Netherton Walking with Lacey

 Netherton

 Walking with Lacey

25/11/22

A heavy storm called Bert had passed over the weekend dropping up to a months worth of rain in places so we were expecting mud. We were not disappointed. 

Starting at the same point as last week outside the church at Netherton we had a much clearer view of Wakefield in the valley below. We set off over the fields towards Whitley Farm passing some overcoated horses. It was bright but cool and windy.

The bridge at Pits Beck looked more dangerous than it was and the morning sunshine over the fields was superb. In the distance gulls and rooks were hopping across the field horizon.

Crossing the muddy field towards Bulcliffe North Wood we found our selves having followed the wrong path being on the wrong side of the fence. We retraced our steps and set off on the other side of the hedge in an even muddier field. When we re-reached the corner into the wood the mud in the field had been churned up by cattle and was deep and very slippy. I managed to get one foot in the mud  over the ankle and then slipped onto my knee on the other foot. I haven't fallen for quite a while so falling into mud, though dirty, was preferable to falling onto rock, (as my last fall in Lapland.)

Bulcliffe North Wood was really beautiful. There were many birds and squirrels and lots of nature. We discussed the various woods we had been through and both agreed the woods near Grindleford were the best.

We crossed the fields to Stocksmoor Common Nature Reserve. The reserve was decidedly average.

Crossing the road at the bottom of Midgley we headed down the lane towards New Hall Woods.

We came across a crashed suv but it was empty and maybe a result of the recent bad weather. It looked like it had been moved so we were pretty sure it did not need reporting.

We went through New Hall Wood and could see the buildings of the prison through the trees.

After New Hall the views over towards Wakefield and 

just across the fields were wonderfully rural. So far we had not seen a single person. That would change as we passed Middlestown.

Heading down the lane we were passed by a cyclist and then had a chat with a single walking man of a typical rambling age. We continued on the lane for a bit until I realised we had missed our turning. That's what comes of talking to strangers rather than following the map. Anyway we retraced only about 200 yards and turned up Chapel Hill. 

After passing a man with a lovely dog called Lola  we reached  the top of Chapel Hill and realised there was no chapel... bit of a mystery. Almost immediately down Chapel Hill Lane we met a quite old couple probably late 80's or even 90's. We passed the time of day and the man asked Lacey to take a photo of  the pair of them with his phone which she duly did. I explained our mystery of the chapel and as they were local the man thought that the old building at the farm in Overton was the chapel referred to but he could not be sure because it was way beyond his time in the village.

We continued along Wakefield Way all the way down to Coxley where the route turned a sharp right. This walk through the top of the wood with the valley on our right was quite lovely but there was a bit of a drop.

We met a young lady with 2 incredibly excited spaniels called Luna and Delilah. There were actually just too excited.

A budding poet had left a few of these type of messages on the way back up the hill to Netherton. A bit odd but harmless and definitely a talking point.

 

Looking back down the lane to the very pleasant village of Copley.

The imposing structure of Netherton hall awaited us at the top of the lane.

This view of the West Riding scenery is ....well just that.

 

This was a hilly walk as is common in this area but not too far and just under 6 miles. Bar a couple of mistakes it would have been closer to 5 miles. Not the most spectacular walk but very enjoyable.