Rotherham Ringroute
The success of the Rotherham
Roundwalk and the Rotherham Walking Festival has encouraged the powers that be to develop
another long distance footpath around the boundary of the borough of Rotherham. This Rotherham
Ringroute will be a fifty mile circular route and is intended as a challenge for all long
distance walkers. The Ringroute was officially opened on 15 July 2002 by the Mayor of
Rotherham, Councillor Aubrey Senior who hopefully had his boots polished for the event.
For most of its length the route of the walk follows proper designated rights of way which are marked with a bell and blue and yellow directional arrows.
My espondent Gary writes:-
"The full information pack is available from Rotherham Library Tourist Information (now Rotherham Visitor Centre on the corner of All Saints Square and Bridgegate) at a cost of £2 (2002) which includes a rather fine plastic wallet.
The walk has been divided into ten easily manageable sections, ranging from 6 miles to 3.5 miles. each leaflet bears an Ordnance Survey map of the route which is unique in my experience.
After Woodsetts, the route heads via Letwell and Gildingwells to Firbeck thence to Maltby via Roche Abbey and onward to Hooton Roberts via Firsby and Ravenfield Park. After Hooton Roberts the walk takes us to Old Denaby, Mexborough, Swinton and Wath-on-Dearne, then to Wentworth via the Trans-Pennine Trail and Elsecar Heritage Centre. From Wentworth the heading is Keppels Column via Scholes. From Keppels, it's back to Templeborough via Blackburn Meadows."
"I completed the Woodsetts to Mexborough section in 6.1/2 hours on September 8th, with only one refuelling stop (the Black Lion in Firbeck) for a very decent if expensive pint of Everards Tiger. I walked the section from Mexborough to the Magna Centre in a little over seven hours - unfortunately I found three very fine watering holes indeed in quick succession (the Elephant and Castle in Hemmingfield, the Market Hotel in Elsecar and a slight detour to the George and Dragon at Wentworth which hindered my progress somewhat). I have to say that it made for very pleasant walking between Wath and Keppels Column, fully fuelled and enjoying the scenery!
"I intend to do the final third, which is officially anyway, the first part of the walk from Magna to Woodsetts in eleven day time, at which point I qualify for a badge. There is a red badge available for those who can complete the whole walk in twenty-four hours - and I am tempted to give it a go for charity next May time. However I'll have to get a bit fitter and less fat to stand any chance plus I'll have to time it so those watering holes aren't open for business!!!!!"
"Finished!!!! I completed my final stretch between Magna and Lindrick Golf Club at 3.30pm on Saturday, covering the whole fifty miles at an aggregate of around twenty hours. this stretch is quite gloomy in that early on it takes you past the almost ghostly surroundings of Sheffield City Airport - this bit of the walk would have been quite decent if it had not bee for the total lack of planes landing and also the derelict former Tinsley Marshalling Yard replete with burnt - out cars. Very depressing - to be followed shortly by the equally sad spectacle of an Opencast site in full production.
However it did get better. Treeton Dyke is a delight, the home of the South Yorkshire Ski Club, with a nice backdrop of Hail Mary Wood (yes that's its real name) followed closely by Woodhouse Washlands, a Nature Reserve, then Rother Valley Country Park. Thereafter followed a precarious jaunt by the banks of the Chesterfield Canal before Norwood Tunnel, a nip up to the picturesque M1 (ha-ha) across a ploughed field with path obliterates (thank you Mr Farmer) through another field with ploughed up path to Harthill. Refreshment time! Two pints of Landlord and a pint of London Pride later and off towards Netherthorpe via some lethal fields (pathless again) of mangles - animal fodder, several times nearly breaking my ankle."
"Unfortunately I picked the wrong day to be buzzed by low - flying light - aircraft (the path goes across the bottom of the grass runway!) but I was honoured by a low flypast by the Red Arrows no less. I didn't think that completing the Ring Route was such a feat! Last but not least was crossing Turnerwood bridge over the Chesterfield Canal. a really idyllic little spot with no parking places, a veritable haven which will be even better when the restoration work on the canal is complete.
"If you're a Cask Ale drinker like me, the walk is a goldmine of good to excellent pints. I named a few earlier. That's why my particular favourite is the last section on the official walk between Mexborough and Magna."
"To all those who are thinking of trying it, give it a go. Some is dull urban walking but there's a surprisingly rural feel to some areas of the route and the transport connections are pretty good even out in the sticks."
Thank you Gary - you sound as if you've had a good time. Any of you out there who are thinking of trying the Rotherham Ringroute - its time to get on your boots and follow Gary.