Worksop, Chesterfield Canal, Lindrick Golf Club, Woodsetts, Wallingwells, and Carlton in Lindrick

I'd planned a walk starting from Tuxford today visiting some areas to the south of Retford I'd not been to before, but the Retford bus didn't show up. When the Worksop bus turned up ten minutes later I got on that instead and started my alternative walk by heading to the west on the towpath of the Chesterfield Canal.  A friend, called John, was on this bus and so we spent an hour chatting about non-league football and our favourite local towns: he was travelling to Blyth to take some photographs of the village and visit the pubs.

I left the canal at Cinderhill Lock and took the footpath that heads north to Lindrick Golf Course; there are a couple of pretty houses on the way at Brancliffe Grange.

I briefly entered Woodsetts and then headed across the fields to the hamlet of Wallingwells and then caught the bus back to Doncaster at the first bus stop in Carlton in Lindrick. My original intention was to go a bit further to Langold but for the first time this summer my hay fever was bad and so I bailed out at the earliest opportunity. 

 

Carlton in Lindrick, Scofton, and Worksop

Because of the likely problems on the railways today caused by the ongoing strikes I'm having to stick to the buses and travelling down to Nottinghamshire. I caught the Worksop bus to Carlton in Lindrick, visited the old part of the village and then walked along a couple of back roads until I reached a path going over to Scofton.

I joined the Chesterfield Canal at Osberton Lock and then walked along the towpath to Worksop; the towpath was the most overgrown I've ever seen it.

 

Ashford in the Water, Sheldon, Magpie Mine, Over Haddon, and Bakewell

I caught the local bus from Bakewell to Ashford in the Water and started the walk by climbing up to Sheldon and then going across to Magpie Mine. The climb up to Sheldon is quite steep at the beginning.

I then headed southwest across the fields to Monyash where I stopped for a pot of tea at the Old Smithy Café; the only place to sit down was on the base of the village cross - the proprietor suggested I sit there.

I walked through the village to reach the head of Monsal Dale.

I walked along Lathkill Dale until I could climb out at Over Haddon. I continued through the village and it was then a gentle descent going across grassy fields to Bakewell.

I was expecting to only wait five minutes for the bus in Bakewell, it was half an hour late though.

Thornes Park, Wakefield

It's been too hot for any strenuous walking today, and I needed to be back in Doncaster to meet with a couple of friends at three o'clock and so I decided to go to Thornes Park at Wakefield. Wakefield is only twenty five minutes on the train and the park is a walk of fifteen minutes from the railway station.

Across the road from the entrance to the park I spotted this pretty Georgian church.

Just inside the park there's this building, a bandstand.

There are areas of the park where it's like being out in the countryside.

There's an aviary, but it's difficult to see the birds, having to look through the wire mesh.

It took me a while to find the formal gardens; the rose garden is spectacular at this time of year - the cacti in the greenhouse are quite impressive too.