Doncaster Rambler’s Press Release – Tickhill Landscape Walk Thursday 18th July 2024

The briefing took place in the quiet of the recreation park on what was almost cetainly a route linking the pre-Norman settlements of Lindrick and Dadesly.

The area was under water from about 500AD until it was drained in the late 17th century by Tomas Tofield.

We followed the path, over an old stone stile, to Common Lane, where we turned right and then left towards Estfield farm.

On the roadway we were on the edge of the former wetland, which today has a number of settlements - Lindrick, Tickhill market place, Estfield, Wadworth, Loversall, Old Rossington, Hesley, Limpool, etc - which were established when the area was under water.

Estfield itself was a Saxon farmstead and was the start one of the two routes in this area which crossed the wetland, the other being what is now Sunderland Street.

From Estfield farm we followed the right of way to the A60, pausing to admire All Hallows hill, the site of a Saxon church.

Further along the A60 a small track comes in on the left. This is Oddy Lane, William Oddy being killed in 1676, possibly in the process of carting stones from the church out to farms at Wellingley or Stancil for a new building.

After a short walk along the A60 we turned into Wellingley Lane and over the A1M motorway.

The Doncaster by-pass, as it was known, was opened in 1961 and the existence of a right of way from Wellingley Lane to the motorway indicates the lack of attention to rights of way in the '60s.

After a short pause, under shade, to hydrate, we continued on lovely paths to Stancil Lane.

Just before we reached it we paused, again under shade, for our refreshments, moving on when we realised that a farmer was waiting for us to move away before he continued spraying his field.

At Stancil we admired scheduled monument 1142, which is a field. But not any old field. This field was once the location of a Roman villa, discovered in 1938 after bodies were found.

The police were called but soon realised that an archaeologist was necessary. Some work was carried out that year, then in 1939, when two rooms were uncovered within a larger building, and the remains of a bath-house.

Finds included pottery, Roman coins, etc. A total of about 80 human skeletons of all ages and both genders were found, all dating from the Anglo-Saxon period.

Stancil was recorded in the Domesday Book (1085) and in medieval times records show that in 1379 there were 15 married couples and 27 single people old enough to be assessed for the poll tax (plus children of course) and yet 200 years later there were only 4 families in the settlement.

Now the settlement consists of one family. So, this field once had a Roman villa and a medieval village - certainly not 'any old field'.

From Stancil we headed broadly south, walking through successive fields with a very clear rights of way between the crops.

When we reached Hopyard Lane we turned east at the point where the original route from Estfield farm would have crossed the wetland. We soon joined the River Torne, following it around to Sheepwash Lane and beyond, crossing the river on a bridge repaired by the Doncaster Rambles maintenance team a few years ago.

We crossed the A1M once more and then walked among houses back to Sunderland Street and the Buttercross, reaching it just after 1pm. Thanks to Dave and Rob for backmarking.

Non-members welcome, just turn up and you will be well looked after

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Please visit our website https://www.doncasterramblers.org.uk/ for latest information, including future activity . Also follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/doncasterramblers/ for details of past Rambler outings. Remember while out observe the Countryside Code and give way to other walkers.