Dog-friendly walks in Denaby Main

A flood-meadow reserve in the Dearne valley between Denaby Main and Mexborough, made up of a shallow lake, wet marsh and rough pasture on the floor of the valley. A single footpath runs from the Pastures Road car park along the length of the water past two bird hides and a viewing screen, so this is a short flat there-and-back rather than a proper circuit. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust gives the dog policy here as on a lead, and it matters: cattle graze the marsh and sheep are on the meadows and pasture, so there is livestock on both sides of the path for much of the year. The ground is wet underfoot for long spells after rain and there is very little shelter, so it is a poor choice in hard weather.

The old flower park at Denaby Main, between Rossington Road and School Walk, laid out as a pit village memorial ground and still holding its bandstand and monuments. It is small, but the council's own Denaby Fit and Fun Walk starts and finishes beside it and takes you out through the streets and onto the higher ground towards the Crags, which is what turns a ten-minute park into a proper walk. There is a play area, a multi-use games court and outdoor gym equipment, so the fenced play ground is a dog exclusion zone under the borough PSPO. There is no car park, no water and no cafe, so treat it as a walk from the door rather than a drive-to destination.