Sutton, Campsall, Kirk Smeaton, Brockadale, Wentbridge, Norton, and Askern

I went to Sutton to start my walk today, the village the bus reaches before Askern, where I was on Monday. 

I walked down the road and specifically remembered to look out for this...it's a genuine sign, this is what the road is called.

The village church is quite pretty, but difficult to photograph from some angles.

I couldn't get as close to this windmill as I did to Wrancarr Mill on Monday.

I then used footpaths and country lanes to reach Kirk Smeaton and stopped to eat my sandwiches there at a lovely spot near to the church.

I took the path on the northern side of the valley which goes along the clifftops before descending into Brockadale. After a few minutes I spotted this makeshift shrine consisting entirely of tiny wooden and plastic doors, there was another one a bit further on as well.

I continued heading west to Wentbridge.

I returned to Kirk Smeaton by walking along the southern bank of the River Went.

 

Most of my route to Norton would have been alongside the river until I needed to cross some fields and head south but the footpath was blocked because the footbridge going across the Went had been removed. I had to walk along the road instead - it was a few hundred yards longer.

I found a slightly different route to get me back to Askern and caught the bus to Doncaster.

A Circular Walk From Askern

I travelled on the bus to Askern this morning and started the walk by taking a different route to what I've previously done going over to Haywood. 

[These are alpacas]

The church at Haywood has been converted into a private dwelling.

I thought this rubbish was particularly well lit by the sunlight.

I crossed over the railway line using the level crossing and went to get some close up photographs of the old windmill; the footpath goes right next to the building.

I then headed north to Moss, across some lovely meadows.

Still going north I arrived at Fenwick. At Moss there's a location called Moss London Hill and at Fenwick one called Fenwick London Hill. [There's also somewhere just simply called 'London Hill' at Sykehouse a few miles away - much further from the railway line]. I wonder what the origins of these names are, maybe something to do with the nearby East Coast Main Line railway which goes to London?

I discovered a lane called 'London Lane' in Moss...so maybe the reference to London is much older than the railway?

As I was leaving Moss I noticed two lifesize equestrian statues over to my right - there are several livery stables in this area...you can see them over to the right on the photograph.

 

Moss has been overwhelmed with large sale modern housing development and it's certainly not one of my favourite local villages; I liked this older house that I passed though.

Before I reached Fenwick I had to photograph some megalithic hay bales.

I continued heading north and crossed the River Went into North Yorkshire and passed through parts of the scattered village of Balne. 

This electric fence was blocking the footbridge, but it wasn't a problem for me to climb over it...I would imagine other people having difficulty though.

I continued towards the A19 road and then over to Norton and arriving back at Askern by taking the footpath that goes where the old colliery sidings were.

This footbridge over the River Went was quite impressive.

Apart from being quite windy at times it's been a perfect day for walking and photography, made even more enjoyable by the fact that for most of the walk I was exploring new territory.