Worksop, Rhodesia, Shireoaks, Thorpe Salvin, Lindrick Dale, Woodsetts, Cotterhill, and South Carlton.

Northern Rail drivers were on strike today so there was a limited train service to Sheffield, so I decided to take the bus and start a walk from Worksop.

The person sitting behind me on the bus was coughing and spluttering and so I got off a couple of stops early and walked down into the town centre to buy something to eat later. 

I then had to work out how to get down on to the canal towpath.

I walked along the towpath for about four miles; there is some quite pretty countryside...and a lot of locks to take photographs of. There was a short section at Rhodesia where I had to walk through a housing estate and then across some fields before returning to the canal.

I left the towpath and walked through Old Spring Wood to reach Thorpe Salvin; I walked into the village to take photographs of the ruins of old hall, and the church, and then re-traced my steps back to the point where I had left the towpath...then crossing over  a bridge and continuing on to Lindrick Dale.

Lindrick Dale is a very well-to-do hamlet, I should think that every property is worth at least half a million Pounds.

I then needed to walk along the busy road for a few hundred yards until I reached the path that leads into Anston Stones Wood; there was quite a steep climb to reach the top of the cliff for the path across fields back towards South Carlton, from where I would catch the bus back to Doncaster.

The next place I reached was Woodsetts, but only just...the path goes right along the southern edge of the village, right next to Lindrick Golf Course. There are some more expensive houses here; one even has its own missile launcher in the back garden - there is also a military aircraft and a mobile radar array...I was only just able to see these though by peeking over the high boundary wall; fortunately I'm 6ft 3ins tall. This 'well defended' property is called 'Nirvanah.'

I was able to make quick time onwards towards the hamlet of Cotterhill and then reached South Carlton. The church here is much prettier than the one at Thorpe Salvin, but by the time I got there the weather was quite overcast and so my photographs didn't turn out to be very good.

The journey back home on the bus would have been totally uneventful had the bus driver not forgot to stop at the bus-stop when I'd pressed the bell, and stood up and walked to the front, to get off. I had to stay on until the town centre...however this meant that I bumped into an old friend I haven't seen for a few years and we had a natter for ten minutes...and then I went to the foodhall at Marks and Spencer and got some bargains for my tea. 

A Photographic Tour Of Hooton Pagnell

A short visit with my support worker to take some photographs of my favourite local village, Hooton Pagnell. It wasn't the brightest day for photography but the limestone buildings still looked nice and there was a bit of colour in the gardens. I've managed to get a decent shot of most of the buildings...apart from The Hostel, which had a large marquee erected in front of it - probably for a wedding reception.

Visiting Gainsborough With Justin

Whenever I go somewhere with my friend Justin we always do pretty much the same things, have a meal in a Wetherspoon's pub and look round the charity shops...or anywhere else where he thinks he might get some good secondhand DVDs to watch. He knows what he likes...and he knows what he doesn't like even better.

Today was no different; it was lovely and sunny and I wanted to get some photographs of the parish church and Gainsborough Old Hall...so I left him guzzling a bottle of Coca Cola in the Market Place as I popped over to get a few snaps.

Lodge Moor, Rivelin Dams, Ughill, and Low Bradfield

As usual the number 51 bus was packed with schoolchildren so my journey out to the terminus at Lodge Moor was rather unpleasant - but I arrived there unflustered and unscathed. 

I dropped straight down into Fox Hagg Local Nature Reserve; I noticed that the first, and steepest section of the bridleway had been re-surfaced since my previous visit. Further down it got very muddy underfoot in places as I walked through woodland to reach the Rivelin Dams and the Wyming Brook Nature Reserve at the bottom of the valley.

There's a small car park at the entrance to the nature reserve and a lay-by at the other access point on the A57 road. As I approached the latter I noticed at least four small plastic bags most likely containing dog pooh...maybe it would have been better if the dog walkers had just let their pets do their business and not bothered to pick it up and bag it. Certainly the environment would look a lot cleaner...but at least I suppose the drinking water supply isn't getting contaminated.

I walked along the busy main road for a short distance and then took the first path leading up to the right, a steady, gentle climb up to Crawshaw Lodge. There's a sign on the gate that reads 'Beware of the Dogs' - I was more concerned about the peacocks, I counted at least seven of them. 

I made quick progress along the track across the moor to Crawshaw Farm, and then Ughill. I had to stop and take a photograph of the direction signs at the junction of two roads.

It's not a very good photograph of some not particularly attractive countryside...but I couldn't resist an image which includes the words or phrases, 'Ugh, Tinker Bottom, Dung, and Burglars Beware.'

I passed through Ughill, there are only about half a dozen farms or houses there, and continued along the road until I reached a footpath which took me across the fields to another stretch of road, and then a path downhill to Dale Dike Reservoir. Towards the bottom of this section the footpath which goes through the forest was closed because of tree felling and so I took what was marked as the diversion...well it wasn't, I got a bit confused trying to remember exactly where I should go and ended up just heading directly for where I wanted to be, climbing over a fence and two walls to finally get there.

It was quite busy as I was walking alongside the reservoir; a dog wearing a nice red woolly coat approached me and so I asked it how it managed to keep the coat so clean. Almost instantly its female owner answered telling me that the trick is not to walk where it's muddy; a few minutes later five greyhounds sniffed my crotch, each in turn...not saying a word between them.

I always take a photograph of the pump house when I pass it...and the memorial stone to the victims of the Great Sheffield Flood a few yards further on.

Finally I walked down the road to Low Bradfield, well actually the bus terminus at the edge of the village: the view from there is quite pleasant.

My journey home to Doncaster was thankfully uneventful. The weather in the Peak District today wasn't very good, mainly overcast with a cold wind...but when I arrived back home it was sunny and warm. This isn't too surprising though because I think the weather in Doncaster is significantly better than the upland areas of the country such as the Peak District.

If everything goes according to plan I'll be going on the bus to Gainsborough tomorrow with my friend Justin - something that I couldn't have done six months ago when I needed at least a day to recover from a walk.

Worksop

Although I've been to Worksop quite a few times I've never actually visited the priory before and so I was looking forward to seeing it and taking a few photographs this morning.

I got off the bus at the first town centre stop and walked down to the priory, taking photographs en route.

The sun was at the wrong angle for photographing the towers of the priory...but not for the gatehouse.

I had breakfast in the 'Liquorice Gardens' and then looked in the shops, buying my first pair of waist size forty inch trousers for many years...from a charity shop.