Grenoside - River Don

Route Instructions

From the Old Harrow follow Main Street and take the next turn left up Bower Lane. Near the top of Bower Lane turn left along Top Side and down onto Hill Top Lane.

Follow the lane rising gently and at the end of the lane turn left. Pause for a moment here to admire the views west towards the moorland. Follow the wall on your left, through the gap and straight on towards a stone cottage, over the brick steps, down the passage between the cottage and the wall and turn right onto Stephen Lane. Continue straight on facing oncoming traffic as the lane changes to Lane Head and Oughtibridge

At the top of this lane at the sharp bend turn left. Stop here to take in the scenery from a marked viewpoint and look at the reputed 700 years old 'Birley Stone' pillar. Follow the path along Birley Edge with forward views of the City of Sheffield.

As the footpath crosses Edge Lane turn right down the lane and watch for a footpath half way down on the left. The path winds down between hawthorn bushes and brambles. As a stone wall appears on your right make for the right hand corner of it and over the stone stile. Continue straight over the wooden stile and the next stone stile. The footpath then passes by the right hand side of Royds Row Cottages and onto the lane, turning right and up to the Lower Hirst.

In Lower Hirst as the lane swings right - take the left turn down between the farm and the cottages. Continue on over the stone stile, straight on over another stile next to the left hand gate ( Follow the footpath, keeping the stone wall on your left to a wooden stile. Over this and immediate right through the wall and straight on Over the stile at the bottom of the field and right along the roadside.

At the end of the road keep straight on passing through Underhill Farm - taking care to close any gates. Note the stone on the farm building c left - 'John Carr Fletcher AD 1897'. Follow the footpath keeping the low stone wall on your left and over the stone stile. Follow the path across the field to another stone stile by the side of a gate. Over this, straight on into Beeley Wood and over the railway bridge. After crossing the bridge continue straight on following the factory boundary wall on your left.

At the lane, turn right towards a factory and bear right following the concrete boundary wall on your left. Follow this path and out onto the wide track through the oak, beech and sycamore trees. The river Don comes quite close to the footpath in places on your left, so watch out for kingfisher and dipper.

Continue for quite a distance - finally emerging onto Oughtibridge Lane. Turn right and follow the road. About 300 yards after crossing the railway turn left down a concrete road past an engineering works. Follow the road down and as it swings left take a path right into Wharncliffe Wood. Follow the track uphill and keep to the right hand route as another swings sharp left.

Keep on this track for a few hundred yards until it meets a junction of the tracks. Here bear right and continue for a good distance.

Watch out for some fields appearing on the wood edge on the right and a little further on turn right to a wood stile as the main track swings left. Over this stile and bear right slightly, passing a ruined cottage on your right. Follow the wall to the field corner and over the stone stile next to a large holly tree. Good views here back over Wharncliffe Woods. Bear right slightly and up a steep bank through silver birch trees to another stile. Over this, across the field, over the stone stile in the field corner and straight on into Prior Royd Wood.

After about 100 yards there is a fork in the paths, take the right hand fork until it leads to a path cross roads. Go straight on here and uphill to a gap in the wall next to a gate.

Through the wall and turn left following the wall down to Rough Lane. Squeeze past the stone gate and continue down the lane over the stone style onto Bower Lane turning right as it reaches Main Street ~ back to the start of the walk at the Old Harrow.