Killamarsh Renishaw Chesterfield Canal RFM Blue Line Cuckoo Way

 

Killamarsh Renishaw 

Chesterfield Canal 

RFM Blue Line 

Cuckoo Way

06/10/25

I  expected this walk to be long hard and a little industrial. The worst aspect would be the urban areas I had to go through. But to complete the Cuckoo Way I had to clench my teeth and get on with it. The weather was windy and cloudy but the forecast was very good.

The first stage was to cross the built up area of Killamarsh to get to the TPT (Trans Pennine Trail). These walks were in much better condition than I expected and there was a definite absence of cans and vapes I guess it must be being kept clean.

It was much higher up than I expected and the views over the Rother Valley were actually quite nice. The higher land in the distance were the hills around Dore. The old industrial bridge had seen better days but seemed almost quaint, if that makes sense.

Then it was down the rest of the slope to the valley bottom and the TPT. Another branch of the TPT.

There are a lot of horses in this landscape and on the route I was taking. The infrastructure crossing the TPT also crosses the remains of the canal.

Just a word about cyclists. They cannot all be so bad but they do seem to be. Why do they not just nod  or even say hi when they pass. Why do they have to act like they own the route. Sorry but I am going right off these mechanical zombies. I wish they would get back onto the roads although to be fair I would rather they were safe, just more friendly, and some do nod or even say hi...just not ENOUGH.

This is the start of todays long section of Cuckoo Walk. The walk follows the tow path at the side of the canal except there isn't a canal.

Its much nicer to walk on than the TPT super-highway for walkers and even though here it is just yards from the TPT there seems to be a lot more wildlife to see.

Following the route away from the TPT was like a regular country walk. In places the vestigial canal could still be made out in others not. The road above is the one to Spinkhill I should have taken in my last walk except the TPT and road did not link up.

A group of photos showing the tow path heading alongside the TPT towards Killamarsh. I passed a few friendly dog walkers and the route was reasonably easy.

The route headed through Killamarsh and in some places the canal could be made out in others it had been covered in housing.

The stretch towards Sheffield road hardly seemed relating to a canal at all and was very dark and gloomy. The bridge at Sheffield Road was obviously the canal bridge but it was totally filled in.

The bridge parapet remains but behind it is just scrub right up to the wall. You can just make out the top of the arch over the old canal. Something for future archaeologists to ponder over.

At this point the canal is more visible and views over the Rother Valley Country Park shows just how high up this canal was built. The new housing is being built close to but not over the canal.

I passed quite a few friendly dog walkers on this section. One in particular had a large mongrel dog called Ben who's 4th birthday it was but he just ignored me. Where is Lacey when you need her?

After crossing Rotherham Road the path turned nasty. It was severely overgrown and there was a high risk of falling into the stagnant water of the broken canal. I got scratched and nettled but intrepidly carried on.

After this bridge the canal turned into a series of garden features. I have been here before and these people really look after the area extremely well. 

The old locks have been turned into a series of  garden ponds.

There are the remains of several more locks up the hill but this one seems to have the lock keepers cottage in place though thoroughly modernised.

The motorway at the top of the hill is the furthest north this walks gets to. Its time to leave the canal and head back to Rectory Lane, Killamarsh where I left the car.

Its a shame the owner of Norwood has to put up such a sign but to be fair this is a fantastic wood and bird boxes and feeders abound.

Robin and Little John would love this. I certainly did as there were birds and bees everywhere. I saw a small deer and squirrels and heard a cacophony of birds. The best bird I saw was a Treecreeper. 

I think this must be the international border but there were no guards or customs thank goodness.

The chapel on the hill.

The top of the hill has much farming and semi industrial units. There are a few ancient bits of equipment and a warning to would be trespassers.

 

The route passes many anglers who all gave cheery hellos. (note to cyclists)

This field up the hill was a field I had to cross and the many horses in it gave me some pause for thought. There must have been 40 horses in this one big field. I carefully but confidently made my way across the field giving all the horses a wide berth and they left me alone though a couple did start to walk towards me before deciding I wasn't interesting enough to approach.

Up and down hills I went with horses in fields luckily behind electric fences. It was very rural but very horsey.

I captured this perhaps rare blue butterfly or moth and later found unsurprisingly it is called the Common Blue Butterfly and is not rare..

More hills more ginnels and finally I was back at the car. 

This was quite a tiring walk and the urban bits were not as bad as expected but the canal in places was dire.

I have now completed the full length of the Cuckoo Way from Chesterfield to The Trent (46 miles) in a series of looped walks and I have enjoyed it but still didn't hear a cuckoo.

9.0     miles

625     feet ascent

02:58   hours mins walking time

3.1     mph