Walton and Newmillerdam Walking with lacey

 

Walton and Newmillerdam

Walking with Lacey 

15/05/24

Walton Newmillardam RFM Blue Line (osmaps.com)

 The walk is the blue line.

This walk is a pleasant 7 miles with only minor hills and plenty of differing scenery. There is a toilet at Newmillerdam.

The weather began overcast and drizzly but not cold in any way. In fact the intermittent drizzle was quite refreshing. Our start point near the school in Walton was a lovely tree lined street of well off houses. The first short walk through the suburban streets joined Wakefield Way on Common lane. Popping down a short grassy hill, observed by some loafing cows, we crossed a stream and headed up the hill to Gallows Hill.

Along the way we passed a carpet of meadow flowers and poppies. A lovely surprise.

Gallows hill now boasts a mobile phone aerial, thank goodness for progress or…..

Passing over the brow (it’s only a small hill) we followed Wakefield Way across fields and then through the golf course where we saw no golfers at all.

The route continued to the side of Pledwick along a back lane where we chatted with a lady with a wonderful dog called Baily. He was a real charmer, mongrel and proud of it. Houses and garden fences on one side and green corn fields on the other.

 

Following the route we passed through Hill Top and negotiating a greasy road arrived at the road corner of Newmillerdam near the war memorial.

Still overcast the warm weather was making walking very pleasant indeed.

Very close to the monument we found some very people friendly, and well fed, geese.

The little one was copying his mum beautifully. A little cutie and a star. It was as if he was posing.

We walk the length of the lake listening to birdsong watching the waterfowl and squirrels.

Passing quite a few dog walkers and people enjoying the area we happily exchanged greetings and small comments with many passers-by. But there was the occasional turned on zombie, earphones or cans in place, either listening to music or talking to far away colleagues. Oh well everyone to their own eh!

Pushing through Bushcliffe Woods we had a brief discussion regarding the meaning of the Green Wood in Robin Hood stories.

Not all woods look as green as this so did the Green Wood mean a specific type of wood. I said I’d look it up later, but you know, I don’t think I will. Quite often as we walk through different areas we speculate as to what was there in the past. It’s particularly interesting if there is some landscape feature or ruined building to ruminate on.  It’s meaningless but fun to guess.

Moving out of the wood and up a short flower strewn hill we reach the snappily named Chevet Branch Line Nature Reserve.

A very pleasant section of the walk with plenty of birdsong but the views are limited. We left the track and walked past Monckton Manor where we saw a raptor take off nearby. I think it was a Buzzard, beautifully brown and very graceful. The path didn’t quite follow our route on the map but the diversion was minor and easy to work out.

Just before we reached the abandoned Barnsley Canal we crossed an active railway line. Luckily long views in both directions.

Following the uninviting waters of the disused canal along the towpath we arrived at Cold Hiendly Reservoir.

Still dull and overcast the view was still quite beautiful and relaxing. We spotted some wagtails on the water’s edge.

Through Haw Wood we came across a nest in a tree.

Well I think it was a nest but who knows.

The final section followed the canal in a deep cutting and ended up next to Walton Hall.

A short time later we were back at the car but not before we had had a lovely conversation with an older lady who was at the gate of her house as we passed. The houses were built by the hall owners and were beautiful cottages. The lady told us she had lived there all her life and the cottage had originally been her parents. A great ending to a great walk.