Today Sybil and I walked around 10 miles; from our house and down along the canal, then onward along the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) into Sheffield.
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| Our route |
The TPT runs from Southport near Liverpool, to Hornsea on the east coast. We weren't going quite that far however; today was merely a taster. Given our (or rather my, can't blame Sybil) track record for getting lost I had a copy of the TPT map in my rucksack, along with several days' worth of food and water, a survival blanket and flares.
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| 55 minutes? They lied |
We passed through Rotherham centre, where all was silent on this glorious Sunday morning. The trail passes the new council buildings and football stadium before quietly heading past two nature reserves: Centenary Riverside and Blackburn Meadows. There were a fair few people enjoying a stroll alongside the canal, no doubt making the most of the weather after the almost constant rain we've had this week. It was a good opportunity to practise Sybil's sit-stays whenever a cyclist came into view, and I have to say she did me proud.
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| On squirrel patrol |
The M1 motorway soon came into view as we arrived in Tinsley. We walked under the viaduct and I read an interesting noticeboard about the wildlife of the waterways. It confirmed that otters were back on Sheffield's rivers, and I kept an eye out for any signs but I would probably have had better luck on the River Don rather than the canal itself. I did see a flock of Goosander on the canal back in Rotherham, though.
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| Chilling by the canal |
As we neared Meadowhall, the route branched into two. The official TPT passes Meadowhall and continues into Sheffield via the Five Weirs Walk, but we stayed on the towpath as I figured Sybil would be able to stay off-lead for longer. I swear this is the truth, I actually chose to deviate from the route for once rather than it happening by accident.
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| You're going the wrong way, Sybil! |
The path ran parallel to the tramlines for a while as it continued towards the city centre - or so I was hoping anyway, as I noticed that the traffic noise that had accompanied us so far had died off. We carried on regardless, and sure enough not long later the towpath spat us out at Victoria Quays.
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| Victoria Quays |
It was back on the lead for Sybil as we headed for the railway station. I was fine now I had gotten my bearings, but the signposts certainly helped.
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