Oughtibridge, Coumes Brook and High Bradfield

As with most walks out of Oughtibridge, we start with an uphill walk, fairly easy this time, from the village centre through Sensicall Park and then joining Wheel Lane for a short distance before following a footpath into Coumes Wood and following Coumes Brook up-stream. The path alongside the brook is narrow in places and may be slippery and muddy depending on recent weather.

We reach a point where we pass through a wall stile and then there is a very short but steep uphill section of the path, continuing into Coumes Vale Plantation. We eventually join a better and wider track through the plantation, and walk up to the tarmac road at Onesmoor Bottom. At this point most of the uphill walking is finished (honestly!). We will turn off the lane and walk across ‘Brittains Plantation’, although there aren’t many trees here! We pass over a couple of stiles and then have a wonderful view of the High Bradfield and Bradfield Dale area. This should be a good place to stop for refreshments.

Afterward, we start downhill, cross Delf Road, and follow a fairly steep downhill path over Kirk Edge. Before entering High Bradfield, we will turn left and follow a footpath passed Castle Hill – a monument comprising a small oval motte with a parallel sided bailey to the south-east. From Castle Hill we drop down to a wide track and follow this and footpaths across farmland towards Holdworth where there is a little road walking before continuing on a footpath towards Worrall and downhill through Birks Wood and back to our starting point.

We walk through woodland and farmland mainly on footpaths but with short distances on country lanes. There are a number of easy stiles and a couple of tall ladder stiles on this walk.