Walking: Deffer Wood from High Hoyland

• Grid reference – SE 270 097

• Maps – OL1 Dark Peak, OS Explorer 278/288

• Length – 6.5 miles

• Grade – Mostly well defined paths. Some rough ground and stiles. Some sections can be muddy.

• Parking - on the road

• Public transport –there is no bus service to High Hoyland. The 92/92A bus (Barnsley/Cawthorne) goes to Cawthorne (join this route at (7)

• Refreshments – Cannon Hall, Cannon Hall Garden Centre and Thyme Bistro, Cherry Tree (High

Hoyland), The Pavilion (Cannon Hall CP)

• Public Toilets – Cannon Hall, Cannon Hall Country Park Car Park.

• This walk was written and produced by Stocksbridge Walkers are Welcome for more information or interesting walks please visit their website http://www.stocksbridge-walkers.org.uk

This varied circular walk takes you through woods, alongside streams, through a country park and across fields. There are extensive views and, in the late Spring, many opportunities to see bluebells.

1. Start in High Hoyland facing ‘The Cherry Tree,’ turn left and proceed down the road. Take the left fork (High Hoyland Lane, towards Cannon Hall and Cawthorne) slowly descending. On your right, you will pass the 1890 Methodist Chapel which is now a private residence.

2. About 700 m from the start point, take the signed footpath on your left (there is an earlier footpath, also on the left which you should not take). The sign may be half-hidden by an elder tree.

3. Perpendicular to the road, follow the path across the field. Then cross a brick/stone stile into Margery Wood. Follow the path through the woods, emerging, after 100 m, into another field via a stone stile, adjacent to an old metal gate. Bear right, following the line of the wall/hedge to a stile in the corner of the field.

4. Continue through Dean Hill Farm, then through a gate and across a field. An old metal gate then takes you past a small pond on your right. Keeping the wood on your left, follow the path through another old metal gate.

5. Continue, crossing the field aiming for the ‘Beechers Brook’ sign. A stile will take you into a further field. Follow the line of the fencing, keeping Cannon Hall Open Farm on your right.

6. Continue into a further field and bear right for 30 m, before taking a stile which leads between two fences. This follows round to a large wooden stile and into Cannon Hall Country Park. Continue descending keeping the park boundary on your left. You will reach Cawthorne Dike.

7. Cross the bridge then bear right, keeping Cascade on your right. Further up the hill, to your right is Cannon Hall. After 400 m, cross Cascade using the stone bridge at the weir. Turn left. Cross the car park and turn right onto the road. You have joined the Barnsley Boundary Walk.

Cannon Hall is a Georgian country house museum set in 70 acres of historic parkland and landscaped gardens. A significant building was originally owned on the site in the 13th century by Gilbert Canun. For almost 300 years Cannon Hall was home to the Spencer-Stanhope family who made their fortunes in the local iron industry. In the 20 years from 1765 over £30,000 was spent on making major improvements to the Hall.

8. After 200 m, cross the road and take the marked public bridleway towards Jowett House Farm (built 1690). Follow the track to the farm buildings. Do not take the sharp left just before the buildings. Keep the majority of the buildings on your right. Do not bear right into the farmyard. Instead, continue following the track between two hedges/walls.

9. You pass through a small wooden gate (to the right of a large metal gate). Then three fields, each separated by a stone stile. After passing over a stone bridge over a small stream, cross the field.

You will reach Spring Hill Farm. Pass the buildings on your right before emerging onto the A635.

10. Turn right. After 10 m, take the marked footpath to the right and cross a stone stile. You will pass through one field then, after a wooden stile, continue onto the next field. When you reach a metal gate on your right, turn left, following the track.

11. Keeping the hedge on your right, you will reach the corner of a wood on your right (Suzanna Spring). At this point you need to cut perpendicularly across the field to the corner of Deffer Wood opposite where a stone stile awaits.

12. Cross the stile into the woods and bear right. Follow the path for 500 m, keeping in a straightish direction, slowly ascending. About 100 m after you cross a small stream, you will reach a large T-junction in a clearing. Turn left. After another 800 m, you will reach Deffer Nook and Hollin House Lane.

13. Turn right onto the road. After 1 km, take the right turn, down through a hedge into a field. The sign may be overgrown by a large bush. Cross the field, descending towards a line of mature trees.

14. Cross the stile and leaving the trees in your wake, cross the next field, keeping the hedge on your left. A wooden still then takes you into a further field. A kissing gate shows the way into some woods. Passing through the woods, you will emerge through another kissing gate into a field. Cross this field where a wooden stile takes you onto a T-junction. Turn left. At the end of the track, at Winter Hall Farm, turn right onto Winter Hill.

15. After 200 m, at the stone ‘High Hoyland’ sign, take the marked bridleway on your left. 300 m leads to a footpath on your right. Cross a field, descend the steps and turn left to return to the start point.