Doncaster Free Press: Revealed, the seven prettiest places in Doncaster

I live in Doncaster and have visited all seven locations many times.

1...Hooton Pagnell: My favourite place by a long way. A stunning estate village on top of the Yorkshire Magnesian Limestone Ridge which wouldn't be out of place in the Cotswolds. Mainly seventeenth and eighteenth century cottages built with the local yellow limestone, a pretty mediaeval church with a four tune carillon, a grandiose hall with a mediaeval gatehouse, there's also a Disneyesque gatehouse and high walls with Rapunzel-style turrets, yet it's a totally appropriate architectural style for the village, a flock of black sheep originally from St. Kilda...and some lovely cottage gardens and courtyards. I used to live in Thurnscoe and Hooton Pagnell is the next village and I would walk here across the fields nearly every week. The village also holds a popular summer fete every year at the beginning of July featuring stalls, craft demonstrations, hot food, and live music. Several of my blogposts feature Hooton Pagnell.

2...Sprotbrough Falls: I don't know if there were ever any natural falls or rapids on the river here, but the name now actually refers to a weir - it's quite spectacular when the River Don is in spate though; you can hear the roar and see the spray from a long way off. It's a very attractive location down in the Don Gorge - there's the river, a short stretch of canal and a lock, a lovely country pub, an island in the middle of the river, and a fish ladder...as well as some delightful walks along the river or up through the woods to the wildflower meadows. In the higher part of the village there's the church, a bistro, and some tearooms. For anyone with an interest in literature, the novel Ivanhoe was written by Sir Walter Scott in the village.

3...Hickleton: Another pretty estate village on the limestone ridge, somewhat spoiled by the main trunk road passing through. A great place to start a walk though. Have a look at the skulls inside the lychgate as you enter the churchyard.

4...Tickhill Butter Cross: Located in the centre of this small attractive market town. Personally though the highlight of Tickhill for me is the millpond and the adjacent castle, which unfortunately is private property and is only open to the public on one day a year - and I still haven't managed to visit. The parish church is large and impressive and well worth a visit.

5...Cusworth Hall: A local museum with free entry, although you do have to pay for parking. A lovely parkland setting on top of hill, with formal gardens and fishing ponds. There are public toilets here and some lovely tearooms.

6...Roche Abbey: Actually just over the boundary in Rotherham. Substantial ruins in a peaceful sheltered limestone valley. The nearby village of Stone is very pretty.

7...Brodsworth Hall: A grand country house with extensive formal gardens. Owned by English Heritage and so there's an admission charge.

There are some other places that I would consider including in the list:

Bawtry: A small pleasant market town with historical connections to the Pilgrim Fathers.

Conisbrough Castle: Everyone's idealised romantic image of a ruined castle on top of a hill.

Walker's Garden Centre and Show Gardens: Well maintained formal show gardens, a large pond filled with koi carp, and a restaurant.

Denaby Ings Nature Reserve: Be careful of the doggers...or maybe you might want to join them!

Howell Wood Country Park: Woodland in rolling countryside.

Thorne Moors: Like nowhere else in England - on a hot sunny day you might think you're on the savannah in Africa.

Sponsored Walk To Sprotbrough.

I've just got home after leading the Autism Plus sponsored walk  to Sprotbrough; going out along the river via  Newton, and calling at Cusworth Hall on the way back to town - a total distance of over eight miles, which was quite a difficult challenge for one or two on the walk.

Being in charge of twenty one people was a bit of a challenge for me too, making sure they were all safe and had a good day out; marshalling them across roads, pacing the front runners so that the straddlers weren't left behind, pointing out interesting things and deciding how long to stay at the pub, and later at the tearooms, were all new experiences for me.

We left the Autism Plus centre on the edge of the town centre and then walked through the town, over North Bridge and down to the lock where we followed the footpath which goes right past the prison; which we passed just as at was exercise time for the inmates.

At wasn't long until we were walking among trees at our side of the canal; it was still quite industrial on the other bank though. The situation soon improved and it was open countryside on both sides of the water just before we reached Newton.

There are several nice cottages there.

People had the opportunity to abandon the walk here after two miles, but no-one did. 

We continued along the riverbank (not all of this section of the River Don is canalised), passing under the two railway bridges and then the A1 motorway before reaching Sprotbrough where we stopped to eat our sandwiches, or visit the pub: some of us needed to use the toilets and the only ones are in the pub. I had time for a pot of tea, which I enjoyed outside in the sheltered beer garden with some of my fellow walkers; some stayed inside the pub and the others sat on the seats or on the wall down by the water.

We were running ahead of schedule and so had time to visit the weir - an ideal spot for a group photograph. My photograph here is just the weir, or 'Sprotbrough Falls' as we locals call this location.

The next section of the walk was the most challenging for those who weren't regular walkers; first climbing up several dozen steps through a wood and then along the edge of a field to reach the higher part of the village; walking passed one couple who where struggling I commented that's why it's called the 'Don Gorge.'

A short stretch along the road was next, and then across fields to Cusworth Hall, with the last few yards being a relatively steep climb up the lawn to reach the house...where the tearooms and toilets were.

We were able to linger for a bit longer at the hall, time for another pot of tea and a scone, before the final stretch back into town, arriving over half an hour ahead of schedule.