The Sheffield Way Leg Four

Note: These are electronic OCR scans from the original text scans.  They have been proof-read, but they could still contain transfer errors, so please bear that in mind.  Also, as the book is old, the course and surrounding area itself may have also changed over the years.  Basically, this is all provided on a best endeavours basis.

Start: Moss Road (about 1000m past Cricket Inn, Totley, GR 297798).

Page 1 (from leg 3)

Continue down the road to the bottom of the hill.

Page 2

At the bottom turn right along Lane Head Road for a few yards into the valley bottom. Turn right again up the small track just before the bridge at a public footpath sign. Just after a ford there is a stile through the wall on the left hand side near a hawthorn bush. This is difficult to find so look carefully.
Follow the path up the steep bank in a southerly direction and after abut 100 yards you come across a gate in a wall that crosses the field. Go through the gate and following the path up to the main road which is Baslow Road. The path meets Baslow Road at the far top, right hand corner of the field where there are steps built in the wall rising up to road level. Turn right along Baslow Road and after 50 yards there is a public footpath sign on the left hand side and again stone steps built into the wall will take you over the wall and into the field. Continue across the corner of this field and more stone steps will be found leading over the next wall.
Keep to the bottom side of the coniferous wood that appears before you with the fence on the right hand side. After 200 yards enter Gilfield Wood via a wooden stile. Continue along this very pleasant footpath through an extremely attractive peaceful wood. In about 1/2 mile ignore the narrow path that forks down right to the stream about 10 yards after a path in from the left. Carry straight forward on the main path and in about 1/4 mile reach another right fork about 10 yards after a small brook that crosses under the path. Take this right fork and in about 20 yards turn sharp right at a crossing of paths to cross Totley Brook by a wooden bridge. Follow the wide path as it climbs steadily through the remainder of the wood.
Leave the wood through a gap in an overgrown hedge and follow the path as it climbs up the middle of the grassy field towards the right end of another small mixed deciduous and coniferous wood.
Just before entering the wood pause a while, look back and once again take in the magnificent and extensive views across the valley towards Totley. As you enter the wood via the wooden stile take the footpath that bears right of the stone wall, continue to climb the next wooden stile and follow the path through another stile further along the field. Continue up the path past Woodthorpe Hall via a kissing gate on to the narrow road, Turn right up the road for about 100 yards until you come to another wood. Turn left at the public footpath sign and marker post through the gap in the holly bushes and in 15 yards go left again at a second marker post. Take the path that runs down the right hand edge of the field with the wall on the right hand side. Continue on this path as it drops down into the valley to cross the wooden bridge in the bottom.
Climb steeply up through the wooded bank and onto the footpath through the field ahead. At the top of the field go over the wooden stile and then follow the path keeping Just below the left of the wooded hill. Carry straight forward towards the houses and farm buildings ahead. (Follow the Dronfield Round Walk route.)

Page 3

Once more admire the panoramic views to your left. Go through the gate at the top of the field and follow the track up into Mickley. At the top of the track go through the double gate then over the cattle grid, past the farmhouse onto the main road which is Northern Common. Turn left down Northern Common then bear right onto Rod Moor Road.

Continue down the road for about a quarter of a mile. Just before Barnes Lane there is an interesting old mile post which says one side Gleadless 3 mile, Carver 9 mile. Unfortunately Barnes Lane is not marked on the road; however, turn up this lane and follow the well used track to the right as it narrows between high hedges. Follow the path until it bears sharply away to the right towards Barnes Farm, turn left over a wooden stile and follow the path across the first field to a further stile in the right hand corner. Cross this stile and turn left down the field to a stream in the bottom. Cross the stream and continue to follow the path up the bank with the hawthorn hedge on the left. Keeping the hedge on the left climb through two fields. Follow the edge of the second field until the taller trees are reached and a stile will be seen. Climb the stile and continue down the right hand side of the field with the wood on your right. After about 150 yards the right of way turns onto the golf course near the golf tee. However, the way goes by the side of an .old stone gatepost. Carry straight forward and to the left of the trees in the middle of the fairway and head round the left hand side of the shelter, which is on the map as Middle Birchitt.
Continue on the main path through the golf course keeping your eyes open for flying golf balls. the path soon turns into a lane which leads along to Bowshaw House. After passing the farm
building and the house the lane continues to drop and goes under the new dual carriageway. Continue along the lane until it meets up with Sheffield Road. Turn left up Sheffield Road towards Birchitt and the Bowshaw Inn on the left.

Page 4

Just across the road from the Bowshaw Inn there is a stile in the wooden fence that takes the path down the left side of the hedge in the field. After about 50 yards cross into the field on the right by a wooden stile (may be obscured by Sunday market) and continue down the right hand side of the hedge and wire fence.
Continue down the next field with the hedge on your left. Just before the bottom of the field the path again switches left into the next field via a stile. Climb the stile and continue to drop down with the hedge now on your right. After a few yards another wooden stile is reached and the path enters a woodland area. Continue along the path and up over a stone bridge which spans a stream.
Keep to the path as it climbs up through an overgrown area with a fence immediately on your right. Eventually the footpath joins up with the lane. Keep following the lane as it rises up towards Coal Aston. This lane has the peculiar name of Pighills Lane. On reaching Holmley Lane, the main road through Coal Aston, turn left and follow the road round turning left down the lane into Dyches Lane, following the bend round past the Chequers Inn and then left down Dyches Lane past the Coal Aston Post Office on the right. Just across the road from the large garage turn right down Wilson Road. Just past house No. 19 on the left hand side a public footpath is seen between the houses. Follow this down and into the wooded area. Where the path reaches the bottom of the gardens at the back of the houses turn right and take the path behind the gardens. Turn into the field and follow the path that runs at the right hand side of the field with the hedge and houses on your immediate right.
Cross the wooden stile ahead and then continue along this path as it goes through the allotments on the left. At the bottom the path meets up with a wide lane. Go straight across and climb the small stile at the side of the large gate and then follow the wide track which leads round the edge of the field with the hedge on your left. Continue to follow this track as it passes through several fields until finally it narrows into a single path heading towards the woods. Keep to the path and make for the wooden stile that gets you through a hawthorn hedge. Follow the path bearing right across the next field which crosses a ditch via a stone slab. Once you have crossed this, turn right and after a few yards enter the woods. Continue to follow the clearly defined and waymarked main footpath as it wanders through the edge of the wood and then gradually drops down towards the meandering stream, where it meets a wooden bridge with a one-sided support.
Cross this bridge and then a wooden stile to follow the footpath that runs parallel with the stream. Ignore the first right turn over a wooden bridge but continue to follow the footpath over a second wooden stile to turn right over the next wooden bridge. Climb the steep bank to cross another stile and then the more gentle slope through the field towards the large stone gatepost that indicates the course of the footpath. Follow the path to the top of the. field and turn left on the path before the hedge.

Page 5

Page 33
After a short distance the path turns right over a stile beside a white metal gate. Continue up the track and through another stile by a second metal gate to cross Owler Car Lane. Continue forward up the track ahead to reach Sicklebrook Farm. Climb the stile by the side of the farm and continue up to Sicklebrook Lane. Follow the lane to me len passing tne tarm nouses ana up tne hill for about 75 yards, where a wooden stile through the hawthorn hedge on the left will be reached. Climb the stile and drop down the steep grassy bank towards a marker post and Mire Spring. Woods. Enter the woods by the gate hidden in the holly bushes and follow the path as it climbs steadily through the wood towards a wide gate with a stile at the side. Climb the stile and follow the path as it crosses a field towards Trowayhall Farm. Note the magnificent views across the Moss Valley, with the high rise flats of Norton on the skyline. Leave the field by the stile and continue for a short distance on the path until it meets an old stone stile and the road with the Gate Inn across. Follow the road left past some fine houses on the left and after about% mile, where the road takes a sharp right turn, carry straight forward along a well-maintained driveway towards Great Fold Farm. The driveway becomes a farm track leading down to a gate and 2 stiles.
Pass through the gap beside the stile on the left to continue down the narrowing and overgrown path between hedges to a wooden stile in the bottom. Cross this stile and continue down on a path through many hawthorn shrubs to a further stile into a field.
Turn left down the left edge of the field to cross a stile in the bottom left corner. Turn right along the top of this field to cross a stile by a foothpath sign. Once over this stile carry on down the
left (bottom) edge of the field and after the next stile by a gate bear left to join the main driveway through the fine houses of Birley Hay and out onto Geer Lane
Continue down Geer Lane, and on into the Ford village itself.

Page 6

On reaching the Bridge Inn turn right into what is marked “Car Park”.

Changeover: Ford (GR 402804).