Doncaster Ramblers: One trail too many

With a myriad of footpaths and bridleways to follow, Wharncliffe and Greno Woods provide ideal walking for beginners and enthusiast alike.

Most tracks are made of asphalt or hard surfaced, but be aware the terrain is not flat (my error when plotting a route for this rambler outing).

Even a casual glance at an OS map will show three “Long Distance Trails” passing through these woods, Barnsley Boundary Walk, Trans Pennine Trail, and Sheffield

Country Walk, and we step on each in turn.

Six of us dared to undertake this adventure into the unknown, well unknown for five of them, I’d recce’d the walk a few days before, so had the route plotted on my trusty smart phone.

The first 1.4 miles saw us take a broad sweep north then curve south all down hill along the Barnsley Boundary Walk.

To the left of us were mostly pine, which we thought might have been growing here for over a hundred years, while to the right grew deciduous trees whose age we could only guess.

Heading north now on the TPT we begin a steady three and three quarter mile climb to Finkle Street Lane, stopping off on route for “elevenses” and our first piece of road walking.

The climb didn’t get any easier as we made our way south through Finkle Street picking up the Barnsley Boundary Walk and peaking at 900ft.

Somewhere we’d left the forest behind, and totally forgot the lovely pub in Wortley so

instead we found a nice patch of meadow grass to sit for lunch.

The rest of the walk was a bit up and down, but mainly up, but first we needed to tackle the A61, a fast section of road

130meters of which we had to walk with no pavement, and only the crash barrier to cling to.

Cars and HGVs skimmed passed only feet away.

Soon enough we were moving away from the road and back in the calm of the forest, heading south east for three quarters of a mile before turning right along the Sheffield County Walk for another half mile to the start.

Total distance 11 miles in five hours and 30 minutes.

Point of interest: Greno Woods is an ancient woodland, rich in wildlife and full of historic interest.

Covering 169 hectares, it is one of our largest reserves and offers excellent opportunities for wildlife watching, exploration and recreation.

The woods contain some of the county’s most vulnerable habitats, including mature oak woodland and heathland.

Walk along the Trans-Pennine Trail in spring and revel in woodland wildflowers including bluebells, honeysuckle and common cow-wheat.

Take a similar walk in summer and enjoy the ripe blackberries and bilberries, whilst autumn reveals a profusion of fungi.