I parked in the big Trans Pennine Trail carpark by the bridge at Dunford Bridge and headed east down the trail. This is straight and easy and busy with walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Lots of families out on bike with little children. After about two miles I left the trail to climb up and over a bridge then south over moors to cross the A628. Then on past the ruined Far Swindon farmhouse and over fields full of sheep with new lambs to turn right down a track named Swinden Lane on the map. Right at the end to join the road again at Milton Lodge then I followed the road to the Dog and Partridge Inn. (There is a pavement so not too unpleasant.) Then I turned right onto a track which the map tells is part of the Barnsley Boundary Walk.
This climbs the moors and ends up crossing a fence and following right alongside the road. There is an ample grass verge so it is safe enough but quite unpleasant partly from the traffic noise but more from the huge volume of litter around which is utterly dispiriting. When I got to the foot of High Nab I turned right and climbed to the top then headed for the path on the map heading up to the west of the Upper Windleden Reservoir. I spend a while thinking the path was a bit rubbish only to meet a better path coming in from my left which was probably the path I meant to be on all along. It gets very up and down skirting by the reservoir. A couple of geese got a bit agitated – I guess I may have been close to their nest. A final climb took me to the road and then gently down back to the start.
RSS Feed