Six brave soles met at the appointed hour of 08:30 after losing one hours sleep as the clocks had ‘sprung’ forward.

We met at the Hatfield Moor car park and begun by retracing our January social walk route behind the prison complex (with a short diversion) towards 10-acre pond. Following the Peatlands Way to the edges of Hatfield Woodhouse. It is here we parted ways from our Jan walk and made our way through the edges of the village.

Just before the M18 we once again found the god forsaken 3km straight line Gatewood Lane.

Finding the Boston Park Farm (petting zoo) for elevenses and its café made a welcome sight (some even had cake!!!)

Leaving the café we crossed the A18 and made our way back towards the car park but turned right…

Following the outer edge path around the moor (following the inky black Old Moor Drain) to Sand Lane we ‘climbed’ the bank and crossed the River Torne and turned left (but not where the waymarks pointed).

Lunch was taking on the Pumping Station wall at Candy Corner. 

Now following the High Street, we found the post office path (but no post office) behind the houses. worryingly we thought we may miss the pub but we were very well reassured when the path spat us out across from the Cross keys public house.

After a swift half we made our way back onto the river Torne bank from Poles Bank (the poles became very apt later).

Back on the Torne we made our way back to Sands Lane and entered the moor again over old moor drain. A more direct route across took us to the viewing platform. Whereby we found a replica neolithic trackway and a memorial to a crashed WW2 Wellington Bomber manned by polish airmen.

https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/w5557.html

A short trackway took us back to our cars after a very enjoyable 18ml day

Many thanks Bill for standing in for a not very well John