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Penistone to Shepley linear

South Yorkshire Walk

County/Area - South Yorkshire & West Yorkshire - Barnsley

Author - Andy Chaplin

Length - 8.0 miles / 13 km    Ascent - 700 feet / 212 metres

Time - 4 hours 40 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Penistone to Shepley linear
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This linear Barnsley walk starts and finishes at Penistone station (grid ref. SE251032). Being a one-way walk, the return journey relies on the hourly train service from Shepley back to Penistone. There is some parking at Penistone station and even more at the car park next to the Paramount cinema/theatre which is nearby. The cinema itself is well worth a visit at some other time as it is one of very few cinemas that still has an interval for ice-creams and drinks from the bar.

This 8 mile route is actually two consecutive walks that were devised, described and marked by the Denby Dale Walkers are Welcome organisation. There were two leaflets on line from 2013 that describe the route and the sights in some detail.

However, by way of a short introduction, the walk is a train enthusiast's delight as it takes in part of the old Woodhead line from Penistone. The walk also passes the impressive viaducts at Penistone and Denby Dale on the current Sheffield to Huddersfield line and gets tantalisingly close to Kirklees Light Railway at Shelley.

The walk also offers some great views of the South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire countryside - notably from Royd Moor back towards the Don valley at Penistone and from Upper Denby down to the Dearne valley at Denby Dale.

The route is well marked either as the Pen-Den Trail or the Denby Dale to Shepley Trail. All in all it is a great couple of walks - so many thanks to Denby Dale Walkers Are Welcome for the routes and information.

Other walks nearby

Walk 2726 Penistone Circular from Scout Dike Reservoirmoderate8.3 miles
Walk 2238 Thurgoland Boundary Walk Oxspring easy/mod8.6 miles
Walk 2825 Silkstone Circular & Cannon Hall Country Parkmoderate10.4 miles
Walk 3401 From Langsett to Crowden via Woodheadmoderate11.0 miles
Walk 1581 Langsett Reservoireasy3.0 miles
Walk 2086 Stainborough Castle, Wentworth Castle & Worsbrougheasy/mod8.9 miles
Walk 1401 Hordron Road and the Little Doneasy/mod5.0 miles
Walk 2231 The Eastern Edgeshard25.0 miles
Walk 1526 Cats Clough Head & Outer Edgemoderate9.0 miles
Walk 1695 Flouch & Winscar circular easy/mod9.0 miles

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