I wanted to catch as much of the sunny weather as possible this morning and so made an early start, catching the Barnsley bus to Darfield. Having just mentioned the weather though, the forecast was for it to start clouding over in the afternoon but as it was, apart from a couple of brief showers, the sun shone throughout.
I headed out to the northeast along the Dearne Way footpath to the hamlet of Edderthorpe and then along the road to Cudworth. The road is narrow with a lot of blind corners; a couple of drivers came far too close to me, coming within a few inches of my left elbow. Another two drivers were very careful and courteous and beeped their horns as they approached a blind corner or a hidden dip.
I was walking through Cudworth for quite a while before I reached the bridleway which leads to the road which goes to Royston. On the outskirts of Royston I joined the towpath of the disused Barnsley Canal for a couple of miles...it's not really suitable for cyclists though.
It's not much more suitable for horses either, but it is classed as a bridleway and so they can be ridden along here. Along a stretch that wasn't right next to the water a woman on horseback caught up with me. I commented on the unusual coloration of her horse, she told me that it was a leopard spot Appaloosa - here's a photograph I found online.
Another stretch of roadwalking followed, just to the edge of Ryhill before turning down the lane that goes alongside Wintersett Reservoir for part of its length.
This isn't anything to do with the reservoir...there's just been a lot of rain recently.
I continued to Anglers Country Park; there's also a reservoir there. It was then a lovely walk across the fields to Walton; none of my photographs was really any good...but this one of a pretty cottage at Walton is okay.
I needed to walk along the road to reach Sandal.
I was walking for at least a mile until I reached the castle. I arrived there at 2:20 and went over to the cafe to see when it closes. A sign on the door informed me that it closes at four o'clock but meals from the menu are only served until two thirty. Not wanting to miss out I went in and ordered a scone and a pot of tea; the scone was a flavour new to me - orange and chocolate chip.
I had plenty of time to explore the castle ruins in the sunshine and take plenty of photographs.
The walk to Sandal and Agbrigg railway station wasn't as far as I'd thought - I could have spent more time at the castle.
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