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Start the walk from the Vaughton Hill area of Deepcar. Take the road away from Deepcar and towards the by-pass. Walking up the left hand pavement go under the railway bridge. After 20 metres take the footpath that cuts back up into the woods. Follow this path as it swings round to the right.
at the gate to the open field follow the ridge of the old field boundary across the field. This will bring you to a gate to a crossing of the by-pass. Visibility is good in both directions at this crossing point.
Follow the field boundary up the hill to the gate and style. Having climbed over the style you are on farm tracks. You need to take the track that goes straight up the hill and passes between the farm house and the stable block. Go through the farm yard. The footpath goes through a gate at the far side of the farmyard.
Go up the field keeping the wall to your left. there is a bench for you to rest and admire the views. After about 100m the path crosses the wall and continues up the hill with the wall a few metres to your right.
The path opens out onto a lane by Holly Hall Farm. Follow the lane round the farm. Views to Wortley and Thurgoland now appear. The exit off this lane is easy to miss as the footpath sign was missing at the time of writing. Follow the lane down until it turns sharply left. there was a green grit bin on the left hand side of the road. The path is on the right hand side of the lane, on the corner. Pass over the style and down into the field.
The path head off in the opposite direction to that which the lane takes after the corner. Keep the fence to your right an head for the corner of the field. Pass over the stone style and follow the old track. There is a steep drop down to the River Don on the left hand side. This is an excellent location for bluebells in spring.
Follow the track through the gate and descend down the track until you reach a T junction of tracks. The route we want goes right, however it is well worth turning right and taking a detour of about 100 metres to the stepping stones at Forge Lane.
Having cooled you feet return to the junction and take the track away form the stepping stones. This track leads to the ponds of the old tin mill. Continue along the track until it emerges at Soughley Bridge, close to the by-pass junction. The track you require is across the road and about 40m down to the left.
Take this track and pass underneath the by-pass bridge. take the steps down and follow the path along the side of the river until you reach the weir and narrow bridge. Keep on the right hand bank, taking the path. This is a good stretch of river to spot dippers. They are black with a white breast. They stand on rocks and dip up and down.
As you approach the railway bridge take the right hand fork in the path that heads up the banking. Follow the path across the open ground and then drop down to the style by the railway bridge. You are now back on Vaughton Hill. turn left to return to Deepcar. |
