OUT & ABOUT
Six Churches Walk
A 10-mile circular route encompassing six historic churches around the Dearne Valley, including the Holy Trinity trio in Elsecar and Wentworth.
START POINT: All Saints Church, Wath-upon-Dearne
A church has stood in the heart
of Wath town for over 1,000 years. Visible signs of the 1150 Norman church remain, along with various historic features. From here, head right along Church Street until you reach the field opposite Church Green. Cross the Brook Dyke via a metal bridge, keeping to the left path. At the end of the wooden fence, turn right up a stone path and through a gate into Brampton Bierlow. Turn left onto Melton High Street.
West Melton United Reform Church is 100yds on the right. This church was built in 1799 based on the original puritan thinking - no stained glass or statues and little or no decoration. It became part of the URC in 1972.
Continue up the High Street for approx. 300yds. Christ Church,
Brampton Bierlow is on your right. This was built in the mid-1800s on land donated by Earl Fitzwilliam. The 70ft high tower was once topped by eight stone pinnacles which were removed in the 1950s. Continue towards the Cottage of Content on the crossroads. Cross straight over and continue on Elsecar Road. There is a good view of Hoober Stand from here. Go past the counting houses on your left at Coley Lane. Pass Rainborough Lodge and onto Smithy Bridge Lane. At the ‘Welcome to Rotherham’ sign, bear right past a weak bridge sign and cross a stream. At the next bridge, turn left onto the old canal towpath, part of the TPT. Carry on the TPT into
Hemingfield past the Elephant and Castle pub. Go up the steps, over the road and continue to follow the trail to Cobcar Bridge. Leave the trail and turn right into Elsecar, with Reform Row to your right. Here you will pass Elsecar’s
Holy Trinity Church which was consecrated on Whit Monday 1842 and has changed little since. Turn past the graveyard and continue down the main road for about 400yds then cross the road into Elsecar Heritage Centre – great for a pitstop.
Leave by the main entrance through the car park and head into Elsecar Park. Walk up past the bandstand to the reservoir. Follow the lakeside path, turning left at a
With Rotherham Metro Ramblers Elsecar
Brampton
junction on to some boardwalk. Stay on the path, then at the end go straight on (rather than round the lake) until you reach a lane. Turn left up to a junction, then take the bridlepath. Carry on to the Wentworth-Harley road (B6090). Turn left and walk along here until you see a narrow footpath on the right. Take this up to the Wentworth churches Here you will arrive at the medieval Holy Trinity Old Church. The new holy trinity church with its tall spire, opened in 1877, sits just metres away. From the new church, there are two options: head straight down the drive and turn right to walk through the village, or go down the footpath leading out to Hague Lane near the garden centre. Head down Cortworth Lane, past the entrance to Wentworth Woodhouse. Cross the road so you are on the same side as the Old Builder’s Yard. You may be able to see Needle’s Eye in the distance. Cross the T-Junction at Coley Lane and continue on Cortworth Lane until you come to a LH turn up to Cortworth House. Follow the public footpath up to Street Lane. Turn right and head towards Hoober Stand. Go past the houses and over a wall into the field which
Payne Mausoleum
leads diagonally to the woods. There are great panoramic views here to Keppel’s Column on one side and the Dearne Valley on the other.
Enter the wood over a stile and keep to the RH footpath to Hoober Stand, a 100ft folly. Leave via a gate and turn right to go past the observatory. At the end of Lea Brook Lane, turn left. Follow Hoober Field Road and continue past Hoober Hall cottages on America Lane.
This leads you to the busy main road connecting Brampton and Upper Haugh. Cross carefully and turn right then immediately left to take the footpath through a hedge. Continue on as it curves to the left. Go across a stile and follow markers in the fields to another sile at the end. Follow the path up between houses onto the main road. The house facing you was built in 1690. Turn left and then right into Newhill Park. Cross the field to the Payne Mausoleum.
Exit the park onto Cemetery Road and turn left back down to Wath Parish Church.
Thanks to Beryl Faries of Metro Ramblers for her assistance.
URC Memorial 32
aroundtownmagazine.co.uk
If you have enjoyed walking in lockdown then why not come and join our friendly local walking group, Rotherham Metro Rambers For more information visit
www.ramblers.org.uk/rotherham-metro
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