Doncaster

Walk Details:
Date: 4/12/2005
Total ascent: 19m/ 62ft
Total distance walked: 0.91 miles
Walk difficulty: 1.5/10
Enjoyment rating: 2.5/10
Best bits: Urban views look so much better in the dark!
Worst bits: Carrying about three pounds of mud into my car on my shoes.
Walkers: Anth, Jim
Car Parking: There’s space to park outside the houses behind Fordoles Farm, on Fordoles Head Lane at SK 513 940

Top details:
Name: Foredoles Head
County top number: 113 of 205
Grid reference: SK 51307 93376 Map
Height above sea level: 144m/ 472ft
How nice was the top? 1.5/10
Views: 3/10
Description/Notes: The highest point in Doncaster Unitary Authority is marked by a trig point in the middle of a ploughed field

The Walk:

Leaving the York county top, we were discussing where to go next. There was still the potential of beating our record number of county tops in a day if we got another two tops (maybe Wakefield and Rotherham), but as dusk started to close in we decided that would be impossible. Instead we would just equal our record of ten tops by bagging the Doncaster top.

After driving through a large industrial area we eventually turned into Foredoles Head Lane and parked on the rough track outside a few lonely houses. Not wishing to face the wrathe of the residents I didn’t stop to change into walking boots (Jim already had his on, but I can’t drive in mine) but jumped out and hurried off down the track, thinking that a track couldn’t be that muddy anyway. How wrong I was!

The hardcore of the track soon petered out as the track rose gently up to Foredoles Head. Off to our right we could see the dismal warehousing of the industrial estate we had driven through, and hear the noise of the M18 beyond that. It wasn’t too appealing a top so far. Reaching the crest of the hill the track vanished altogether, and without walking boots I found myself slipping and struggling along a sticky field edge. We soon saw the trig point a dozen or so yards into the ploughed field to our left, and waded out to it. I could feel the weight of my shoes growing with every pace.

By the time we’d taken photos and GPS readings, night had very definitely set in. Now the view was transformed into a sea of twinkling lights – it’s amazing how much some urban views are improved at night!

We were a little disappointed we hadn’t beaten our record for number of county tops in one day; but we had at least equalled both our record number of tops, and record number of hills in one day – not a bad achievement given how close we were to the shortest day of the year. Our celebrations were held up by the atrocious A631 – I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many unnecessary speed limits and speed cameras in my life! We eventually reconvened with the girls at our B&B in Lincoln and celebrated our achievement with a superb mixed grill and excellent real ales from (surprisingly!) a Weatherspoons pub.