Tag: South yorkshire

Barnburgh and Barnburgh Crags Walk

Posted on | by Paul Steele | Leave a Comment on Barnburgh and Barnburgh Crags Walk

This is a joy of a 3-mile walk that starts and ends in the pretty village of Barnburgh, 7 miles west of Doncaster. You will find views, rocks and open countryside to enjoy.

The best place to start is right in the middle of Barnburgh, by St Peter’s church.

Across the through road from there is a side road, which heads along with the quaint looking Coach and Horses Pub on your right.

At the end of this road, follow the bend to the left. After a few hundred metres, there is a signposted bridleway track off to the right.

This track then carries straight on, gently going uphill to the top. There is nothing too strenuous here, though the climb allows the views to get bigger and bigger all the time.

As the path at the top swings right, you head into the woods. These woods have a secret inside. To your left is a wall of rock, Barnburgh Crag, that you follow all the way along.

If you look closely at sections of the rock, you will see mysterious faces that have been meticulously carved into the stone at some point in time. Some look like grumpy old men, while others resemble cartoon characters.

In the summer, you need to look carefully as the trees and ivy can hide the secret faces. In winter, you could walk this and see the crag in more glory for sure.

With the crag on your left, you mustn’t forget to look right with the huge views over South Yorkshire towards Derbyshire.

Upon reaching the end of the crag, you turn right down a road for a couple of hundred metres before turning off right onto another track.

Here you get a fantastic view back down towards Barnburgh. Crops sway in the breeze over the land before you.

There are a few paths from here that all meander back to the village. The one I took was less of a road and more around the edges of fields, but you can easily keep on the main track and along the road to the village and your start and end point.

This is one of those short walks and climbs that really surprised me. I hardly met a soul en route, yet what it offers is absolutely stunning for a walk of this length. The secret crags and faces add a whole new interest too.

Potteric Carr Nature Reserve Walk

Posted on | by Paul Steele | Leave a Comment on Potteric Carr Nature Reserve Walk

This is a glorious walk amongst nature. Potteric Carr Nature Reserve is a beautiful area of wetland, woodland and wildlife that is a joy to explore. Discover the marvel of nature on this 4-mile trail around the nature reserve.

The nature reserve is an oasis of nature that is nestled between a busy main road and a railway line, not too far from inner Doncaster. You will forget about all of the industry in the surroundings once you are in and exploring.

There is a small fee to enter the reserve. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust do an amazing job here and they will give you a great briefing to help you on your way along the trail.

This walk covers a 4-mile figure of eight around much of the reserve, taking in the marshes and through the meadows and woodland. There are, of course, shorter routes as well for those with little ones or those that maybe do not have as long to explore.

You can get a route map at the entry kiosk which explains the differing routes and what to expect. On the routes, there are plenty of colour-coordinated signs to keep you on track.

From the kiosk, I followed the red route off to the right and wandered through the glorious woodland before coming across the first of many great hides, where you can watch the birds and nature on the water.

The path then passes through tall grass meadows, full of colour, before heading out for a full circuit of one of the larger marshes. There are more hides dotted all along that are great for bird spotters and nature lovers alike.

Along the paths, you are surrounded by dragonflies and the dazzling blue damselflies going about their business in great number.

It is so peaceful all the way around. You would not believe how close to the city you are, nor how close to a main road.

It is a fabulous walk for all standards and ages.

Greno and Wharncliffe Woods Circular

Posted on | by Paul Steele | Leave a Comment on Greno and Wharncliffe Woods Circular

To the north of Sheffield, near Grenoside, lie Greno and Wharncliffe Woods. These are some fabulous woodlands to walk through and this 7-mile circular takes it all in and more.

These ancient woodlands and forested areas stretch for miles around and you can easily spend a whole day walking through them.

Starting in the middle of Grenoside on Penistone Road, it is just a minute or two before you are suddenly inside the thick green woodland of Greno Woods.

One minute you are in a housing area by a main road, then the next you are suddenly transported into calmness and nature.

This first section of the loop walk takes you deeper into Greno Woods, not realising you are going gradually upwards. Then there is a gradual upwards path that brings you out at a trig point. This is the summit of Greno Knoll.

This trig point is, of course, a remnant from a time before the high trees. Over time, the trees have obscured any line of sight to and from the trig point from elsewhere.

From there, you drop down the other side and across Woodhead Road into a car park. This is where you enter Wharncliffe Wood.

The pathways here are very wide and, as I found, a little more busy than Greno. Dog walkers, joggers and horse riders all enjoy the surroundings this place offers. Even though there were more people there, it did not feel overly busy at all. These woods cover a huge area, so there is plenty of space for one and all to enjoy.

Of course, you don’t even need to take the route we took. Paths lead in all directions from this place of real exploration. The locals are truly blessed.

The path takes you all around and through the woods before you suddenly emerge into the open and onto Whalejaw Hill. You do not realise how high you have gone and there are spectacular views from here of Sheffield, the Peak District and beyond.

The path from here winds round and back into Greno Woods for a gentle walk back to Grenoside. The dogs absolutely loved this walk too, with so much to stimulate them and space for them to run about safely.

This is definitely one of those walks that may be 7 miles long but certainly does not feel that long or hard in any way. You can take all the time to enjoy it as you wish.

You will find the GPX of my route on walkshire.com

The Best Yorkshire Walks For A Lockdown Catch-Up

Posted on | by Millie Davison | Leave a Comment on The Best Yorkshire Walks For A Lockdown Catch-Up

A lot has happened over the last year and you’ll no doubt have tonnes of gossip to catch up on with missed loved ones. Granted, the topic has changed from scandalous workplace relationships to that new pair of joggers and how your workwear wardrobe is really coming together.

If we’ve learned anything, it’s that the small things are always worth celebrating and that time together is so precious. With restrictions easing, we can once again meet up with family and friends outside. Albeit still at a safe distance.

To celebrate this, Keighley born and bred business Fenetic Wellbeing had an idea. They realised that Yorkshire is home to many wonderful things. Most notably among them are its smiling people, indescribable views and the peace and quiet that the northern countryside offers.

Fenetic Wellbeing handpicked some of the most beautiful walks for you to enjoy. They did some calculations, giving you the perfect walk for a lockdown catch-up based on your time spent apart. If you’re sharing your most prized secret, the Betty Eastwood walk has trees tall enough to hide behind. If you want to be surrounded by nature without having to travel too far, the Leeds canal city walk offers exactly that.

All of the walks offer miles of open green space for children and dogs to run free in. You’ll find both rural and urban walks that are accessible for all.

So, if you haven’t seen your dad for 6 months, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on a 5-mile walk. On every walk, you’ll witness scenery far more breath-taking than you’ll find on a Zoom screen.

With all of this right on our doorstep, it would be a shame not to witness it for yourselves.

Please continue to adhere to official government guidance and don’t travel out of your area until allowed to do so. Similarly, please continue to respect the safe social distancing rule wherever possible.