Todays walk in detail

Much had been made in recent club walk reports regarding the muddy conditions, inevitable at this time of year, so we aborted our planned route and set about finding a mud-free walk! Hmmm? 20 of us set off through Elsecar Park, past the Band Stand and Cafe onto the Barnsley Boundary Walk and  open countryside. It was fine but the weather forecast was not good. We walked through Skier's Spring Wood (the site used in the filming of Kes), then had an early break at ??? a newly created Nature Reserve which was specially created to take the water run-off from the nearby giant EVRI warehouse. We then went past the Hall ruin and house (also featured in Kes) and across Tankersely Golf Course. The rain had arrived, but fortunately was light and lasted less than an hour. We traversed Parkin Wood and into Chapeltown Park where an early lunch was taken, by the Band Stand and in the dry!  Ever onward but unfortunately the rain returned as we walked along the TPT, then across the M1 footbridge into the sprawling metropolis that is Thorpe Hesley. After the uphill stretch to the Coach Road we skirted Wentworth village, passing the old saw mill and dropping down through King's Wood back to the car park in Elsecar. Replenishment fluid was taken at the Market Hotel accompanied by a tray of bread and dripping.