Hiking and walking in South Yorkshire and beyond

  Morthen  RFM Blue Line 30/01/26 This was a late choice walk. I found out at 1.45 that Babs was having a visit from Marge, Kayla and Michael so I got ready and took the opportunity to do the Morthen walk. Setting off along Brampton Road the weather was foggy, moist and cool. The first obstacle was the closed road but luckily it was open for pedestrians. These urban walks can throw up all sorts of route obstacles. This walk is notable by the route crossing the M18 and M1 twice each. The first motorway crossed was the M18. The busy B606 with its foggy pylons reminded me of a Giles cartoon... where is grandma? Leaving the busy road I followed the lane to Morthen past the impressive Morthen Hall. Traffic was light but a constant feature of this foggy walk. The cross at Morthen is terribly unimpressive and looks sadly neglected. Morthen looked like a refuge for the rich but the constant drum of the motorways made it unattractive for me. The path was across this muddy planted field...

  Norton  RFM Blue Line 26/01/26 This was one of those walks, flat misty, muddy, really muddy and wet ground everywhere. But I really enjoyed it. The start was through a pleasant enough council house estate in Norton. I immediately encountered a pair with 2 friendly dogs one of which was intent on walking in front with me. Heading down towards the River Went the fields were increasingly becoming muddier and slippier. I passed a few trees full of noisy babbling Starlings. The little bridge crossed the swollen river and on into another muddy field. The path folloed the field margin with the river on the left swollen but not quite in flood. Eventually this field of curious sheep watched me leave the grass for the road. Little Smeaton was a bit underwhelming but I am sure on better days the views will be great. The view from the park sums up the weather, dank. From Willow Bridge the milky river fills the river bed. An interesting event occurred on this stretch of road (Greengate R...