Coal Aston - Dronfield - Holmesfield - Totley Linear

Dave Darwent

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Coal Aston - Dronfield - Holmesfield - Totley: History and Nature

Designed primarily for walkers who are interested in wildlife and history, this walk starts (depending upon your mode of transport and choice of bus service, if applicable) from either Ward's Nursery at Coal Aston, which neighbours the Coal Aston Airstrip, where you may regularly see biplanes and other light aircraft take off and land, or from Coal Aston Village itself. The walk immediately enters Frith Wood, which is an ancient woodland linking Dronfield and Coal Aston. The woodland is a wildlife haven and is one of Derbyshire's 'Hidden Gems'. On leaving Frith Wood, walkers will pass under a railway viaduct into another (small) nature reserve at the lowest point in Dronfield, beside the River Drone. From here the walk passes through the old part of Dronfield, passing a number of historically significant places, buildings and objects, before reaching the Gosforth Valley, a fairly horrific 1970s housing estate, through which you pass thankfully swiftly, arriving in completely unspoiled, sleepy, Holmesfield.

The walker has three choices for ending the route: details are provided for using public transport from Holmesfield to Sheffield; details are also provided for continuing to Owler Bar (about an extra two miles), where there are reasonable pubs serving decent food and better public transport links; or you may follow the well-signposted public footpaths to Totley, from where buses will take you to Sheffield. The latter option also takes walkers past the magnificent Elizabethan gardens of 16th Century Fanshawe Gate Hall, which is linked to some of the historical parts of Dronfield on the walk; this is the option which is fully detailed in the waymarks and on the maps.
There are plentiful opportunities for refreshments but few public conveniences, except in the various eating places.

England - Central England - Derbyshire - Peak District

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Church, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Industrial Archaeology, Nature Trail, Pub, Public Transport, Restaurant, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland