This is a joy of a 3-mile walk that starts and ends in the pretty village of Barnburgh, 7 miles west of Doncaster. You will find views, rocks and open countryside to enjoy.
The Route
- what3words for start point: ///prevented.dignity.exist
- Start Point: Barnburgh
- Finish Point: Barnburgh
- Distance: 3 Miles
GPX Route Map
Download file for GPSWalk Description
The best place to start is right in the middle of Barnburgh, by St Peter’s church.
Across the through road from there is a side road, which heads along with the quaint looking Coach and Horses Pub on your right.
At the end of this road, follow the bend to the left. After a few hundred metres, there is a signposted bridleway track off to the right.
This track then carries straight on, gently going uphill to the top. There is nothing too strenuous here, though the climb allows the views to get bigger and bigger all the time.
As the path at the top swings right, you head into the woods. These woods have a secret inside. To your left is a wall of rock, Barnburgh Crag, that you follow all the way along.
If you look closely at sections of the rock, you will see mysterious faces that have been meticulously carved into the stone at some point in time. Some look like grumpy old men, while others resemble cartoon characters.
In the summer, you need to look carefully as the trees and ivy can hide the secret faces. In winter, you could walk this and see the crag in more glory for sure.
With the crag on your left, you mustn’t forget to look right with the huge views over South Yorkshire towards Derbyshire.
Upon reaching the end of the crag, you turn right down a road for a couple of hundred metres before turning off right onto another track.
Here you get a fantastic view back down towards Barnburgh. Crops sway in the breeze over the land before you.
There are a few paths from here that all meander back to the village. The one I took was less of a road and more around the edges of fields, but you can easily keep on the main track and along the road to the village and your start and end point.
This is one of those short walks and climbs that really surprised me. I hardly met a soul en route, yet what it offers is absolutely stunning for a walk of this length. The secret crags and faces add a whole new interest too.