Sutton Crossroads, Idle Valley Nature Reserve, Sutton-cum-Lound, and Ranskill

I travelled to Sutton Crossroads today and walked down the access road to the main entrance to Idle Valley Nature Reserve. I'd planned to walk over to Tiln but got lost because the path had been diverted, and then I couldn't find a footbridge to get across the river. So, instead I walked along the riverside footpath, a very pleasant walk. I found a bench to sit on and eat my sandwiches and planned the rest of my route for the day.

I remained with the River Idle until I reached Chainbridge Lane, a dead straight track that goes for a mile and a half to Lound. There's actually a path, which I didn't know about until I got there, which runs parallel a few yards to the left and has much better views of the nature reserve. About halfway along I took a path that goes off to the left. This path took me to Sutton Grange and then there was a short stretch of unmade road until I reached the surfaced road that links Lound and Sutton-cum-Lound.

At Sutton I took the footpath that goes at the side of the church.

There was a bit of snow on the ground and on the top of walls today but on the final couple of miles of the walk as  I was heading west I could see the higher ground near Maltby still had quite a covering.

A few minutes later I was walking alongside the main East Coast railway line and went right by the 'Edinburgh 250 Miles' point.

The final approach to Ranskill is boring; I walked to the nearest bus stop and had about ten minutes to wait.

Despite my walk not being the one I'd planned to do I still enjoyed it, maybe even more so, I got to explore large areas of  the Idle Valley Nature Reserve I hadn't seen before.

 

Butterbusk, Cadeby, High Melton, Sprotbrough, and Newton

I travelled on the bus to Butterbusk, a mile before Conisbrough, and took the path that leads down into the Don Gorge, going past the ruins of the farm buildings.

[I only saw one cat on the footpath]

I chose the high level path going along the top of Steetley Quarry. There are actually tyre tracks going down this steep slope - the quarry is now very popular with mountainbikers.

A few minutes later I could hear water splashing, it was quite loud. I found the source of it, an overflowing culvert which had formed a temporary waterfall.  I managed to get to the base of it after a bit of a detour and a difficult, slippery descent.

I estimate the drop to be about fifteen foot.

I walked across Conisbrough Viaduct after eating my sandwiches and then reached the road that goes to Cadeby. I found a new path to explore, but after a few hundred yards it disappeared in a wood, so I retraced my steps and continued along the road to Cadeby.

The church at Cadeby is Victorian; I really like the building though.

From Cadeby I walked along part of the road to High Melton, and a footpath across the fields for the remainder of the way. I crossed the road in the village and took the path that continues at the other side, going through someone's garden.

The path came out on the road that goes to Cusworth. I walked along it for a few hundred yards until I reached a path that goes across to Sprotbrough, walked through a housing estate and then made my way to the church.

There are six painted grotesques on one of the houses on the High Street; I photographed my favourite two today.

I went down the hill and walked back to the town centre along the riverside path. At Newton I spotted six of the feline residents, I was able to get five of them in camera shot, but unfortunately the image was blurred and so I've not included it.

 

Langold, Firbeck, Stone, Roche Abbey, and Maltby

I travelled to the first bus stop in Langold and walked along a path that goes next to an industrial state until I reached the edge of Dyscarr Wood. I then continued across the fields and down the lane to Firbeck.

The disused phonebox is now a seed bank; I saw several boxes on the floor.

At least two other black cats live at this house in the village.

I continued over to Stone and Roche Abbey. 

I always enjoy the approach to the abbey from the east along the small pretty valley.

I took a slightly different route at the other side of the valley to get to Maltby Church and then walked up to the main road to catch a bus home. There are three an hour to Doncaster.

Ardsley, Bolton-upon-Dearne, and Goldthorpe

I caught the X19 bus to Ardsley, just three  miles east of Barnsley town centre.  I took the footpath that goes down by the side of the crematorium and continues down across the fields to the TransPennine Trail.

I went the wrong way because I was concentrating too much on not getting too muddy. I was soon able to join my original route though.

Interestingly, for me anyhow since I like maps, on the online Ordnance Survey map halfway along its route the path is reclassified as a bridleway. I've not noticed this anyway before, I should imagine there are some practical issues for both horseriders and cyclists using the route. When I was there I didn't notice any specific signage. Maybe the reason is an inconsistency as it crosses a parish boundary - I don't know.

I stayed with the TransPennine Trail for four miles until I reached the southern end of Bolton-on-Dearne. At Broomhill the Trail was closed but there was a footpath I could use, although a stretch of this was flooded. Fortunately the water was only a few inches deep and it was tarmac underfoot.

I ended up going a slightly different way, still classed as part of the TransPennine Trail though. There were some colourful murals, and some more floodwater to walk through.

 

At at the bottom of the hill. I walked up the road to the church at Bolton-upon-Dearne and then joined the Barnsley Boundary Walk to finish the walk at Goldthorpe.