I've never gone to Conisbrough Crags as a destination before, I've always walked straight past them on the TransPennine Trail on my way to somewhere else. I spent nearly an hour there today, exploring every footpath and colliery or railway relic I could find, tiring myself out with all the climbing [and descent.]
En route I walked along the riverbank and passed lower Sprotbrough, Sprotbrough Flash Nature Reserve and Conisbrough Viaduct.
The last time I was at this area of pleasant countryside right next to Hexthorpe Flatts park it was cloudy and misty, the weather was much nicer today.
As I was crossing over the first of the two bridges at Lower Sprotbrough a runner asked me for directions to Goole; he didn't mention where he'd started from this morning but he told me he was hoping he'd complete at least forty miles today.
I found an easy way to get down to the entrance to the old Conisbrough Tunnel, I was surprised that it isn't blocked up. I could just make out the light coming from the far end - it must be about a hundred and fifty yards long, as is the current tunnel used by trains on the Doncaster to Sheffield line. If I'd got my headtorch with me I would have attempted to walk through to the other side; that's definitely an adventure planned for another day.
One of the paths that I used, down by the river, was very overgrown with cow parsley, thistles, nettles, Japanese knotweed, and Himalayan balsam taller than me.
I didn't take any photographs of the actual limestone crags, they're about half a mile further west than I went - I'll include a visit to those on another walk I've got planned, to Denaby Ings.
