'The Best View in Doncaster'

It's been a bit cooler today and so I thought I'd get out for a walk, only a local walk though because I've got a couple of busy days ahead of me and the weather's forecast to get hotter again.

I went to take a photograph of what I've recently seen a couple of people on YouTube claim is the best view in Doncaster...I'd agree with them if it's limited to long distance views. I'd say there are better close up views in the local pretty villages though.

I caught the Sheffield bus to Conisbrough Hill Top and immediately headed south to the ruins of Conisbrough Lodge where there's a path marked on the Ordnance Survey map going straight across the fields to Clifton; it's not shown as a definitive right of way though. When I got there there was no sign of this path and so I had to take the official route using public footpaths, which is nearly a mile longer.

The 'best view in Doncaster' is located near to the summit of Beacon Hill at Clifton, looking to the west...and here it is! It's not looking its best though, it was a cloudy and hazy; on a clear day you can see right over to the Pennines, but not today though. 

I continued on to Old Edlington and then down to Edlington to catch the bus back to the town centre.

Hooton Pagnell Village Fete 2026

My first visit for three years, on the previous two occasions I didn't go because the weather forecast was poor...but the weather actually turned out better. Today the forecast was accurate, cloudy all day but only a couple of very brief and very light showers.

Of course, for me the highlight was the music. The Doncaster Ukulele Group performed inside the church this year, they are now using vocals and a sea shanty they sang was very good, the men's deep booming voices certainly lifted it up - the rest of the stuff was a bit flat though. There was samba band, Banda Na Rua which was very loud and played original tunes and so it was difficult for me to really get into things. They weren't really a parade band either, only marching at the end of their last set when fewer people were around - I much preferrred the Trumptarn Guggenband from Barnsley which I'd seen in previous years. Doncaster Concert Band gave a competent performance playing some interesting and quirky medlies, whilst Brad Mack, a solo singer was probably my favourite this year with his extensive repertoire of songs from the 1940s to the present day - he even posed for a photograph at the end. There was also a rock band appearing out on the terrace at the back of the pub, but I didn't get to see that.

Braithwell, Stainton, and Tickhill

I caught the X2 Sheffield bus to Braithwell today and walked through the village and then across the fields and around the perimeter of a landscaped former quarry to reach Stainton.

[I think it's been a good year for the roses]

In order to reach the path that goes over to Tickhill I had to walk along a narrow road with several blind corners and no grass verge, fortunately it isn't very busy.

The footpath broadened out into a track as I approached the alpaca farm near Tickhill.

There was a sign stating that the church was open so I went inside.

There are other things to see at Tickhill but I then went straight to the bus stop.

The Hidden Gardens and Courtyards of Wirksworth

A visit to the Hidden Gardens and Courtyards of Wirksworth today. The weather was forecast to be just as hot as it has been recently so I was prepared with a couple of litres of orange squash in my rucksack. With Wirksworth being a town there would be shops where I could buy sandwiches or snacks; there were also refreshments being served at several of the open gardens.

I arrived with nearly an hour before the gardens would be opening and so I wandered around the town and popped inside the church.

It was a long day with twenty five gardens which were open; I did quite a bit of walking around the hilly terrain and managed to visit twenty of them; there were three situated at quite a distance from the town centre up a steep hill which I decided not to visit and two gardens that were so well hidden I couldn't find them. At these open garden events the gardens are usually marked with brightly coloured balloons or bunting, but today it was just black arrows on white card.