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Here are some of the walks and off road bike rides that I've enjoyed. The map is indicative only - don't use it for navigation...

...unless you know the area well. Otherwise all of these ride/walks need decent maps and of course you can accurately customise your own routes.

Trips....

1. Rother Valley Country Park and the Transpennine Trail (Ireland to Greece via Rotherham!)
2. 13 mile mountain bike ride (100% off-road)
3. 6 mile walk/mountain bike ride (50% off-road) Ulley - Morthen
4. 10 mile walk (40% off road) - Kiveton Park Station-Chesterfield Canal towpath-Turnerwood-Thorpe Salvin-Harthill
5. 3 mile walk (100% off road) - Anston Stones
6. 14 mile '3 churches' walk - Laughton en le Morthen
7. 6 mile Laugton en le Morthen - Roche Abbey circular

1. The Rother Valley Country Park and the Transpennine Trail

The country park is a reclaimed opencast mine 0.5 miles west of Kiveton/Wales and south of Aston cum Aughton. It consists of 2 sets of lakes. One set is a nature reserve, and the other is one of the local sports playgrounds with water skiing, jet skis, dinghy sailing, coarse fishing, golf course, kids playground, etc. The main lakes are also surrounded by a 3 mile perimeter track that makes a great training circuit for joggers and cyclists.

On the west side of the lakes is a disused railway track with a cycle, horse riding, and walking track. If you do this route you're on euro long distance route E8 or...

The transpennine trail

Euro long distance path E8 runs from the west coast of Ireland to Istanbul in Turkey. The 180 mile/300 km English section runs from Hull to Liverpool, passing near to Sheffield/Rotherham before going over the pennines and skirting Manchester on its way to Liverpool.

After which you cycle through north Wales (not quite sure where but I hope they've routed it through Snowdonia). Ferries connect the Welsh\English ends to Ireland and Holland. The cycling pressure group SusTrans (sustainable transport) give details of this and other cycle trails throughout the UK and their web site address is given on the Local and Other Links page.

2. A 13 mile mountain bike ride (100% off-road)

This is centred around the Rother Valley park. The 3 mile track that runs around the main lakes enable you to pile up the distance, but its a bit flat though, and if you want something more demanding then:

• start at the bottom of the dirt track called Waleswood Road and go up the 120m high, 1200m long climb (it turns into the tarmacked Delves Lane at the top) On the AZ Sheffield its on page 116 grid ref A2
• turn right at the farmhouse on the sharp bend, and 200m up a stony bridleway with the golf course to your left.
• lose all that height in a looney 400m descent down to what was planned to be a dry ski slope You can repeat the haul in the opposite direction if you want a serious workout..
• You can then do as many 3 mile circuits of the main lakes as you like, but if you want to get away from the crowds (it can be very busy at weekends) then head off onto the disused railway line that runs down the Beighton/west side of the main lakes. The local section of the 300km Transpennine Trail (the signs say TPT) runs along this railway line. There's actually 2 disused, lines but the bridges are out on the one nearest the lakes, so you won't get far on it!
• The TPT takes you 5 miles due south to Stavely - its mostly flat and straight if a little rocky, and you have to re-trace your path to get back to Rother Valley. This section needs the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder map number 762 - Stavely and Worksop (South) which is invaluable of you want to head off the TPT and go back to Rother Valley via footpaths.

3. A 6 mile walk/mountain bike ride (50% off-road)

This could be called a tour of the M1/M18 junction. It's a 60/40 mixture of bridle ways and country roads, with some steep and rocky 80m/200 ft descents (and climbs!) between Ulley and the tiny hamlet of Morthen. It's a really peaceful country ride or walk, if you can ignore the noise from the M1 and M18 junction on the eastern leg. Stocket Lane and Carr Lane (centre left) are not passable to cars and are pretty much traffic free apart from horses and the walkers.

Use the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder map number 744 - Aughton & Carlton in Lindrick

4. A 10 mile circular walk (40% off road) - Kiveton Park Station-Chesterfield Canal towpath-Turnerwood-Thorpe Salvin-Harthill

A popular walk along the canal towpath section. The obvious places to start the walk are Harthill or Thorpe Salvin, or Kiveton Park Station where there's a big car park (and a pub!).

• From Kiveton Park Station car park head east along the canal towpath past Hawks Wood. This walk is very pleasant, especially in the summer when the sun's shining. See the Chesterfield Canal pages.
• NOTE: You can turn right over the third canal footbridge to head straight into Thorpe (the straight red line above) if you don't fancy the road walk from Turnerwood to Thorpe. Alternatively you could just walk the canal towpath between Kiveton Station and Turnerwood, with a detour to Thorpe's cultural buildings (and pub) - in which case it's 90% off road, flat, and about 5 miles long.
• 2 miles from Kiveton Station you get to Turnerwood, from which you turner right and head towards the drone of light aircraft from NetherThorpe/Sheffield Aero Club. See the Sheffield Aero Club entry.
• In Thorpe Salvin you can take in the ruins of the Elizabethan manor house Thorpe Hall, and the medieaval church (or go to the Parish Oven pub). From Thorpe it's probably best to make the 2 mile trip to Harthill cross country on footpaths, rather than trudging along more country roads.
• Enter Harthill along Common Road, and go downhill down Serlby Lane, and check out the fine old mediaval church, burial place of generations of the Dukes of Leed's (including the historically significant 1st Duke Thomas Osbourne).
• Then slog up the hill (Hard Lane) towards Kiveton and down the other side, admiring the old colliery slag heap and other fine views from the top, and down the other side. You can cut out this hill by going around the back of Harthill Church, out of Harthill along Thorpe Road and turn left down Manor Road, back to Kiveton Station (the zigzag red line).
• At the bottom of the hill on the left is a solitary house (you can't miss it, the barking dogs let you know its there).
• Walk past it 100 yards and crossing the road take the path across Tommy Flockons. From the church to the right turn across Tommy's is about 1 mile. From where you walk about another mile across Tommy's and along the canal towpath, and back to the Old Station pub/railway station carpark.

Use the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder map number 744 - Aughton & Carlton in Lindrick to stop you getting lost.

5. A 3 mile circular walk - Anston Stones

Its barely worth describing the walk in any detail as the place is very self contained at 1.5 miles long by .75 mile wide. It runs alongside the A57 just outside Anston crossroads heading towards Worksop (along Worksop Road infact). There's a layby 1 mile east of the crossroads where you can park. The entrance next to the layby has a map and a potted description of the woods and stones on a display board.

There's also a good walk in from Ryton Road (near the railway bridge/school) in North Anston.

Footpaths only, no bikes, horses (or motor transport) allowed.

6. A 14 mile '3 churches' walk - Laughton en len Morthen - Tickhill

This one comes courtesy of the Rotherham Rambling club who's site describes the route at Tickhill Castle - Laughton Castle circular walk.

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