had been talked about for a while, and it became obvious that the spillway was the best place for it.

“A couple of years ago, we did some consultation with the people that come to our Friends cafe days to see how much interest there was. It was very positive so we started looking for funding.

“It was unused until a couple of years ago, when we put down some paths because you couldn’t really get down there before that.

“When we were there doing that, it became clear that this was the perfect spot for the performance area.

“The first performance was excellent. The weather was good, there was a reasonable crowd, with most of the benches and seats taken up. 

“The band said it was great to see the backdrop of the reservoir behind the audience.”

The Friends are aiming to develop the Spillway with a sail feature, similar to the ones which stood over Don Valley Stadium, and a permanent power supply.