lockdown walks

These walks of around a mile don't need detailed description. You can take your pick of directions to go in the areas described. The first is around the Upper Don river near Wortley and Thurgoland . There is a bus to Wortley and if you get off by the church you can find a path tht goes down the right hand side and round to the left of the church down to Finkle Street. Turn right and cross the Trans Pennine Trail and take a footpath going left at the junction of two roads, crossing a track and continuing to meet the river Don. If you are in a car you can park on the track that is crossed here by going a little further along Finkle Street and turning sharp left onto it. We crossed the footbridge by some stepping stone and continued up ahead, then turning left at the far side of an enclosed plantation, to reach a weir. Some children were having a marvellous time jumping in the water here. We turned right and followed the path as it passed the fishing pond. Not far past the pond we too...

As you can tell from the title, this is quite a long and varied walk. It was the first time during lock down that I ventured out into the Peak District. I started  in Dore, where you can go by 81 bus, getting off just where the bus turns off the main A625 Hathersage Road. Or you can drive and park around these roads. Back to the main road and go right and across the other side to a footpath that goes along a hedgerow, then beside farm buildings and eventually crosses a stile into woods. There are many more paths than are marked on the map, but  your direction is north to a confluence of paths at the western edge of the wood. Keep straight on here until a path on the right descends to the stream and the Limb Valley. Cross the footbridge and then head up to a picnic table and left to continue up the Limb. At steps and a stile go left and continue straight up to the road near Ringinglow. limb valley Cross the road and go left until a wide track with parked cars goes up to the rig...

I like to do a lot of urban walks in Sheffield. There are so many interesting green spaces to walk through and views to be savoured. In summer a walk around Manor Castle and Manor Fields is a must. Both places are wildflower central. During lockdown the only drawback was that the Rhubarb Shed cafe was shut. At the time of writing it is open on Saturdays only if you pre-book and tell them in advance what you will be eating. I generally walk from my house in Heeley. But I shall describe the walk starting at Sheffield Railway station. From the back of the station cross the tram tracks and go diagonally up to the right to reach the road. Cross over and take a path that winds up to the cholera monument. This whole area was, in the 19th century, overcrowded and poor housing with bad sanitation. When cholera resulted thousands died. Now it is a green space with wild flowers and trees. The view over the city at the monument is spectacular.              ...

5.5 miles 100 metres cumulative ascent Although I live in the south of the city, I do very much enjoy  what North Sheffield has to offer. This is one of the delights. The walk starts in the village of Grenoside. The 86 bus goes there. If you drive you can park in Bower Lane, or if you want to drive a little further up the hill you can start from the Car Park and pick up the walk from there. I started the walk from Bower Lane going up the Trans Pennine Trail, which leaves Bower Lane on the right opposite another small lane. There are blue TPT signs along the way. There is a slight fork around 300 metres in, where you keep right. At the next fork there is a rather beautiful shelter with two seats which you keep on your left as you walk straight on, crossing another track. Soon you see the car park on the right, and a kind of beehive shaped sculpture, which you walk past. Cross the wide track ahead and go into the wood opposite, bending round to the left and following along a series o...

There are so many Moss Valley walks so I have just added two here that take you through some of its loveliest spots. But I recommend just getting in there and exploring all over. The first is a linear walk from Unstone to Graves Park. The 43/44 buses to Chesterfield stop at Unstone, near the Post Office.  It's a walk of around 5 miles with roughly 220 metres of cumulative ascent. From the Post Office carry on along the main road and take the first road on the left towards Apperknowle. About 300 metres up the road, before it bends round to the right, take a footpath on the left past a community centre. Keep going Northwest for about 250 metres and where path forks keep left. Soon you come to a permissive path into woods and the area of old colliery sites - now just pretty wetland areas. The path goes along board walks and past interpretation boards and eventually ends at a track where we go right. Keep uphill across fields and over a couple of stiles until reaching Summerley Farm....

7 miles. Some ascents and descents. Cumulative ascent around 180 metres. Another North Sheffield favourite, this was the first walk I did going further afield from my home during lock down.I drove and parked on Ben Lane at the bottom of the walk up to Loxley Common and Edge. I am describing the walk from Loxley Road, which is easily reached by bus. Or there is the tram to Malin Bridge and a walk up to Loxley Road. You could join the walk at any point that's convenient for you. Many paths go left off Loxley Road down to the river, which you can follow on either bank to Rowel Bridge. If taking the south bank take the track down to the left at the houses and old mill just before the cemetery. Pond at Olive House, Loxley Valley At Rowel Bridge cross the road. If you want to avoid walking through the old factories, as I did, go to the left and after the road bridge take the path going uphill towards Beacon Wood. When the path out of Beacon Wood bends right to go back downhill to the fac...

Section from Stocksbridge to Glen Howe (see what I mean about the battered map!) 6 miles. Some steep ascents. Cumulative ascent 450 metres          This is a walk I did most recently, taking the 57 bus to Stocksbridge. I walked up the hill to Bolsterstone, but I've described the walk from higher up the hill, to avoid this initial steep climb through residential areas.  If you are catching the 57 ask to get off near the bottom of Hollin Busk Road. Alternatively you can get tram to Middlewood and the SL bus to the top of Cedar Road. As this is a linear walk I don't recommend driving, although you could leave a car at Worrall and then take 57 bus from there. So from Cedar Road continue to top of road, turn right then left along Stone Moor Road into the village of Bolsterstone. If you got off the 57 at Hollin Busk Road, go up the road and take first turning right, a cul de sac which has an alley at the end. This takes you to the footpath across a field to the v...

From the end of March during the lockdown period I have walked most days. Sometimes I do fairly long walks on my own. Other days I will do a short walk with my husband, who no longer walks far due to arthritis. As lock down became less severe I have walked with a friend occasionally. At the beginning I very much enjoyed walking out from my own home in Heeley, Sheffield. We are blessed to have extensive woodland which you can walk trough to the outer ring road and from there into the lovely countryside of the Moss Valley and beyond. It has been a delight to explore in greater detail all the paths through the woods and in different direction from my house.  I have once or twice driven further afield to find places that would not be too crowded - not the popular places of the Peak district for instance. More recently I have started once again using public transport, my favourite way to do walks. In this blog I will describe some of the walks I have done. With the odd exception I will ...