Royston RFM Blue Line Walking with Peter

 Royston

RFM Blue Line 

Walking with Peter

10/01/25

On this very cold winter day (-6C) at the start we met at the Rabbit Ings car park. This was an alternate to the planned walk because the side roads are so bad with ice and floods that we were wary of going to Wintersett (the planned route). As it happens the walk was very good though much of it was spent looking at our feet to avoid ice and icy walked on areas with the dodgy hard slippy lumps and bumps. The weather was bitter but there was no wind and the sun was out so it actually was very pleasant walking.

Rabbit Ings car park.

We went up the hill round the old muck stack passing a young guy with a dog and a push chair and a well wrapped up child in the chair. Looked hard going for him on this treacherous surface. We exchanged hellos and continued on our way up a slope and down the other side towards the lake.

The lake was covered in hard ice. I hope no kids try to play on it because it looks really solid but you never know. There were no birds around too cold and too frozen.

We headed towards the road at the back of the country park where we stumbled upon a dog walker who it turns out came from Dodworth and as he was about our age he remembered the Dodworth we did, Versuvius and all, and a lot of the people we knew. It was good to walk down memory lane and we walked along together for a stretch as we were going the same way.

To the south of the country park we crossed Sandybridge Dyke and we could see the old muck stack to our right. Pretty soon we had circumnavigated the site.

All along the route the only birds we had seen close up were Robins.

We crossed Pool Ings and after crossing the path of the Dodworther again we went under the railway into Royston. 

We found a bench in a deserted local park and had our coffee and buns. We were greeted by this beautiful fluffy cat who was very friendly and requested stroking. Obviously when I decided to take a picture the cat decided it was time to go.

We followed the road to the canal and headed south.

The lane from the canal to the main Carlton to Royston road was the worst of the walk for slipperyness.

At the lane end we could see Royston church in the distance over the winter fields.

We turned right before the church back towards the canal.

We crossed the canal then followed the tow path again but this time northwards. 

After leaving the canal at we went up Lundhill back to the car park at Rabbits Ings.

This was about a 5 miles walk and the slippery conditions meant it took us around 2 hours.

It was Peter's birthday and his second walk in two days after walking with Lucy yesterday. I love the fact that we give each other time for birthday presents now a days. Not only is it cheap its also valuable.