Alone Beneath The Sky: Fitzwilliam to Horbury 27/09/15

12.7 miles via Havercroft, Ryhill, Royston Junction, Newmillerdam Country Park, Hall Green, Crigglestone, Great Cliff & Addingford.

A glum Saturday almost scuppers the revival of my walking season, but it's essential to get back in the saddle before the season starts to get away from me, and so a Sunday morning stroll has to be brought on, once I've found out where in the county is actually straightforwardly accessible, and it looks like I'm starting to get out of practice with heading out on the first day of the weekend, having not seen one in the whole of September, and my last being 22nd August. Once underway, it's quickly apparent that Summer has gone in the weeks since I last walked, heavy fog have settled over all of West Yorkshire, and an early 9.15am start from Fitzwilliam station, in the middle of an unexplored corner of the district, shows up a lot of mist that mostly prevents me from getting much of an impression of the town once away from the colliery terraces and the country park on the site of Hemsworth colliery. So away from Wakefield road and along the footpath to the bungalows on Farm Road and soon into the countryside, first past Ings Farm, and on via a field walk to Carr Farm, with hedges to follow to prevent me getting lost, and than it's a long field walk to head in the direction of Havercroft, with decent signage and trods to follow to keep me on my way. Only on the last field to I have no path to follow, and at the point where I think I might have got disorientated, I spot the way into Havercroft's estates and I avoid walking round and round in the one field, and so onwards to road surfaces again. Cow Lane has us on a familiar track once again, and there's not much happening in and around these many council houses as the heavy fog settles among them, and so I figure that there will have to be another time to see this village's best face, pressing on past the Millennium Park to seek the footpath that draws me toward Ryhill. Immediately the day gains atmosphere as the tolling bell of the parish church rings through the mist, and Ryhill reveals a rather older face than its neighbour, and I seek the footpath through the equestrian fields to meet the railway walk, an hour into the day, and rise up onto the permissive path that has developed on embankment of the MS&LR's Barnsley Coal Line of 1885, a section I should have approached a few weeks back but somehow missed, following it down to the site of Ryhill station, where I am disappointed to be unable to find any of the platform remnants that are claimed to endure beneath the undergrowth.

Across Station Road, the path slips into a cutting loaded with vegetation but still straightforwardly passable, also strong on atmosphere and dew-covered spiders webs, with the sole overbridge forming a getaway spot for local teens judging by the campfire laid out, and it would be nicer for it have been a longer walk, but the last section of embankment sends me to a field walk as the underbridge through it is not deemed safe. Arrive on the green path between Ryhill and Church Lane, and the embankment ends abruptly, all trace of it past Ellis Laithe farm have been totally erased from the landscape, not even visible on satellite imaging, and so the path down to the canal is not a railway remnant at all even though it looks like one, but maps say it wasn't part of the BCR or part of the access to Monckton Main colliery. So pass over the old North Midland Line and meet the Trans Pennine Trail as it crosses the Barnsley Canal, leaving the BCR behind and swing to the northwest as we join the relatively new path that follows the Midland Railway's ill-starred Thornhill branch of 1906 - 1950, well signed in the direction of Newmillerdam Park, and onwards once we've had a bit of a trespass to view the best angle on the bridge above Royston Junction. This is a busier sort of path than the last one a good drag for a jog, cycle or wander with the dog, especially if you are apt to be looking for free broccoli on the way, and it throws up a few bridges and embankments as it goes, but not a great many views, as I pass the bridge carrying the Wakefield Way path towards Notton, there's maybe two moments where I actually get a view to confirm that this is somewhere I have been before. Press on beyond Owler Wood and into Bushcliff Wood, the edge of the country park, and the mist finally starts to lift, and the paths around Newmillerdam almost start to throng, whilst the largest structure on this path, the viaduct over Lawns Dike, hides particularly well beneath the tree cover, and thence under the A61 to find the crowds disappear and the day has become sunny once more. Carry on to where the path ends, forced to walk along Wood Lane to the edge of Chapelthorpe / Hall Green, and despite the tempting parade of trees that follow the formation down to Stoney Lane, there certainly isn't an accessible path to go along with them.

An engineering brick abutment is all that remains on this lane, and the path shadows the track north, rising across the formation before some serious fencing prevents further access on the rough lands, and so a road walk takes us among the council houses and playing fields along Painthorpe Lane before meeting the formation once again on Haveroid Lane and the edge of the post industrial Betty Eastwood Park. The approach to Crigglestone tunnel from the south is infilled, though the path follows the wood developing above it, but a sneak among a few ginnels beyond High Street, and down the path from Hollin Lane will take you to the west portal, hidden away beyond the equestrian fields and the edge of the M1. It's worth a trespass down here to view the massive portal, hugely over-engineered for its modest length, and looking like some work has been going on to maintain it in recent months, though I do fear that this is one that could easily be buried in the not too distant future, so good to see it whilst the sun still shines on it. Return to the road and depart this railway, Cliff Road taking me over the motorway and briefly through Great Cliff before tracking down the footpath that passes below the Wakey - Barny line, and into the back of the Black Hall Farm store, gated off to discourage visitors, it seems. Hit the road and meet the A636, taking us under the last railway to walk on the day, the L&Y's Horbury West Curve of 1902, a relatively late casualty closed in 1991, and still showing plenty to suggest its revival would be relatively easy. It's accessible from Blacker Lane, and still ballasted along its length, once sitting among a mess of railways in this corner, not just having the massive Calder Grove viaduct rising over it, there was also rail access to the British Oak colliery site and to the much older tramway which ran as far as Caphouse colliery near Overton. No right of way exists but that doesn't prevent access to those wishing to pass over the C&HN canal and Calder river bridges at Hartley Bank, but a chaotic tangle of brambles has me retreating to the footpaths, gaining the best view of the Calder bridge as I go, and shadowing the formation up towards Addingford mill, and I would have fought my way through if I wasn't going against the clock at this stage. Rise over the Wakey - Mirfield line, and remember that Horbury stands on a promontory and the way up to it is via the Addingford steps, providing a bit of a challenging ascent for late in the day. Still, steady going beyond, across the A642 and up Sheepstye Road and School Lane to meet Horbury's High Street where the cafes are doing business but not much else is happening as Sunday afternoon unfolds, with me rolling up to the bus stop with scant minutes to spare before the 2.15 bus arrives for my homeward ride.

5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 1940.2 miles
2015 Cumulative Total: 538 miles
Up Country Total: 1780.5 miles
Solo Total: 1728.2 miles