Walton Nature Park to RSPB Old Moor

This ride takes us from Walton Colliery Nature Park down to the RSPB Old Moor reserve near Wath-upon-Dearne, where there is a decent café in the visitor centre serving a range of meals and snacks to eat in or take out, including vegan options. Alternatively, you can bring your own food and eat it in the visitor centre courtyard.

The relatively flat route uses a good variety of trails, including parts of the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) network. The outward leg is very straightforward along abandoned canal and railways all the way to Old Moor. The return route uses more of a mixture of trails, bridleways and abandoned railways.

Meet at: Walton Colliery Nature Park, B6378 Shay Lane, Walton - between Walton & Crofton. Nearest postcode is WF2 6PR which is the other side of the railway viaduct to the car park. Please note that there are no facilities here other than the car park itself, which is free.

What3Words: https://what3words.com/muscular.tangling.velocity

Time: 10:00 for a 10:15 start.

Distance: 32 miles approx.

Estimated duration: 5½ hours (including stops)

Technical difficulty: GREEN/BLUE (Easy to Moderate). Mostly good trails with nothing particularly technical apart from muddy puddles and a few lumps and bumps.

Physical difficulty: BLUE/RED (Moderate to Difficult), simply because of the distance. Total (aggregate) ascent about 1,300ft over the entire route, which isn't much at all.

Suitable for: Mountain bikes and Hybrids or Gravel bikes with treaded tyres.

Recommendations: Spare Tube, Tools, Snacks, Water.

Safety: No Helmet = No Ride!