Dearne Valley Country Park
Location - Pontefract Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 1HS - (what3words location)
Distance (around) - variable distances, depending on your choice
Terrain - flat and stable most of the way
Points to note -
Parking available, free for all
No toilets
No cafe or other facilities
Kids play area
Picnic areas and open fields
This walk is one which has been on our list for sometime, we often pass and say we shall walk round but never get on to it, until recently, and it was a little gem. A walk we will return to and take a different path, as there was so much to see.
Located in the middle of Barnsley, South Yorkshire and covering a range of 80 hectares there is something for most here, whether it’s a picnic area and kids play ground, cycling routes, to a long walk with the dog or observing nature, I’m pretty sure you will be accommodated. There is woodland, wetland and grassland, with the Cliffe Wood, Barnsley canal and river Dearne located in this one area, connected by paths and trails.
Parking in the carpark was the most troublesome part, which is quite a strong term to use, the spaces aren’t clearly marked and being a Saturday was quite full, but we found a space and were able to get in and out with relative ease. The ground was a little dusty, with a few stones and twigs but nothing too taxing. The path around the edge had questionable drop kerbs, but as the car park had little movement in terms of vehicles I just used the carpark road to get on to the main path and felt safe. We went towards the river Dearne section, down the ramp past the play park onto a pathway, which was firm and sturdy, being tarmac and wide enough for us to walk easily. As we walked along there were choices of path to make, with signage letting us know the distance each route would take, for example red path takes 2 hours, or green path would take less than an hour, as this was the first time we took the steady path going alongside the river Dearne and just happily kept walking for some distance. At points there was a large grassy area off the main path whereby we went right to the waters edge and let Betty have a sniff and explore, although she avoids water like the plague so there was no chance she was going too close. We walked in a relatively straight line passing the woodland area, under a lovely wooden bridge - it had steps to access which Betty went up, but wouldn’t be possible with access needs, and right along the path until we reached the main road, at which point we turned round and came back. As we came back we took a detour down one of the paths and over a bridge, which was a little rumbly but safe and sturdy nonetheless - the rumble was more of a concern to Betty than anyone else, at this point the area opened up to a large grassland where we commented would be nice for a picnic in the summer, there were also a few benches to rest along this route. We carried along this way back to the carpark, past the kids play area the way we came, at this point we noted you could have taken this initial path first, your choice depending.
This walk was one of the best recent finds, and somewhere we will return, the only downside was a few loose dogs, and Betty being a greater barker of course has to acknowledge them all, but it wasn’t one of our greatest worries and the area really is large enough for all. The paths were great, firm and sturdy, at most points flat, they were good for both the scooter and Betty, the grass was also a good surface too, this could be due to the fact there has been little rain recently but they the scooter didn’t get stuck and Betty didn’t get muddy.
As I mentioned there are numerous paths to take, and you could spend most of the day here, we have already planned coming back and next time going in the opposite direction to view the wetland area and maybe a bit of birdwatching.
Would highly recommend a visit for this walk!
Tip - would be a good walk in winter as the tarmac paths will be solid and dirt free.
