Tag: Woodland

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

canklow woods

Canklow Woods Heritage Trail, Rotherham

Posted on | by Paul Steele | Leave a Comment on Canklow Woods Heritage Trail, Rotherham

This is a 2-mile circuit walk through ancient woodland and a historical archaeological site on the outskirts of Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Canklow Woods is an oasis of ancient woodland that takes you immediately away from the hustle and bustle of the town and roads in the near distance.

The woods are very important archaeologically, as it has been found that our ancestors lived here at least 3000 years ago.

This 2-mile loop path does not just take you around the woods, but it also gives you a lot of information about its history and the wildlife along the route. You will learn about the people who lived here and how they used the land, as well as the nature in your surroundings and how important it is.

The walk starts at Boston Park car park. Head through the little park, past the old bowling green and into the woods. 

From here, if you want to walk the heritage trail itself, we have the GPX and it is exactly 2 miles around. You will just need to follow the old looking arrowed pathway. Please note that some of the arrows have gone missing over time.

The path takes you through time, with information posts telling you how the land and these woods led over centuries to the steel industry of the area. They also tell you about how the people lived in the woods many centuries ago, using wood crafts to create all manner of tools and other objects.

Finally, you can find out about how the woodland is managed today. I know that so much more work than you might expect goes in to keep these areas special and safe from invasive species.

The middle section of the walk takes you to the very oldest parts of the ancient woodland. As old gnarled oaks surround you, you can’t help but imagine the age of them and all the things they could have witnessed over the centuries.

This route is wonderful for a family walk but it is also perfect for a short escape walk to clear the mind in the midst of nature. Dog lovers will certainly love it too.

I have uploaded this walk route as a GPX on walkshire.com

Hackfall Wood, Masham

Posted on | by Rachel (Muddy Boots Mummy) | Leave a Comment on Hackfall Wood, Masham

Which ingredients make for the perfect family walk? I would imagine that whatever they are, you’ll be able to tick them off at Hackfall Wood. It’s one of our favourite places to explore with children, complete with follies, beautiful woodland, a beach (!) and plenty of woodland magic. What’s more, you’ve even got a lovely pub to walk to at Grewelthorpe. Perfect.

Read about our first time to Hackfall Wood here, when we enjoyed a beautiful sunny spring day. We love days out enjoying Yorkshire’s beautiful landscapes, and love walking! If you want to discover some of the places that we’ve found on our travels, have a look at the Muddy Boots Mummy website or follow my Facebook page.