Dodworth Champany Walking with Lacey and Mary RFM Blue Line

 Dodworth Champany 

Walking with Lacey and Mary 

RFM Blue Line

11/11/24


I always look forward to walking with Mary especially in the local area as she knows the paths so well. Today's walk promises to cover a lot of different landscapes and some childhood memories so I was ready to go.                                     

We set off down Jermyn Croft from Dodworth High Street. When we were kids the present new buildings at the top of the lane were old buildings occupied by Ashley Jackson a local artist. As kids we were not very respectful of him but we did speak to him a couple of years ago and he does not remember us so we can't have been that bad. The point of the story is that I found out years after leaving childhood that L.S.Lowrie visited Ashley at Jermyn Croft. He could have been there whilst we kicked a ball against the studio wall, I like to think he was. To be so close to such a titan.



As we climbed the small hill towards the Gate we passed a chap with a brown short-haired dog called Sonny. His owner said he was a vizsla, sounds Hungarian, whatever breed he is he was very friendly and enjoyed being stroked. He even gave me a chance instead of zeroing in on Lacey which normally happens. A good start to the walk. We passed through the industrial estate towards the old Dodworth colliery spoil heap.

The tree covered muck stack looked a lot different when we were kids.


We followed the leaf strewn path towards the lane leading to Higham Bottom. As Mary said these paths were all connected with the pit and were a little uneven but we were lucky as they were not very muddy.
                                                    
We were passed by a man on a bike being followed by a struggling labrador. We all agreed it was a terrible way to walk the dog as the dog had no time to do anything but follow. I feel quite moved at the saddness of such a scene. Wake up you cruel sod and treat your pet with respect.!!! There I feel a bit better.

The small hamlet of Higham Bottom was soon passed. The shire horse in a large paddock ponderously walked away from us.



The views to the north of the lane as we climbed the hill towards the golf course were long and quite beautiful. Barnsley is much better looking now-a-days that in used to be, thank goodness.



 We crossed the golf course and followed the lane down towards the busy A628 main road.


We crossed the road and entered Fall Wood known for its large scout camp.




Some woods like the ones around Grindleford remind you of trolls, Harry Potter and Robin Hood. Fall Wood is just a brutal expanse of trees and does not hold any mythical beings. Its almost industrial. We crossed the railway and made our way up to Champany Hill, sounds french.

The top of Champany Hill is disappointingly a fenced off underground reservoir.













The view east towards Dodworth and Barnsley, wonderful in this crisp November light.


The old Dodworth muck stack to the north beyond the industrial estate has been the centre of this circular walk. As we walked down the hill we passed a girl with very friendly border terrier called Rae. Mary asked the girl about our route back over the fields and as she reassured us it would be easy to pass we headed down towards the vicarage. She was right it was easy.

The church at Dodworth looks older than it is and it is always a welcome sight to see.



Mary assures me this lane was a morass of overgrown bushes and undergrowth and quite impassable. Today it was clear, well done whoever organised that. A large mushroom in the leaf litter caught our attention and a few mushroom anecdotes followed.


The old vicarage is still a marvelous building, my mate Nigel used to live there. The corner of The Green with the church and the beautiful willow is fondly engraved on my memory. It looks just like it did 50 years ago.  

My school where Wackford Squeers was the headmaster. Well at least I thought he was. Not the pleasantist of memories, my time there, but it was only 2 years.

It is Remembrance Day so it was nice to see the soldier in the sunlight. Mary said the crowd here on Sunday was about 500, impressive.
This was a lovely walk and though Lacey was quiet she tells me she thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe she couldn't get a word in edgeways.


We finished off the walk at Mary's with coffee and wonderful cake, thanks sister.  









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