Tracks of our Tiers

Full Route Description — Part 1

(Note — don’t forget to check Part 2 too!)

An approximate half marathon along the autumn trails of south west Sheffield. Expect mud, hills, rocks, tree roots hidden under the leaves, and rain. Fell or decent trail shoes useful if you wish to stay vertical.

Short Route Description [no pics] here

Start: Ecclesall Woods, Woodland Discovery Centre — head south along any path to Dore Station — you can follow the signs in the woods to Dore Station (see left) or choose your own favourite southward path — I followed the one behind this stump (right) on the bridleway up from Abbey Lane before it bends up and round to the bird sanctuary.

NOTE: my ancient phone now reckons the Half Marathon route is about 150m short. But if you follow the Sensible Route on the main bridleway as below (rather than blundering through the trees and mud like I did) that should put you on track for a proper Half — and is probably just as quick. If you like mud and don’t care the distance is 13.1 miles rather than 13.109, follow me as per the lumpy and sticky but more direct route below.

Dore Station — follow footpath next to station and train line, cross Twentywell Lane and up a few yards then turn right onto footpath into:

Poynton Wood —up through the gorse, then follow the path veering right by the railings into the wood (blurry shot left below) and follow any path along the steep hillside towards Totley until you come out through a narrow gennell at the end of the wood (below right). You are now crossing the start of the River Sheaf, more or less.

Past a few houses, then cross Baslow Road to The Grove, over railway bridge on right after 150 metres onto:

Totley Brook Road — follow for 250 metres to footpath to left along side of Old Hay Brook (below).

Follow path alongside river, then cross footbridge to right over the brook (below)

then fork left and follow path up the steps to field and turn immediate left and find the faint path through various undergrowth, holly bushes and assorted mud through the bottom of two damp fields (below left — from field 1 to field field 2) and finally past two stones (below right) on the ground at the end of the ‘path’ onto:

Old Hay Lane — slight right, then cross (carefully) and through the Avenue Farm gate ahead onto public footpath along drive.

Follow drive for 200m past farm buildings on your left to the wooden gate ahead (below left), then follow path round gate onto boggy path at bottom of field (below right).

then down and left through a small wooden gate near Blacka Dike, round field corner (below) then right and uphill to:

Shorts Lane — at top of hill, go through style onto lane and turn left, then follow track which goes right (below left) down into woods. After stone gateposts at entrance to:

Blacka Moor — turn immediate right (below right) through the gap in the wall onto footpath up (and up) the hill

until you see the field boundary through the trees up ahead (below). Follow path as it heads left and gradually gets closer to the wall as it runs parallel to the field edges through trees at top of hillside onto edge of Blacka Moor.

Follow path keeping field boundaries on your right, up and down around the trees and after a view over Totley eventually head down (as below) through the bracken (still with field edges on your right)

through a small plantation, over a small plank bridge, then at the bog / wall turn right up hill (below).

Keep boundary wall on your right, then head left and up until you turn left just before another wood (below left), and after about 100m through a gate (below) onto the bridleway headed to:

Piper House Gate — follow the bridleway up, ignore other paths and bridleways left and right,

then as you near Hathersage Rd, keep following the path which eventually heads left and through a gate or two through the woods next to the main road until you leave the woods near the junction with:

Stony Ridge Road — follow track at left of the road briefly onto the moor (below left), then back to the road, along the layby for a bit then cross the road to the footpath by a gate onto the moor (below right) heading onto a fairly clear but boggy path over a couple of fields to: