Watmex one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Watmex here.

Walked from Wath to Mexborough. Nothing wrong with this route but no real highlights, and the path between Doncaster Road and Golden Smithies Lane is little used and a little overgrown, also a little difficult to do dryshod in wet conditions.

From the Wath meeting point the route misses a trick, as there is a good step-free surfaced path directly down to Biscay Way, so the dogleg on Montgomery Road is unnecessary. A pelican crossing makes crossing Biscay Way easy and we follow it out to the A633 roundabout, which was easy enough to cross but may need care when busier.

Beyond we follow the footpath, initially down a lane and then on a good but slightly muddy path along the line of the old canal. Old Doncaster Road is a busy industrial estate, but has a pavement. At the junction we cross and take the signposted path, which skirts the edge of an arable field (the surface water here was just about avoidable) then continues through a scrubby open area alongside the fences of the industrial buildings to emerge on Golden Smithies Lane, where we go left as far as the next roundabout then go right on the road to Dearne Valley College.

Here we follow a cycletrack signposted Swinton Centre all the way to Queen Street, where we turn sharp left and follow the road to a T junction where we turn right, following Wath Road, Main Street and High Street to the Mexborough meeting point.

I walked from Mexborough to exit along the main shopping street. The route soon takes a gentle climb to Roman Terrace then turns left to cross the railway onto an excellent and lit cycle route which leads to college. All good so far and the best route possible around obstacles like railway lines used and disused.

From the college I can see why a footpath was selected but it's neglected and overgrown, not impossible to negotiate but it rather spoils an otherwise decent Slow Way. I didn't walk the alternative road but it looks fine on Google Street View.

Doncaster Old Road offers a pavement which was fine on a Saturday but may be littered with parked vehicles on a work day. We dive off onto a footpath which is well used and generally a wide track through open trees. I discover this was the course of the Dearne and Dove canal around Gore Hill, which explains the gentle curve of the path.

The approach to Wath via the busy main road, built on the infilled canal, is also I feel a mistake much better to take High Street through the shops and less traffic. The meeting place is by the bus shelters, does this counts as a bus station? There is a bench close by.

So excellent route from Mexborough to the college but as plotted loses stars onward to Wath.

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