Stoshe three

Verified Slow Way

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Walked from Stocksbridge to Sheffield. The northern half is very enjoyable, but I had a few minor issues with the GPX plotting further south, in particular it seems to go through a building to get onto Kelham Island where no bridge or path exists. There is also a more direct pelican crossing available just outside Sheffield station that cuts out the dogleg. The path junction in Beeley Wood is a little further south than the definitive path line - I couldn't see any evidence of a path down the fire break. One other possible tweak would be to use Platts Lane north of Oughtibridge Lane rather than the rough path lower down - this would reduce a slightly unpleasant road walk with no pavement or verge. I have submitted a version (SheSto four) that fixes all of these, but I am willing to snail this one subject to these minor caveats.

From Stocksbridge, the route as far as the Little Don was familiar to me from StoPen one, except that we use the easier but slightly less direct lane rather than the stepped shortcut path to reach the cycle path that follows the Don. Beyond the old station we remain on the pavement, passing a large building site which has slightly rerouted the track nearer to the railway, and continuing on a rougher track, which was dry in summer conditions. Beyond the bridge under the railway we soon join Platts Lane, which is a wide forest track.

We follow the main track most of the way to Oughtibridge. Beyond a little twisty section a narrower track takes us down to a corner in the wood, where we follow a path that starts down an eroded and slightly steep groove and leads onto an old road/track leading to Oughtibridge Lane. Unless seeking facilities in Oughtibridge, we turn left here, taking care to avoid traffic as there is no pavement or verge. The tracks into the hall are private, our path is signposted initially, but the route into the wood is erroneously marked as private by the owners trying to sell the woodland.

The paths are well used and fairly easy to follow - muddy in winter but the mud was entirely avoidable in August. The only potential pitfall is that the path right down to the railway bridge does not use the firebreak - it starts a little further on. Beyond the railway bridge we go down several flights of steps with no rail, just a flimsy fence for those seeking handholds, so these may be a little treacherous when wet or icy.

We then turn left along a road that is mostly used by walkers and fishermen until we reach the pavement/cycle track where we pass the entrances to a couple of industrial sites. We pass a large Sainsburys store and cross Halifax Road at the lights, following the far pavement round onto Herries Road past more industrial buildings, sharp right onto Herries Road South (views of Hillsborough Stadium ahead) then left on Rowson Spring Road. Watch out for the signposted path right that takes us down to and along the river Don.

The north end of Club Mill Road houses a large number of dilapidated caravans - there was one friendly dog here but not many other signs of life. Further south we enter an industrial area and follow the road out, staying on the old road where the traffic is forced left up Sandbed Road. More pavement walking along Neepsend Lane takes us across Rutland Road to a short riverside path which starts at Naomi's Corner and leads to the pedestrianised Ball Bridge, where we turn sharp right and cross the river, then turn left onto another riverside path.

The path is forced to turn right by new buildings, and I went down Cotton Mill Walk in search of a non-existent route onto Kelham Island. The easiest thing here is to stay on Little Kelham Street and use the road bridge onto the island. From here on the route is well plotted and fairly easy to follow - all of the significant road crossings are light assisted. I will admit to short-cutting the route into Sheffield station by using the earlier pelican crossing over Sheaf Street - this is now part of SheSto four.

I walked this in mid-February, just after a snowfall, so there was a lot of ground water and got fairly splattered with mud. Boots or stout shoes required at this time of year. This review starts at the Stocksbridge end. The route is part rural and part urban. It follows a lot of the Upper Don Trail/Trans-Pennine Trail, which makes it easier to follow in the city because you can follow the signs and archways. None of it is steep except for a couple of sets of steps. There are a couple of low stiles and squeeze gates.

The start is Stockbridge library. Here are plenty of places to stock up on food and drink. Fox Valley shopping centre, just down the hill, is open 7 days a week and has public toilets. (When I was a lad, that was a weighbridge.) The next available toilet would be a pub in Oughtibridge, unless you recross the railway and find a pub by the road. Bus routes 57 and 57A go between here and Sheffield. The Stocksbridge bus stop is still within the Sheffield boundary if youre using a travel card.

You're walking on pavement and good paths until partway down Station Road where it turns soft and, as you can see from one of the photos, mud and puddles when it's rained. There's a barrier across the road and a squeeze gate to it's left. The squeeze gate is where you want to go. That'll lead you to a tunnel which takes you under the railway line. From there, its a long walk down Plank Gate. This has a good surface and is popular with cyclists.
Towards the end of Plank Gate, you have to leave the main track as it goes uphill. Stay right to avoid going up to Mouse Park Gate. I included a photo of the branch.

At Oughtibridge, there are pubs if you need a break. Otherwise up the hill and down Dickey lane to Beely Wood. There are a number of "woodlands for sale" and "private wood" signs where the lane branches off left but ignore those. The public footpath goes around the side of the gate (there's a very low stile). The route is just a mud track. Turn down to the right shortly after, past an abandoned military-looking vehicle and follow the path round. It's easy to miss the turn off (I did) at the bottom end of the wood. I've included another picture but if you find yourself curving left, you've probably just passed it. There are some steep steps after the railway bridge and a steel stile at the bridge.

You emerge at Beely Wood Lane. At the end of this is a large Sainsburys and a Greggs opposite if you're craving a sausage roll. You're over halfway at this point. Also, after the two Herries Roads is a Beres pork sandwich shop, if you get there before 1530. Then go down an industrial estate road. There's a public footpath sign to point you back to the river. There is a place on this section where the path goes down to the river. After heavy rain it's entirely likely that the path goes *into* the river so you might need to backtrack. See photo. For me, this was the most interesting section. The back paths around the factories and such like have a certain fascination.

Next is Wardsend Cemetery, 30,000 graves in the woods, but no church. The route just skirts it. Some of the people here were soldiers from nearby Hillsborough barracks and some were victims of the Great Sheffield Flood. The path is easy to follow down to a bridge at Neepsend and it's all streets and pavements to the end. It's a bit twisty around Kelham Island, where you'll find lots of pubs and cafes, but it's easy to follow after that. Kelham Island has a great museum but you need a fair amount of time. I'd also recommend going when the big engine is being run. It's quite a sight.

I set out walking Stoshe2 but as a previous reviewer had found there is an access issue crossing the railway line. I did complete that route but it is not acceptable as it is, as a bit of scrambling is involved. There is however a better crossing about a mile further north which this route uses. The route does follow for a short distance the B6088 Manchester Road in and out of Stocksbridge. But it does have wide pavements and is more direct than the footpaths used in Stoshe2. There is also a nice walk through Beeley Wood.

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