Frickley Colliery Country Park

Location - Frickley Colliery Country Park, WF9 2EL - (what3words location)

Distance (around) - various options 

Accessibility at a glance:

• Access: ⭐⭐⭐

• Dog friendliness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Facilities: ⭐

• Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

More in depth:

Parking and entrance:

• All main entrances have kissing gates. These require some manoeuvring but are passable with patience.

• South Elmsall car park has a more stable surface and is generally easier for disabled visitors.

• Doncaster Road (B6422) access is also available

• Both car parks are close to roads, keep dogs close when unloading.

Paths and distance:

• Over 7 miles of footpaths with mixed terrain.

• Several long, level routes with firm surfaces suitable for most mobility scooters.

• Steeper hills have loose gravel and uneven camber

• Paths can get muddy in winter

• Paths are wide enough for side by side walking.

Facilities

• No toilets or cafe, solely a place to walk

Living in and around Yorkshire’s old mining towns means you’re never far from wide-open green spaces, but Frickley Colliery Country Park has become one of our favourites. Sprawled across a huge expanse near South Elmsall, the park offers more than seven miles of footpaths, each varying in length, gradient, and surface. Even so, it’s easy to choose a longer route that stays level and firm under wheels.

We’ve visited in every kind of weather. Winter at Frickley can be bitterly cold, while summer often feels blazing hot, but the paths remain reliable year-round. The park does have steep climbs with loose surfaces, so it helps to know your scooter’s limits before attempting the higher routes. Even so, I’ve tackled them many times and always returned home unscathed, if a little muddy during the colder months!

You can enter from Doncaster Road, but if you’re familiar with the area, I highly recommend choosing the smaller South Elmsall car park for its sturdier ground. Both entrances features a kissing gate, fiddly to negotiate, especially with a scooter and an eager dog, but entirely manageable with a bit of patience. Once through, multiple accessible paths open out across the landscape.

There’s ample space for dogs to explore. Betty loves wandering along on her lead, sniffing around. Watch out for boggy patches off the paths during wetter months, and be mindful of deeper water areas that a curious dogs may try to investigate.

Frickley is shared comfortably by walkers, cyclists, and joggers, and bridleways are clearly marked, making it unlikely you’ll stumble onto one by accident. There is lots of nature here, birds, insects, wildflowers, and small animals, and the park’s mining heritage is acknowledged through a number of monuments that mark the old coal seams. They’re engaging, informative, and well worth a look.

We’ve picnicked on warm summer days, choosing from one of the many benches dotted around the park. In winter, we’ve ventured to the highest viewpoint to take in views over the town (layers recommended, it’s cold!). Throughout it all, the routes have been friendly to both scooter and dog, making Frickley a reliable and rewarding accessible adventure.

Tip - a good place to visit to get a good walk, but also learn some local history.