Kilclo one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

This is a Slow Way for the rabid rambler not a Sunday afternoon stroller.

Leaving Clowne the route takes an unnecessary main road tour. There is a shorter and quieter route heading north then west onto Regent Street to meet Boughton Lane opposite our exit footpath. I had walked this path before and dismissed it because it was too overgrown, but things have improved and yes I does offer a fine view.

The green lane is fine but in March 2024 the footpath alongside the stream, which was flowing well, was rather muddy making this potential commuter route from Clowne a bit off putting. The road crossing is safe before a bit of estate road which leads to a delightful green corridor with a good surfaced path through Slayley Green, perhaps the highlight of the walk. How different the waterside path can be.

Pavement walking makes the climb easier to Barlborough Cross where there are shops and an inn. Also lots of information from a parish council keen to promote walking. The track out was quiet but appears to be the access to fishing and even the Hall kitchen so there could be some traffic but I didn’t see any. The school makes clear where we are not welcome.

Entering the wide green space of the hall park offers another excellent bit of the walk before crossing over the M1 to enter farmed fields some arable others pasture. Again the ground was wet but that was expected after so much rain.

I nearly missed the branch path which follows Park Brook and soon wished I had continued on the wrong route. I felt sorry for the poor ponies in a waterlogged field and soon felt sorry for myself. There was no real grass just moss and that tough grass that grown in wet places. The latter is useful to use as stepping stones as it usually offers a firm island but there was too much mire in between to ensure feet remained dry.

The exit gate from this large field was a welcome sight but it only offered access to the bramble and climbing rose overgrown Killamarsh Footpath 47, a report to Derbyshire may get this added to the annual clearance programme, if that budget has not been cut.

I wonder if the Slow Way would be better to take the track that I nearly followed in error using Killamarsh 48 and then FP34, this would also avoid some roadside walking into Killamarsh. I haven’t explored this.

The roadside walk into Killamarsh was fine, downhill most of the way, bit of a drag in the opposite direction I guess and only the bramble infested path to look forward to. My decision not to fail the route is perhaps influenced by being able to Snail it. I did manage to follow the route and the ‘obstructions’ were natural rather than man-made.

I walked this route from Killamarsh to Clowne. We are on the pavement of the road as we climb out of Killamarsh along High Street, Upperthorpe Road and Hut Lane. Just beyond the entrance to Comberwood farm is the little gate behind the chevron signs which is the entrance to a footpath. It is vague in the grass and eventually very overgrown with brambles. I reported this to Rotherham MBC RoW office on 17 Jan 2024. Hopefully they'll clear it. There is 100m or so of footpath from the road before we reach agate leading to a thin but clear path alongside the fences and through woody scrubland. The path improves all the time and is a tractor track by the time we reach the A618 close to a bridge under the M1. A wide verge keeps us off the road until we turn right onto a bridleway towards Barlborough Hall through the woodland called Pebley Oaks on the OS map. As we diverge further from the M1 it becomes more peaceful and we can appreciate the parkland landscape rising towards Barlborough Hall. We are kept well away from the school buildings and emerge on a track (Ward Lane) leading to Barlborough village.

We cross High Street (some shops and pubs near here, but I didn't investigate what they offered to weary travellers) and down New Road a pedestrian crossing gets us across the busy Chesterfield Road and we follow in the same general direction on surfaced paths through a parkland in new housing. Keep going in that direction between the buildings at Barlborough Links industrial site, along the right (west side) of a pond and alongsiude the exit stream to reach a broad trackway. We turn left and climb to cross the Clowne Greenway to reach the road at Slayley Hill. We turn left past the houses and take a footpath on the left that climbs towards Clowne. Straight on down Regent Street and round the Tesco car park to reach the hub point on Mill Green Way.

This was a nice route, with good views. At the moment it is marred by the section of overgrown path leaving Killamarsh, but hopefully when enough people have complained the RoW team at RMBC will clear it. I would then be happy with a four-star rating.

Walked from Clowne to Killamarsh. Most of this route is very enjoyable with good views, but the last half mile of the path down to Hut Lane is very overgrown so don't wear shorts and beware head high thorns. There are a few stiles.

From the bus stop in Clowne, a zebra crossing takes us over Mill Green Way, and we follow the main roads round to Boughton Lane, where we turn right to find a little used footpath, which has a couple of stiles and also excellent views over the escarpment. This takes us back to the B6418 by a group of houses, and we go straight on up the quiet Slayley Hill.

Watch out for the right turn - the footpath is obvious but I didn't see a sign for it. It goes through a green strip between industrial sites to a pond, then left to the roundabout where we cross Oxcroft Way and turn right up Slayley View Road, then left along a surfaced path through parkland. Chesterfield Road forces us left, and the path takes us up to the road at a convenient pelican crossing. We cross and head right up New Road to the old centre of Barlborough, where there are pubs and shops. We go straight on into a park and continue down a surfaced lane (fine views to the west) to Barlborough Hall, which is now a school. Beyond the school we go straight on, leaving the lane on a grassy path. The left turn to the motorway bridge is signposted, which is useful because the straight on path is more popular. Beyond the M1 we follow field edges to a path alongside a young wood, where we follow a little used path left. This is currently fairly easy to follow but may not stay that way if the trees grow and nobody uses it. Beyond the first wood we follow a stream down past a small pool, then head into some unrestrained undergrowth on a path that never quite disappears but is not easy (plenty of nettles and head high thorns - again more walkers would help here). We emerge below a garden, where the path continues to a locked gate, but the right of way exit is further down to the left.

Once we reach Hut Lane all difficulties end - there is a good pavement on the right/north east side all the way down into Killamarsh.

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