Sprotbrough, Barnburgh, and Goldthorpe

After a night out in Leeds with friends it was only ever going to be a local walk today.

I caught the earliest available bus to Sprotbrough and took some photographs in the village; needing to be at the bus station for 9:30 really wasn't that early though.

I've never seen it flooded near the church before.

There were some nice views as I took the footpath that continues from the end of Boat Lane going up through the woods - obviously nowhere looks its best at this time of year when the weather's a bit miserable.

The constant noise made by some people most likely shooting in Steetley Quarry over to my left was echoing up and down the Don Gorge and really spoiled my enjoyment of the walk along this section.

I spent quite a while exploring areas of the woods and the old railway cutting that I hadn't been to previously before getting back down to the river; unsurprisingly the water level of the Don was very high today.

I walked along the TransPennine Trail alongside the River Don for just over half a mile before I climbed up the path at the base of the supporting pillars of Conisbrough Viaduct up to the disused railway at the top. I didn't go over the viaduct, instead I walked in the opposite direction, heading west.

After about a mile I branched off and was then on the Dearne Way, another long-distance footpath, which I stayed with until I reached just south of Harlington. The River Dearne was also very high; it was very windy walking along the top of the levee.

Without planning to I ended up going to the memorial placed at the site of Barnburgh Main Colliery; it just looked like an interesting way to go - my map is over thirty years old and so none of the landscaped former colliery sites existed then.

I ended the day by walking down the Green Lane area of Barnburgh and then continued along the road to the bus stop at Goldthorpe. 

Ardsley, Broomhill, Bolton-upon-Dearne, and Conisbrough

I caught the Barnsley bus and travelled to Ardsley, three miles short of the town centre. I took the footpath just before the crematorium, going along a track and then across the fields to a minor road, which I crossed over before continuing on a metalled surface to reach the TransPennine Trail near Wombwell.

There were some nice views just after I'd left Ardsley.

I got lost a couple of times but there were probably even better views from the places I ended up. These are three of the photographs I took.

I'd only been walking on the TransPennine Trail for a few minutes when I heard the noise of engines revving, I suspected it might be off-road motorcycles approaching...but I was wrong, it was coming from a nearby radio-controlled model car racing event at a specially constructed circuit.

I left the TreansPennine Trail at Old Moor for a couple of miles, walking through Broomhill; it's not an attractive village but there's a decent view from the bridge that crosses over the River Dearne.

I continued walking along the riverbank, this is the location where the next two photos were taken, looking back towards Darfield Church.

The path then went along an old railway embankment for a while before taking me back to the river. I briefly entered Bolton-upon-Dearne before catching up with the TransPennine Trail again at the railway arches on the Mexborough road. I then stayed with the trail all the way back to Conisbrough.

  

Darfield, Little Houghton, Great Houghton, Clayton and Frickley, Moorhouse, Hampole, and Skellow

I wasn't sure about the frequency of bus services in the Peak District today and so I stuck to my local area again. I caught the Barnsley bus and travelled to Darfield; I got off and headed northwards along the bank of the River Dearne, soon crossing over the weir...which is about twelve foot high and quite impressive.

I continued along a pleasant well-surfaced track for the short distance to Little Houghton.

I only briefly visited Little Houghton before walking down the old pit lane to Great Houghton.

It was a steady climb over the fields to Clayton and then it levelled out as I walked through Frickley Park. I stayed out of an argument outside the village shop in Clayton between a local woman and a farm worker about the large amount of mud on the road.

The stretch from Frickley Park to the old station house at Moorhouse was new to me, and was a lovely walk across farmland and through pastures and also passing through Hooton Pagnell Wood as well. 

Unfortunately the final three miles were entirely on tarmac - that's just how it is sometimes; I couldn't find a more interesting route. The countryside was decent though.

Woodlands, Pickburn, Hooton Pagnell, Stotfold, Phoenix Park, Goldthorpe, Barnburgh, and Conisbrough

It was just a short ride on the bus today to Woodlands. I got something to eat later from one of the shops and then walked up through the housing estate to the entrance to Brodsworth Community Woodland. It was still dark when I got off the bus, but dawn was breaking just about now.

I only spent a few minutes in the country park, heading out towards Pickburn as fast as I could; I nearly slipped on some black ice as I was walking down the road approaching the village. I was glad to get on the footpath and continue heading westwards across the fields to Hooton Pagnell.

Although it was sunny, most of the village was in the shade and so I didn't take that many photographs of this beautiful photogenic hilltop village...although I was happy with most of them and so have included them.

I sat in the churchyard to eat my sandwiches - the ringing of the chimes here is quicker than anywhere else I know.

I left Hooton Pagnell walking to the south and passed through Watchley Crags until I reached Stotfold; just a farm complex really, and then climbed up the fairly steep hill to the top of Phoenix Park.

The parish church at Goldthorpe has an unusual Italianate design.

I got down onto the old railway cutting that goes to Barnburgh and got there a few minutes later. Barnburgh Church is associated with the Cat and Man Legend.

I walked down the hill to the Crown Inn, turned right and then took a footpath leading to the road which goes further down the hill to Denaby Ings. I didn't enter the nature reserve but continued over the bridge and along the bank of the River Dearne and then the course of the old railway line to Conisbrough.

The current Doncaster to Sheffield line still serves Conisbrough: there are no photographs of the church or castle at Conisbrough because as I passed by the station a train was due and so I caught it...and so didn't climb up the hill to the town centre.