Dearne Valley Country Park

Right in the heart of Barnsley, Dearne Valley Country Park is criss-crossed by inviting paths, taking you through woodland and grassland, with riverside wildlife to enjoy along the way

Location

Pontefract Road
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S71 1HS

OS Map Reference

SE 36285 06591 (Car park)
What 3 words: title.jumps.origin
A static map of Dearne Valley Country Park

Know before you go

Size
80 hectares
z

Entry fee

Free
P

Parking information

Car park on Pontefract Road. Additional parking is just off Eaming View at the western end of the site

Walking trails

The Trans-Pennine Trail connects Dearne Valley Country Park to the regional cycling and walking network. The site is flat and most paths are tarmacked or surfaced. In the woods, some paths are unsurfaced and there are some steep steps

Access

Good tarmac paths and range of DDA compliant routes.

Dogs

On a lead

Some more remote areas are suitable for running free.

i

Facilities

Picnic area
Outdoor play area

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times. We recommend half a day to visit this site. Stay longer with a visit to nearby Barnsley Main or Littleworth Park, or go for a walk or bike ride on the Trans-Pennine Trail

Best time to visit

Good all year round site

About the reserve

Something for everyone

Whether you’re looking for a leisurely stroll, somewhere to entertain the kids or walk the dog, or to spend some down-time enjoying a variety of wildlife, Dearne Valley Country Park offers something for everyone all year round.

It hasn’t always been this way though - the site of the park was once dominated by mining infrastructure; the roads and spoil heaps, canals and bridges that served the coal industry.

Cliffe Wood, inside the park, pre-dates all of that. Gnarly and otherworldly, it’s an ancient woodland of oak and silver birch, filled with bluebells in spring and fungi in autumn, with roaming flocks of siskins and other woodland birds in winter. Keep your eyes peeled for some more unusual varieties of mushrooms as you walk through - amethyst deceivers have been spotted here. As you might expect from the name, they’re violet in colour, like amethyst crystals.

The park’s a great place for a family outing, with picnic benches, a skatepark and play area, as well as space to explore.

Wildlife on – and in – the water

The river Dearne, full of life and with grey wagtails flitting from bank to bank, flows through the park, supplying the large fishing lake that’s the focal point of the reserve. The water attracts ducks aplenty, and kingfishers are a regular sight on the river and on Barnsley Canal at the west end of the park. Upstream of the fishing lake, a wildlife lake emerges from the wet woodland.

There are frogs and toads galore, and you might even see the odd pike basking in the summer. These large fish can grow to more than a metre long!

Contact us

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01904 659570
Contact email: info@ywt.org.uk

Environmental designation

Local Wildlife Site (LWS)

About

Dearne Valley Country Park brings wildlife into the heart of Barnsley. This spectacular 80 hectare park includes the Cliffe Wood, a Local Wildlife Site, canal and riverside habitats, wet-woodland and grassland. The park is well used for dog walking, the Hoyle Mill angling club fish the beautiful main lake and there is even a skatepark and play area.

Scores of wildfowl cruise the river with the ever busy grey wagtails flitting from shore to shore. There are two main lakes in the Park. The largest lake forms the focal point for the park with many visitors taking the pleasant circular route for a dog walk, a family stroll or cycle ride. There are ample picnic benches in the park if you like to eat al fresco!

Upstream of the fishing lake is the “wildlife lake” that emerges from the wet woodland. One of the few stretches of the Barnsley canal, still in water can be found at the west end of the Park. This is also the place to see kingfishers, there are frogs galore and the odd basking pike to be seen in the summer months. We work with Barnsley council to ensure that the grass is cut to leave a mosaic of different length sward heights for invertebrates to forage, feed and breed.  We have also been removing historic rubbish from the wildlife rich river.

Yorkshire wildlife Trust manage the park in partnership with Barnsley council for the benefit of local people and wildlife.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring: Plants - Bluebell; Wild Garlic; Birds - Willow tit; Great spotted woodpecker; Amphibian - Frog and toad colony
  • Summer: Invertebrates - Brown hawker; Birds - Kingfisher; Grey wagtails; Fish - Pike
  • Autumn: Fungi - Scarlet elf cap; Amethyst deceiver; Birds - Teal
  • Winter: Birds - Tawny owl; Goldcrest; Treecreeper; Bullfinch

History

The site of the park was once an industrial waste, criss-crossed with mining infrastructure, roads, hardstanding, spoil heaps and the canals and bridges that served the coal industry.
 

Directions

Public transport
The fantastic Trans-Pennine Trail connects Dearne Valley Country Park into the regional cycling and walking network. Many regular bus services from Barnsley Town Centre stop at the bus stop at the main car park entrance on Pontefract Road. It's a 15 minutes walk from the Barnsley railway station.

By car
From Barnsley Town Centre follow Pontefract Road towards Lundwood. The main car park is on your left a few hundred metres after the Hoyle Mill Inn.

Nearby