Phoenix Park
Location - Phoenix Park, Thurnscoe, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S63 0BD - (what3words location)
Distance (around) - variable distances, depending on your choice
Terrain - varies, underfoot it is non-bonded crushed material, the incline can be choice
Points to note -
Parking isn’t dedicated spaces, people make their own, no fees
No toilet facilities
No cafe facilities are available
Plenty of space to have a picnic
Phoenix Park is located in Thurnscoe in the mining area of South Yorkshire, on the site of where Hickleton Colliery used to stand, the colliery closed in 1990s and since then was regenerated by The Land Trust to be what it is today.
There is no set walk, once in the car park you are met with a barrier, which has a space at the side large enough for my scooter, and then some, once through we turn right, alongside the wall which has a phoenix painted on, following a circular path round an expanse of grassland, whilst walking there are ornamental sheep and a cockerel within the grass. There was plenty of grassland for Betty to run on her long lead, be mindful of other dogs loose. Along this path there were a couple of benches to rest, but no shelter from any shade - the day we went was very warm, we stopped often to give Betty regular drinks. There are also very few disposal bins for dog waste, just bins at the path entrance/exit. Once we had reached our initial start point, we then went right again up a hill, in the field to the left there was a dinosaur created in the ground by stones and rocks, at the top of the hill there was a large wheel structure, which had some hanging decorations resembling the history of the mines such as a boot, an axe, a snap tin and miners lamp, there were also a few benches up there, where you can look over the wonderful scenery of South Yorkshire towards the Peak District.
After a rest and drink we continued in the direction we had been walking, we passed over a cycle track, which had a tarmac surface and was very stable, back on to the more bumpy path and we continued along, at most points the path was substantially wide enough for the scooter and a person walking alongside. Whilst walking we noticed a lot of little bridges, we’re not sure what they were for, but they did make the area quite quaint and interesting, also good for photos. Other than that, the main area is grassland, with lots of different shrubs, flowers and trees, there was a wide range of insects and birds to see walking along and it is very peaceful and secluded, we passed very few people and they were all likely locals having a stroll. We continued on and went in the direction of our car, back down a hill, this was the most testing part for a good surface for the scooter, passing back over the cycle path previously mentioned, back to the car park.
This is very much a local walk, if you were to live nearby, it has lots of history and has some lovely scenery and we will definitely use as one of our local walks, particularly in the dryer months.
Tip: there is no shaded areas so make sure it’s not too warm.
