Visiting Three More Local Churches

It being Friday today I had my regular run out in the car with Marshall. We started off by popping down to the river at Sprotbrough where we ate our sandwiches in the car.

We then drove to Cadeby, a village with a small Victorian church that is now no longer used for worship.

The next village we visited was High Melton. The most distinguishing feature of the church there was the large gargoyles on the church tower.

By the time we'd returned to Sprotbrough, to see the church at the top of the hill, the sun was shining.

Pontefract

Another trip out in the car with Siobhan, to Pontefract.

The day got off to a good start when we arrived at the car park. It was unusually full for a Monday - the reason being that the ticket machine was broken and so parking was free...saving me £2 for the day.

We walked down to the partially ruined All Saints Church, seriously damaged during the Civil War.

We were disappointed to find that the castle was closed for major renovation works but I took a photograph of some attractive old houses nearby.

It wasn't far to walk into town, calling off first at the bus station to use the toilets.

On the way back to Doncaster we were hoping to visit the church at Darrington...but couldn't find anywhere to park in the village, but continued on to Womersley where we had a pleasant surprise when we reached the church. The building was open and the hand bell ringing group was practising...and we were invited inside to listen...and to look around the church.

Baslow, Bubnell, Calver, Stoney Middleton, Eyam, Offerton, and Bamford...And Then Brough!

I got off the bus at Baslow Nether End and then walked through the village to go and take some photographs of the church.

I walked over the old bridge to Bubnell and continued northwards along the main street of Bubnell and then across the fields to Calver, always keeping close to the River Derwent.

New Bridge is about half a mile north of Calver.

About three or four hundred yards beyond New Bridge I veered away from the river and climbed up to the road and then took the path which passes by Knouchley Farm and on to Stoney Middleton. The church here is rather unusual.

I climbed up the lane to Eyam and sat on one of the benches in the middle of the bullring to eat my sandwiches. Whilst I was there a group of at least two dozen members of Seven Hills Cycling Club in Sheffield arrived hoping for something to eat; the cafe was already very busy, and the tearooms were closed, or not yet open. They stayed awhile and were still there when I left, so I'm assuming the tearooms must have opened at twelve o'clock.

As I was climbing up onto Eyam Edge my mobile phone rang, it was my friend Justin ringing to check the arrangements for Wednesday night when we are going to see an Abba tribute band at Rotherham Theatre.

The signal cut out three times although I was only about two hundred yards from the mobile phone transmitter tower - this can happen with radio signals though when you're near to a tower due to the steep angle...so your signal needs to come from the next nearest available mast.

I continued past Ladywash Mine and then on to Eyam Moor. It was frosty when I left the house this morning, but by this time it was really quite mild...so mild in fact that a young man had taken his shirt off and only had his rucksack on his back. I stayed well wrapped up; three tee-shirts, two fleeces and an anorak - now that I'm  much slimmer I really do feel the cold.

I dropped down to Stoke Ford and then climbed back up the other side of the clough to reach the road that leads to Highlow Hall - I don't think I've actually seen it before...so here's a photo I took.

There's a well-maintained track to Offerton which continues all the way to Shatton, although I opted for the riverside walk; there are some lovely views.

  

It was then only a short walk to the bus turnaround at Bamford Station. I knew I was pressed for time and so started jogging...I took it quite steady, but still wasn't getting out of breath. I arrived with two minutes to spare - but I needn't have bothered, the bus was twelve minutes late...and that caused an unexpected problem for me. There were already people waiting; one of them spotted the bus and shouted to his friends that it's coming...so I bent down to pick up my rucksack and then fumbled in my pocket for my bus pass. By the time I'd done this the bus had arrived and so I got on. However, at the traffic lights the driver turned right and headed towards Castleton...damn, I'd gotten on the wrong bus.

I decided to stay on for a couple of miles, got off at Brough, crossed the road and stepped inside the Traveller's Rest and enjoyed a pint of Diet Coke in the beer garden. I then caught the same bus back to Sheffield.

This mistake by me wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the fact that we need to place our passes on the scanner instead of stating our destination and being issued with a ticket. This is because, we are told, that disabled people prefer to do it this way when travelling on buses...no-one asked me though.

Visiting Three Local Villages In The Car

A short drive out in the car today with Marshall, my support worker - we visited Old Edlington, Wadworth, and Loversall...and I took photographs of the church in each village.

First up was Old Edlington; both the church and the churchyard were our favourite of the three. 

We then walked a few yards down the hill to the memorial to the Canadian Air Force pilots who died in 1943 when their plane crashed nearby...there's also a plaque honouring a white greyhound.

We returned to the car and Marshall drove a couple of hundred yards further up the hill to a lay-by where we ate our sandwiches before continuing on to Wadworth.

The church here isn't as pretty as the one at Old Edlington, and its location surrounded by modern housing, means that the sightlines for photography are limited - there weren't any daffodils either.

On the way back to Doncaster we called at Loversall; it was only a few weeks ago that I visited Loversall for the first time, but today's quick return was welcome. After taking photographs of the church we  walked into the village where I snapped a couple of attractive cottages.

Two Churches And An Abbey

A few hours in Selby today, calling at Chapel Haddlesey and Brayton en route, to look at the churches in those two villages. I couldn't find much online about St. John The Baptist's Church at Chapel Haddlesey; it's rather unusual though, looking like a castle from certain angles...and I don't think it's very old.

St. Wilfred's Church at Brayton is a much more traditional church, and a lot older.

When we got to Selby we sat in the car and ate our sandwiches and then went to look round the shops; I bought a lightweight packable cagoule from one of the charity shops and some pansies from the market [on the way back to the car.]

We were both desperate for a pee and so so popped into the abbey to use the toilets, and linger over a pot of tea at the cafe.

Selby Abbey is magnificent, being one of only a few abbeys in the country not to be dissolved by Henry VIII in the sixteenth century - therefore it still functions as the town's parish church.

As we left the abbey I took some photographs of some rather attractive nearby buildings.

There were then a couple more charity shops to look in before returning to the car.

We didn't have much luck with the weather today, it was cloudy or drizzling all the way to Selby, and most of the time we were in the town...however as soon as we'd set off on the southwards drive home it brightened up. We called at one of our favourite places for afternoon tea, the farm cafe on the Womersley road...but unfortunately it doesn't open on Mondays.  Just to illustrate how much the weather had improved by this time I got out of the car and took this photograph.

Not to be thwarted in our endeavours we stopped at the cafe at the Crown Garden Centre and had another pot of tea, accompanied with a large cherry and almonds scone served with fresh cream and raspberry jam...delicious! 

Fishlake

I needed to go to Stainforth with my support worker today and so I took the opportunity to visit neighbouring Fishlake, a village I haven't previously been to because of the poor bus service and the fact that there aren't any interesting walking routes in the area.