Wadworth, Stainton, Maltby, Roche Abbey, Stone, Firbeck, and Oldcotes

Visiting four churches and an abbey today.

As forecast the rain stopped by late morning and by early afternoon the sun broke through the clouds to make a glorious second half of my walk.

I travelled on the bus to Wadworth, a journey lasting only fifteen minutes.

I  headed west and then south, walking along country roads and a bridleway until I reached Stainton. En route I passed by the back of Wilsic Hall School - I don't think their English department is very good though.

I didn't notice any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors at Stainton, although I wasn't looking for any.

At the side of the road leading south from the village there's a simple commemorative stone honouring the men who died in an accident at the nearby, now closed, Maltby Colliery. I continued along the estate road leading to Sandbeck Hall: the bridleway turns a sharp right at the main entrance though I did pass by Sandbeck Lodge later - by now the weather was bright enough for colour photography.

I left the estate road and took a footpath leading through some woodland which came out right at the edge of Maltby before heading off again away from the houses and down to the main Tickhill road, which I needed to cross before going down into the wooded Roche Abbey Valley; this name being a modern coinage I should think.

It wasn't long until I reached the substantial ruins of the abbey.

The approach to Stone, walking in an easterly direction  was lovely.

It was a bit muddy in places as I walked across the fields to Firbeck. The church here isn't very old but I think it's quite charming.

There was more mud as I walked down the lane, across more fields and then through the woods to reach the final stretch of road going towards Oldcotes. I had enough time here to photograph the small wooden church before I caught the bus back to Doncaster

Monyash, Bradford, Alport, and Haddon Hall

Public transport went according to plan today; I arrived at Bakewell at 09:20 and then caught the 09:40 bus to Monyash. Earlier, when I got on the bus at Sheffield though I was mistaken for an old age pensioner for the first time ever by the driver when he didn't realise or recognise that I had a disabled person's bus pass that is valid for travel at any time. I didn't get shaved this morning, as is usually the case when I go walking, there's not enough time...maybe I looked really rugged and rough. I keep telling people though that since my twin diagnoses of diabetes and vitamin D deficiency and my subsequent successful treatment I'm feeling, and looking, twenty or even thirty years younger. You can't fool all of the people all of the time though.

I arrived at Monyash at ten o'clock and the weather was still a bit murky as I was taking photographs in the churchyard; about half an hour later the sun came out, and stayed out for the rest of the day.

I left the village by taking the Limestone Way footpath, heading out towards Youlgreave, passing through One Ash Grange Farm where there's a shrine with small plastic figurines depicting The Nativity. I then reached Cales Dale, the path down was steep, narrow, and slippery in places...the climb back out of the dale consisted of one hundred and seventy steps cut into the bare rock...but this was much easier.

A bit later, near a farm I was harassed by a large horse which had a fetish about my armpits and kept pushing its nostrils into them; I haven't a clue what the word is for this type of behaviour.

I continued walking along the Limestone Way until I reached the River Bradford and passed by the houses at the hamlet of Bradford itself before arriving at Alport.

I needed to walk through the grounds of a mobile homes park before reaching the next section of my route going along a country road...the route of the footpath is well signposted though.

The final mile and a half today was across an extensive area of open grasslands called Haddon Fields...there are some nice views.

I managed to get a decent view of Haddon Hall. The photo isn't very clear because it's at maximum zoom. I've never visited the Hall; I couldn't visit today anyhow even if I wanted to - it's closed to the public during the winter months.

Tickhill, Harworth, and Rossington

I waited for the heaviest of the rain to pass this morning before catching the bus to Tickhill, about eight miles away.

After taking these photographs I walked down to the millpond and castle area and then across the fields and through the golf course to Harworth. There's not much to see at the castle, it's private property and is only open to the public for one day a year; the millpond is attractive but none of my photographs were any good because of the murky conditions.

The sign greeting me when I entered Harworth at least provided a bit of colour for the blog though.

I visited the church and then headed off to the north along the road leading back to Tickhill; I needed to keep crossing and re-crossing this road because of the narrow verges and poor visibility.

I briefly entered Tickhill from the east before taking a lane at the back of some industrial units. After about a mile I came across an organised metal detecting event in a field at the side of the track I was taking.

Not much later the track veered off to the left but the footpath continued straight ahead.

For a few hundred yards I was walking right next to the River Torne, the only Yorkshire river that flows into the Trent...I'm not including the River Idle because it only briefly forms a very short section of the county boundary at Bawtry.

I finished the walk at the church at Rossington - I had to wait for four trains to pass at the level crossing in the village.

My map doesn't show the new airport link road and since I don't know how the footpaths might have been diverted I decided to forfeit the final mile or so of my intended walk and caught the bus back into town at the bus stop across the road from the church.