Darfield, Little Houghton, Great Houghton, Clayton and Frickley, Moorhouse, Hampole, and Skellow

I wasn't sure about the frequency of bus services in the Peak District today and so I stuck to my local area again. I caught the Barnsley bus and travelled to Darfield; I got off and headed northwards along the bank of the River Dearne, soon crossing over the weir...which is about twelve foot high and quite impressive.

I continued along a pleasant well-surfaced track for the short distance to Little Houghton.

I only briefly visited Little Houghton before walking down the old pit lane to Great Houghton.

It was a steady climb over the fields to Clayton and then it levelled out as I walked through Frickley Park. I stayed out of an argument outside the village shop in Clayton between a local woman and a farm worker about the large amount of mud on the road.

The stretch from Frickley Park to the old station house at Moorhouse was new to me, and was a lovely walk across farmland and through pastures and also passing through Hooton Pagnell Wood as well. 

Unfortunately the final three miles were entirely on tarmac - that's just how it is sometimes; I couldn't find a more interesting route. The countryside was decent though.

Worksop, South Anston, Woodsetts, and South Carlton

There are four buses an hour going to Worksop but they travel along two different routes and I have to walk in opposite directions to get to the relevant bus stop...so I always have to make a decision. Today I chose to travel via Tickhill.

I started the walk by walking westward along the canal tow path leaving Worksop.

I could see Shireoaks church in the distance.

I continued along the canal for about five miles until I reached a footpath which led northwards towards South Anston.

At the beginning of the footpath I had to cross over the railway line; it's not a very busy route though.

The last time I was South Anston church I couldn't go inside because of a wedding - I couldn't go inside today either because the door was locked.

I headed back east, walking through Anston Stone Woods. There was a short distance walking alongside the busy A57 road and then I entered some more woodland until I reached a bridleway which skirts Woodsetts to the south.

There are some nice houses here.

There's also a top secret missile launching facility, code name 'Nirvava' which isn't very well camouflaged...and doesn't seem to be guarded at all.

The route continued as a footpath at the edge of the golf course and then across the fields until I reached the country road that heads towards the Worksop to Doncaster trunk road.

I took the first path across the fields to South Carlton.

It was then a short walk down the lane to the main road where I caught the bus; perfect timing, only a few seconds to wait. 

Bakewell, Great Longstone, Little Longstone, Monsal Head, Sheldon, Magpie Mine, and Over Haddon

I didn't wake up until 7:15 this morning but still managed to reach Bakewell within two hours. I cut through Bath Gardens in the town and headed north to Great Longstone.

It then didn't take me long to walk to Little Longstone; despite the sign, the small chapel there was closed.

I continued up the road to Monsal Head and then along the footpath which goes gently down through the woods to Monsal Dale. I followed the river downstream at the bottom of the valley until I reached Lees Bottom and then climbed up to Sheldon and the ruins of Magpie Mine. It was a steep and quite difficult ascent on the wet limestone.

The church at Sheldon is one of my favourites.

Magpie Mine was looking as stark, bleak, threatening, and mysterious as it ever does in poor weather conditions...although the effect was somewhat tempered by the presence of two hiking groups which had stopped to eat their sandwiches there.

Finally I made a good pace across the fields to Over Haddon and then down to Bakewell.