Warmsworth to Conisbrough

A hastily arranged walk this morning down in the Don Gorge, one of my favourite local places to go walking. I caught the bus to Warmsworth and then walked along Mill Lane to get access to the gorge by going down the steps at the side of the railway line.

I then just walked upstream for a couple of miles to Conisbrough.

I did a detour into Steetley Quarry, which I've read is going to be used for landfill...that's going to spoil this area.

As I approached Conisbrough Castle I kept taking photographs.

I caught the bus back to Doncaster from Conisbrough town centre, I didn't have too long to wait and there's a seat in the bus shelter anyhow.

Conisbrough, Sprotbrough, and Cusworth Hall Country Park

I went on a local walk today, mainly to test out a new pair of walking boots I bought from a charity shop a few weeks ago. I was expecting the boots to be fine, they are manufactured by a reputable company, Clark's. The grip was good, and that's important, but the leather is hard and it was rubbing against my feet; this pair is  certainly not ready for the Peak District yet...if it ever will be.

I travelled on the bus to Conisbrough and started by photographing the castle.

I headed down into the Don Gorge: the next major landmark for me to photograph was Conisbrough Viaduct.

I took several different paths today; one of them took me right up to the edge of a quarry I'd not reached before.

I didn't go down to Lower Sprotbrough, a popular local beauty spot.

When I reached Cusworth Hall Country Park it had started raining and I now just wanted to get home as soon as possible and so didn't climb up the hill to visit the tearooms next to the hall.

Ardsley, Edderthorpe, Darfield, and Conisbrough

I travelled on the X19 Barnsley bus today, but only as far as Ardsley this time. I got off the bus and walked through a housing estate until I found my first footpath, heading in a northeasterly direction along the edge of a linear wood.

This trigpoint is located at an altitude of 102 metres above sea level.

I continued along paths where I'd not been before until I reached a diversion sign; the diversion was easy to follow and went across some lovely meadows.

I think this totally unique home-made footpath sign is on the route of the diversion.

A mile or so further on I could see over to my left that one of the wind turbines near Grimethorpe has been badly damaged.

I then took a path heading south followed by one going to the east to the hamlet of Edderthorpe. I was now on the Dearne Way and stayed with it, going past the church at Darfield, on to the north of Broomhill until I reached the TransPennine Trail to the West of Bolton-on-Dearne.

I explored a landscaped spoilheap to the south of the River Dearne before continuing along the south bank of the river to rejoin the TransPennine Trail to Conisbrough where I caught the bus back home from the bus stop with the stunning view of the castle.

  I continued to Conisbrough along a route I've walked many times before and caught a bus from the bus stop next to the castle.

Conisbrough, Mexborough, Adwick-upon-Dearne, Barnburgh, and Sprotbrough

I caught the bus to Conisbrough and spent a bit of time photographing the castle before heading off down the hill to the River Don.

The route I chose today uses the permissive path that crosses over the railway line by the footbridge at the railway station.

I followed a path going uphill and through some woods and managed to find my way onto the Cadeby Road. After only a couple of minutes I then arrived at a parking area and I noticed a man walking towards me. I asked him if there was any way I could get to Denaby Ings Nature Reserve from there. He confirmed that I could and also told me where all the other paths lead to, none of them being official footpaths and therefore not being depicted on the map.

[I've been seeing a lot of painted stones on my walks recently, lockdown projects for schoolchildren I think.]

I walked along the right bank of the River Dearne and then a footpath across the floodplain and some fields to a housing estate at Mexborough.  I then trudged along the road to Adwick-upon-Dearne - I think this would have been the first time I've visited the village since I was a child. 

Although it doesn't look like it does, the church actually dates from the Norman period.

I headed northeast along the road and then used a path going through Adwick Washland Nature Reserve to reach Barnburgh.

Although it looks like a door and actually has a letterbox, this is a gate.

I found a path that took me to the foot of the crags and then over to Hangmanstone Lane, from where I walked over to Melton Wood.

This large circular water storage tank wasn't here last time.

I needed to walk along the road for half a mile before cutting across the fields to end the walk at Sprotbrough; it was only at this late stage that the weather showed signs of finally brightening up.