Stainforth and Fishlake

The local weather forecast for today was for it to be dry for a few hours in the morning and so I caught the Thorne bus to Stainforth and crossed over the bridge and within a few seconds saw the footpath that goes up onto the embankment and followed the River Don for about a mile to Fishlake. 

When I was looking at Google Streetview last night I noticed that there was an old fighter aircraft being stored in a field next to the village hall; unfortunately it isn't there now. I continued to walk through the village and then along a country lane for a mile or so until I reached a path, which according to my Ordnance Survey map led to a footbridge going over the New Junction Canal. Well, when I got there the bridge had been removed so I had to return to the road, a distance of a few hundred yards. A notice explaining the closure would have been helpful.

At the road there was another footpath going off to the left, heading south back towards Stainforth. After only a few yards my route was blocked again, this time by a barbed wire fence; it was obvious that this was a public footpath, you could see the sign at the side of the road. There were two female walkers approaching me, one of them checked her online app and that clearly showed that we were on the currect path; I decided to squeeze between the gap between the two wires and they managed to get around it by stepping into a drainage ditch.

After a few minutes the path continued along the top of another embankment - there were some decent views to enjoy.

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The embankment. and therefore the path, were now going parallel to the road that goes to Stainforth, there were a couple of gates I could have easily climbed over to reach the road, but I didn't. I thought I'd regretted that decision when the path made a sharp left turn because the route straight ahead was blocked by what I'm assuming is a flooded remnant of the old course of the River Don. I'm glad I had to go this way though because I got to pass through a beautiful area right on the western approach to Fishlake...it's shown in the photograph below.

I had a few hundred yards to walk back to the bus stop at Stainforth; fortunately the bus back to Doncaster was waiting there - I dashed to get on and as soon as I took my seat the driver set off.

Brodsworth Hall Gardens

I managed to fit in a visit to the gardens at Brodsworth Hall today, it's free admission as part of the National Lottery Open Week. I'd got a brief appointment in town at 10:10 and then managed to get to the bus station for the 10:35 bus which goes out to the nearby village.

The 203 bus is an infrequent service and although it was actually only thirty minutes until the next bus going back to Doncaster I decided to walk it to the bus stop at Woodlands where there are several buses an hour.

Selby

I should have been going to Ripon and Fountains Abbey with my support worker today, but instead we only went as far as Selby. A few days ago she had to visit four garages before she was able to fill up her car with premium diesel, maybe because of the war in the Middle East, I don't know, but now she's panicking and not wanting to go too far in case she needs to get fuel in an area where there might be even worse shortages.

When we got to Selby the kitchen at the George Inn pub where we usually go for a meal was closed and so we had to go to the Giant Bellflower, the Wetherspoon's pub. I'm okay with Wetherspoon's, but Siobhan isn't too keen; but I don't know any other pubs in Selby that serve food though.

Fox House, Longshaw Estate, the Eastern Edges, and Baslow

One of my favourite walks in the eastern part of the Peak District today. I caught the Castleton bus and got off at Fox House;  I went over to Longshaw Estate and continued heading south along the Eastern Edges to Baslow Nether End where I literally stepped straight on the bus going back to Sheffield.

I didn't see any adders, I doubt I would have though on a busy footpath. They're more likely to  be found out on the moors and I wasn't going to be looking for them...I don't like snakes, especially venomous ones - although there's no mention of that fact on the notice.

Oldcotes, Firbeck, Letwell, and Langold

The local weather forecast was better than the one for the Peak District today and so I caught the Worksop bus to Oldcotes, the first village in Nottinghamshire. I walked along a country road in a westword direction and reached a small cluster of houses which I've always assumed to be a part of Firbeck, even though they are nearly a mile away from the main village. I asked a local, and she confirmed that the area was just called 'Firbeck.'

I found the path that goes through the grounds of Firbeck Hall and then walked down the road into the village. The notices you encounter as you walk through the estate are rather threatening, although I could clearly see the yellow arrow at the bottom indicating that this is actually a footpath.

The village sign in Firbeck refers to the St. Leger horse race which is currently held at Doncaster but was first run in fields near the village...I don't think there were any grandstands though as depicted.

I then took the path heading south and uphill towards Letwell. I could have turned right immediately to the east of the village and explored Letwell but I turned left instead, taking the most direct route to Langold and the bus stop for the journey back to Doncasterr.