From Meadowhall, we head a relatively short distance along the railway line - and further downstream along the River Don - to the market and minster town of Rotherham. On a map, this close neighbour of Sheffield almost looks in danger of being swallowed up by the city’s expanding suburbs, but Rotherham remains fiercely independent and a Metropolitan Borough in its own right. Founded in the Middle Ages, it expanded considerably during the Industrial Revolution when, like so many of the surrounding towns and villages, it added coal mining to its list of local industries. The name Rotherham is from the Old English for “homestead on the Rother”, the river for which the town is named, and the banks of which we will briefly follow on this walk. Whilst the town’s reputation was undeniably tarnished by the child sexual exploitation scandal of the 2010s, it remains a pleasant place to visit, with lots of rich history, as we shall see.
Rotherham Central station was built in 1987, when Rotherham Masborough Railway Station – located a mile away – closed (Rotherham Masborough’s buildings and platforms still survive and are visible from the train when travelling via the express route from Sheffield to Doncaster). The name “Rotherham Central” is something of an anachronism, since it is now the town’s only station, and it is a resolutely modern affair, but well built if architecturally unexceptional. Unfortunately, in the last few years, it has also proved prone to occasional flooding. From the station, the walk takes us to Bridge Street and then across the bridge over the River Don. Halfway across, a pedestrian footbridge leads us past the Chapel of Our Lady on the Bridge. The bridge and the chapel were built in 1483 and are both Grade I-listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Bridge chapels were once more common, being built to allow travellers to stop and give thanks for a safe journey. Only six remain in England: in addition to the one at Rotherham, four of the other surviving examples are at Bradford-on-Avon, St. Ives in Cambridgeshire, Derby and Rochester, whilst the fifth is in Wakefield – we shall encounter it on a later walk, as we work our way up the West Riding.
The Chapel of Our Lady on the Bridge.
At the end of the bridge, rejoin Bridge Street and turn right along Bridgegate to All Saints Square then bear right and follow Church Street past Rotherham Minster. This Grade I listed church became a Minster in 2004; built in the 12th century on the site of a Saxon church, it was rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries. Whilst it is not the grandest of Minsters, it is nevertheless a striking building and one of Rotherham’s most recognisable. After walking past the Minister, turn left at a crossroads and follow High Street, then at the next crossroads, left again along College Street and right along Effingham Street. At yet another crossroads (with Howard Street), the Old Town Hall can be seen on the left; despite its name, it is actually Rotherham’s third town hall and mostly dates from 1896 to 1897. Having been superseded by a fourth town hall (the current one), it now primarily houses shops.
Turn right along Howard Street and follow it until it ends at Doncaster Gate, then left and left again along Percy Street. When Percy Street ends at Wharncliffe Street turn right and at the next crossroads bear diagonally left and enter Clifton Park. This is Rotherham’s obligatory Victorian municipal park, purchased by the Rotherham Corporation in 1891. It is the former grounds of Clifton House, which was built in 1784 for industrialist John Walker and which now houses Clifton Park Museum, which has a fine collection of pottery from Rockingham Pottery at the nearby town of Swinton. Follow paths clockwise around the park, passing the bandstand, and visiting the museum if you wish before leaving back onto Clifton Lane. Close to the museum, the remains of a Roman granary from nearby Templeborough can be seen, having been re-erected there in 1922; they gave Templeborough its name, albeit erroneously, since the fort of which the granary formed a part was mistaken for a temple when first excavated.
On exiting the park, turn left and follow the road to a roundabout, and take the third exit along Well Gate. Turn left into Gerard Road and at the end turn left along Moorgate, shortly turning right into Boston Castle Grove. Follow this to its end, passing Moorgate Cemetery on your right, to reach Boston Castle. This “castle” is in fact a hunting lodge built in 1773 by Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, in support of the Americans during the War of Independence, and is thus named after Boston in Massachusetts. It is open to the public and there are fine views of Sheffield and Rotherham from its roof. Turn left and follow a path through Boston Park, which is Rotherham’s first public park, opened in 1876 to mark the centenary of American Independence. As you follow the path through the park, ignore the first right turn but bear right at a fork and then turn right again to follow a path downhill next through Canklow Woods, continuing straight on at a crossroads of paths. Ignore another left turn and keep straight ahead along the path to reach West Bawtry Road.
Boston Castle
Turn right and follow the road to a roundabout, then turn left and cross the River Rother, which as noted previous gave Rotherham its name. We have encountered it before, back in Woodhouse, and now turn right along a path to follow it to its confluence with the Don. In contrast to Sheffield’s five rivers, the Rother has lost much of its charm and historical character due to years of straightening and diverting, but the riverside walk is nevertheless pleasingly scenic. Shortly after the river passes beneath Centenary Way, it reaches the bridge carrying Sheffield Road; leave the riverside path and cross this bridge, looking over the far parapet to see where the Rother runs into the Don. Turn right and follow the road to West Gate, then turn left and follow this to Main Street. Cross over the Don, then turn right and follow the towpath along a canalised section of the river. The River Don Navigation was authorised by an Act of Parliament of 1726 and opened in 1751, making the river navigable between Sheffield and the village of Fishlake. In 1895, it became part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, which as we have seen includes the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and runs for forty-three miles from Victoria Quays to the River Trent at Keadby. Rotherham Lock, which we pass as we follow the towpath, dates from the mid-eighteen hundreds, when the navigation was re-routed. From the lock, it is but a short distance back to return to the railway station, and we will remain close to the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation at the next few stops on the railway line.
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