Saturday 21st October, we travelled to Ridgeway, to undertake a 5.5 mile walk, called Ridgeway on the maps page, 23 of us started on a Graham Gill walk, but without Graham as he was indisposed. However, after a shaky start, we re-found the way, and enjoyed a superb walk. A stop at the excellent Eckington Farm lawn cafe, we continued on the way, calling in at the Seldom Seen building, before we, or rather about half of the group, went and lunched at the White Swan, another excellent venue. The bonus here was a John Quiz! Here is the walk description:
RIDGEWAY – WEST MOSBOROUGH – ECKINGTON CHURCH – PLUMBLEY – RIDGEWAY WALK
Starting at The Swan pub in Ridgeway, cross the road and walk left and take the (signed) public footpath in front of the school and opposite the playground on the other side of the main road.
Go down here for about 200m and bear left at the bottom and follow this path across 3 fields (these may be ploughed at certain times) and pass Haven Farm No1 and up to the main road, and then Haven Farm No2. Just past No2 take the track to the right and after 200m take the left hand path and follow this for about ½ mile. This then splits into 2 paths, take the one to the right and after about 300m stop and have a look at the Heritage Circle for 5 or 10 minutes. Carry on along the same path and you reach a grass playing field on your right and walk down this to a playground and then turn right along the estate road. This is West Mosborough
Follow this for about 400m and look for a Green with some benches and trees on the right. Cross this and go down a track to the right of a newly (2017)built house. Keep left at the end and follow the edge of the field down to the bottom corner and bear right and follow the hedge again for about 300m. Turn left at an obvious path down the fields to the edge of Cadman Wood and turn left at the first path towards Eckington. Follow this and look for an old wartime bunker on you right but be careful if you go on top. This was used as a centre for the decoy lights that were placed in this area to fool the WW2 German bombers into thinking they were bombing Sheffield. I don’t suppose the Eckington folk were too happy about this. Carry on until you reach Gas House Lane and turn right and this area, where it crosses the Moss, was the site of Eckington Mill and there are local records showing it was used as a Sickle and Scythe sharpening Mill, a Corn Mill, a Saw Mill and a Wood Turning Mill at different times. Continue on Gas House Lane until you reach Eckington Church and Church Farm Tea Garden.
The Church Farm Tea Garden is very accommodating and highly recommended, or you can sit in the Church Yard if you take your own.
After refreshments retrace your steps back along Gas House Lane to Eckington Mill and on the right hand bend take the track on the left. Follow this for about ¾ mile through Ince Piece Wood and you will see Seldom Seen Engine House up a track on your left. This was the winding house for the Plumbley Colliery that went bankrupt around 1900, huge holes were knocked in the walls to remove the machinery intact and it was left derelict for nearly 100 years. The roof collapsed in stages and it became unstable, until the 1990’s when it was rebuilt, re-roofed and steel braced internally. Return to the main track and turn left and then straight ahead at a crossroads of tracks. Keep on this track through Twelve Acre Wood and it then becomes a path alongside a field and the wood and you then cross a concrete footbridge with steel handrails.
Just after this you go through/over a steel gate/stile on the right and then follow the path left up the field to Plumbley Lane at the corner of Bushes Wood. Turn left here and follow the track for about ½ mile and just before a sharp left hand turn take either of the two paths on the right. Climb to the top right hand corner of this field and over a stile onto another path. Turn left and follow the path down some steps to a footbridge over a brook. Cross the bridge and turn right and keep right to go over a stile and follow the path alongside woodland on the right. Follow this path for 3 or 4 more fields and it will bring you up by the side of the old Craft Centre and the start point.
The Swan is also highly recommended for their Pub Grub and fine beers.