There are a couple of unpleasant short bits of path, both passing behind farms, which, whilst well signposted, are rather overgrown with nettles and brambles and I wished I'd worn my long trousers! It is generally safe, and reasonably accurate (apart form the short impassable bit of path. But to be fair that could be down to my plotting on OS maps!)...

Bex Moore

There are 2 places where OS would not let us draw the route correctly - seemingly it thinks there isn't a right of way, when there definitely is....

Tansy Hepton

Keep an eye out for the turning off Stoney Lane (into Hollingthorpe Court), although if you miss it, you can turn down Hollingthorpe Lane at the mini roundabout. Instead you need to stay on Dennington Lane until it meets Bretton Lane where you turn left. The footpath from Bretton Lane to Denby Dale Road across a couple of fields starts off well marked, but then isn't very clear. Leave the road at a farm and cross some more (muddy) fields (with more cows) From here it's a track up to Strike Lane and then road into Skelmanthorpe....

Tansy Hepton

See important route changes on the other review of Ske New 1...

Pete Belsey

The path across the field behind Newsome is impassable at the point suggested on the map and by the signposts as it is overgrown with brambles....

Woffenden

Even with the fixes it's not the most beautiful route in the region, but it's not too challenging and it introduced me to paths I had not explored even though I'm a local....

stevepaget

Previous walkers probably didn't notice this, because the alternative route is more obvious if you're going Holmfirth-Skelmanthorpe and they wouldn't have thought it was important....

stevepaget

We walked Royston to Skelmanthorpe so this review covers the route from east to west. If you really have to walk from Royston to Skelmanthorpe on this route then I'm sorry as you won't enjoy it much. Certainly until the works on the dismantled railway are complete (maybe June 2023) we suggest just walking along the road from Royston to Mapplewell (Lee Lane B6428), which has a pavement all the way....

Pete Belsey

Be careful on the short road section into the village itself where there isn't a pavement, although there is a verge if you need it. The next section is mostly across fields and skirts round the Canon Hall Country Park and Canon Hall Farm. Cross the main road to go up through a short wooded section and then across fields into Skelmanthorpe, where you join the road (with pavement) into the village....

Pete Belsey

When you turn right away from the river, keep on the footpath to the near side of the grassy storm drain/overflow rather than following the official route across the concrete bridge. Once you are off the road, the stile into the second field is really high and difficult to climb. The route takes you into a field (coloured bright green on the Slow Ways map). The field contained a field of cows plus young calves and a large bull. Perhaps it would have been OK, but we chose to climb over a few strands of barbed wire into the neighbouring field (on the left) before re-joining the route at the end of the field....

Pete Belsey

There is a section walking on the road after this but it felt safe enough - the road is relatively wide with good visibility and a grass verge you can step onto if necessary....

Pete Belsey

Mostly great views and lovely countryside, with a bit of old urban streets and road walking that take it down from 5 to 4 stars. It's worth going along the main road (which has a pavement) to get to the quiet road into Kirkburton, with nice views of the valley. The final section into Skelmanthorpe starts with another pleasant descent through fields , then a farm lane and finally the road....

Pete Belsey

The path looks as if it goes up through them, but it's better (for you and for the allotment holders) if you continue on just for a little way and turn right at the end of the allotments beside a stone wall. It's then a bit of a trudge along the road into Shepley....

Pete Belsey

My wife & I proposed this slightly amended SkePen 2 over SkePen 1, primarily to make it safe to walk out of Denby Dale via paths (see photo 15) and back roads, rather than an unpavemented main road. We've also suggested 2 further amendments that don't add to the distance walked: to enter Denby Dale via the pretty Wither Woods and to enter Penistone town centre for amenities....

Pete Belsey

We walked this route having started at the adjacent village of Clayton West....

Oneplanetman