Doncaster Ramblers take a walk around Heathcroft

Today’s walk by the Doncaster Ramblers is an interesting trek which took us around Heathcroft.
Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walkDoncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk

There was another healthy turnout of a total of 39 walkers who met at the Community Centre in Crofton for this moderate 10 mile anti-clockwise circuit of this post-industrial mining area, just to the east of Wakefield.

After passing through Foulby (which is the birthplace of John Harrison –  March 24, 1693 – 24 March 1776] an English carpenter and clock designer, who solved the problem of calculating longitude through the carrying of precise time on board ship) and Sharlston, we headed north across reclaimed pit heaps with newly formed waterfowl lakes where we paused for a coffee, watching the birds, and watching where we sat.

Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walkDoncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
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A bit further on we came across a couple of surveyors who were using a magnetometer (which are widely used for measuring the Earth's magnetic field and in geophysical surveys to detect magnetic anomalies of various types).

This was to test the ground for historical sites as part of the HS2 project and they were bombarded with questions as we filtered past them.

This being a bit of a town and country walk, we inevitably had to cross some major A roads.

It was to the credit of the British motorist, that drivers stopped to allow us to cross the road.

Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walkDoncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
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We were now heading west and eventually we arrived at the lovely hamlet of Heath which signalled our lunchtime stopover at the delightful King's Head where the staff were most obliging.

Our afternoon section of the anti-clockwise trek took us onto the Trans Pennine Trail (The Trans Pennine Trail is a long-distance path running coast to coast across Northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients. It runs largely along disused railway lines and canal towpaths – from Stockport in the west to Hornsey in the east and is 207 miles long).

We walked on the trail alongside the disused Barnsley Canal and through Walton Colliery Nature Park with the "pussy" willow buds beginning to show their furry contents to us. We arrived back by 3 pm and a voluntary collection raised more than £28 for the Community Centre as a "thank you" for the use of their car park. 

We all enjoyed our day out and the variety of the landscape during the beautiful walk. A big thank you must go to Pete for another successful and enjoyable "colliery walk" and a big thanks also to the other Pete (and Skylar) for safe backmarking.

Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walkDoncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
Doncaster Ramblers Heathcroft walk
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And here is some breaking news: Beginning from our summer programme of walks which comes out in April the Doncaster Ramblers will be offering, in addition to our normal Tuesday, and Saturday walks, an additional THURSDAY walk of only two or two-and-a-half hours duration in and around the Doncaster area.  If you want a try out of the Doncaster Ramblers come and join us, all are welcome.  

For more information about the Doncaster Ramblers and future activity you can visit our  Doncaster Ramblers Home Page and you can download a full copy of our walks programme.

And you can also follow us and find out further information on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/doncasterramblers/ site, where GPS Maps of many of our past walks can also be found.