Doncaster Lakeside, Bessacarr, Old Rossington, Old Cantley, and Cantley

Today has been the first day since the start of the lockdown that we're able to  go for a walk without fear of being arrested by the police - that's a phrase I never thought I'd be writing on my walking blog in 2020 in England.

The weather's not been as nice as it has been recently but I still took advantage and went on a local walk, about ten miles, setting off from my doorstep - public transport is only running a very limited service and I would feel uncomfortable with the social distancing measures anyhow.

So...I left my house and walked through the estate to Doncaster Lakeside and then took the section of the Doncaster Greenway that goes just to the south of the houses at Bessacarr; I went there last week and visited the Stoven's Plantation area over to the right.

I saw several of these handwritten notices featuring random words - it must be some sort of improvised outdoor educational trail for children but it wasn't until I'd photographed the fourth sign, featuring 'train' that I was entirely convinced that they hadn't been put there by doggers last night.

There were some much more professionally produced signs a few hundred yards later after I'd turned right and headed along the path that crosses Doncaster Golf Course.

On the approach to Old Rossington I crossed over the River Torne and looked down into the water from the footbridge and saw some small fish, about two inches long - I don't know what they are.

I walked along Littleworth Lane in the village before taking the path across the fields to the Mount Pleasant Hotel. After about half a mile I reached a lovely open area of heathland where I came across some wartime ruins, some of which look like they were gun emplacements - I don't know what the building with the railway tracks inside is though. 

This area was the highlight of the walk; sandy heathland with plenty of flowering gorse, the ruins to explore, and then further on a wildflower meadow - this was one of only two limited areas I'd not previously visited.

I then walked for about half a mile up the Great North Road and found the path that goes through woodland and then through Hayfield Lakes Angling Club to Warning Tongue Lane. I continued to Old Cantley and made my way through Cantley Park until I reached the houses at Cantley. I wasn't sure exactly where I was, but I worked out how to get down to the main road by studying the route and timetable at a bus stop.  I was on the Great North Road again, but further north,  and returned home by the shortest route.

Conisbrough, Old Edlington, Wadworth, New Rossington, Old Rossington, and Bessacarr

I woke up too late this morning to go walking in the Peak District. I had a disturbed night's sleep because of a head cold that I've picked up, the third this winter...plus a bout of the flu.

It's been another lovely day and I didn't want to waste it, so I went on a local walk, from Conisbrough over to the Great North Road.

I got off at the last of the bus stops at Conisbrough on Doncaster Road before the bus turns off to serve the shops, and walked up Clifton Lane; it's quite steep and I could feel that my thigh muscles were weak. It meant walking along a road for over a mile before reaching a short footpath going over to Old Edlington - there's a lovely decommissioned church there.

I went down the lane and through Edlington Wood, passing under the motorway to reach Wadworth; there's a nice church there as well. 

I continued heading east down a country lane and then a footpath to reach New Rossington, a former pit village consisting mainly of housing estates. I crossed over the River Torne, the only Yorkshire river that empties into the Trent.

My third church of the day, at Old Rossington, is equally as attractive as the other two I photographed.

I finished the walk by taking a footpath heading to the north out of Old Rossington, passing over the Torne again, this time two parallel channels. I continued, walking through the golf course and then woodland until I reached Bawtry Road at Bessacarr. 

Tickhill, Harworth, and Rossington

I waited for the heaviest of the rain to pass this morning before catching the bus to Tickhill, about eight miles away.

After taking these photographs I walked down to the millpond and castle area and then across the fields and through the golf course to Harworth. There's not much to see at the castle, it's private property and is only open to the public for one day a year; the millpond is attractive but none of my photographs were any good because of the murky conditions.

The sign greeting me when I entered Harworth at least provided a bit of colour for the blog though.

I visited the church and then headed off to the north along the road leading back to Tickhill; I needed to keep crossing and re-crossing this road because of the narrow verges and poor visibility.

I briefly entered Tickhill from the east before taking a lane at the back of some industrial units. After about a mile I came across an organised metal detecting event in a field at the side of the track I was taking.

Not much later the track veered off to the left but the footpath continued straight ahead.

For a few hundred yards I was walking right next to the River Torne, the only Yorkshire river that flows into the Trent...I'm not including the River Idle because it only briefly forms a very short section of the county boundary at Bawtry.

I finished the walk at the church at Rossington - I had to wait for four trains to pass at the level crossing in the village.

My map doesn't show the new airport link road and since I don't know how the footpaths might have been diverted I decided to forfeit the final mile or so of my intended walk and caught the bus back into town at the bus stop across the road from the church.