Grenoside - Whitley

DISTANCE - 4 miles (2.5 hours)

STARTING POINT

Red Lion Public House, Penistone Road, Grenoside

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The walk is undulating passing through farmland initially and then through woodland. On parts of the walk you will see rural England at its best. Stone cottages and farms dating back to the last century. There are short steep parts and a long uphill gradient on the second half of the walk. Throughout there are seats at regular intervals.

ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

Starting from the Red Lion Public house on Penistone Road, Grenoside cross the road and turn left, past the garage and turn first right onto Cinderhill Lane. Continue down the lane with a view of Keppel's Column on the horizon. Cinder Hill leaves the houses and turns onto a delightful Lane leading to Middleton Green. (Note the unusual stone path on the left).

After the bends and immediately past the row of stone cottages, turn left onto the bridleway. There are some picturesque cottages along this stretch. Follow the bridleway, keeping the hedgerow on your left until it leads into Whitley. Bear left in the hamlet, uphill about 100 yards until you reach the footpath on the right (This is also marked T.P.T).

Follow the lane straight on rising to a group of well kept cottages known as Wood End.

Immediately after the cottages and before the telephone box turn right following this lane as it bends right. As the lane turns into a private drive to a house, turn left up the bank opposite a large yew tree.

Over the stile and follow the footpath to Green Lane Farm keeping the hedgerow on your right. As the footpath meets the farm lane, cross this and go straight onto some stone steps. Up these steps and onto a stone stile. Over this and uphill to the wood corner. Over the next stone stile and straight on to Elliot Lane where you will turn left. Continue up Elliot Lane passing Barnes Green House and the old hospital on the right. (There is a seat here dedicated to E Wadsworth, Chairman of Ecclesfield Parish Council 1978/79). The stone walls along this lane are mostly ivy. covered. It is interesting to note that this plant flowers in late autumn and fruits in the spring, unlike most other plants and trees.

At the junction of this lane with the A61 main road turn right and continue along some 200 yards until you reach the road which leads to Burncross on the right. At this point there is a good view of the A61 both ways and a safe place to cross with care to the hardcore lane opposite the junction to Burrncross.

Follow this lane, through the gap at the end of it and into the wood. Straight on for a short distance, then turn right around the large holly tree. On for a short distance to where the path forks through oaks, birches, sweet chestnuts and pine trees.

After about 400 yards there is a crossroads of tracks. (There is an ornate old tree trunk on the right). Continue straight on up the hill as the path becomes quite stony. Near the top of the path the woodland opens out on the right to farmland with distant views to the north. How many features can you make out?

Bear left at the top of the climb and follow the footpath through the pines with underlying heather. After about 100 yards you pass the white trig point on the right in the trees. The path runs parallel to Woodhead Road out on your right.

Follow this path ignoring any other paths coming from the left until it emerges into Woodhead Road. Turn left along the roadside, then take the next footpath right into beech wood, with an open field on your right. Keep straight on until you come to a stone stile. Go over this and keep on the hard surface path. (If you wish you can go over the wooden stile, over the fencing and across the corner of the field to another stone stile. The paths merge just as you enter the wood). Keep to the path for about 200 yards looking out for a path which crosses the one you are on.

Turn left uphill to the five bar gate, through a gap in the wall and turn left following the stone wall to another five bar gate. There is a painted notice to go over a wall to a wooded path, but no need to do this. Squeeze around the five bar gate post into Rough Lane, Grenoside with good views of Sheffield on your right.

Go over the stone stile into Bower Lane and straight on. Watch out for the interesting stone arched trough in Bower Lane. Just past the trough, turn right along the footpath between stone cottages onto Stephen Lane. Turn left until you reach Main Street. You can either: continue straight on down Norfolk Hill to the main road and turn right or, turn right along Main Street. After about 200 yards you will pass Grenoside Community Centre on your left. Just past there is an entrance to Grenoside Park. Walk through the park - aiming for directly opposite - when you come to Blacksmith Lane turn left to your starting point.