Walk · South Yorkshire

Swinton Lock to Kilnhurst along the navigation

Swinton · S64 8HR
N 880 YD
2MILES
55mON FOOT
10mCLIMB
Linear — plan the returnSHAPE
Off-road 95% 5% shares tarmac with cars
Field & moor path 40%Lane & track 55%Road with traffic 5%

Our drawing of the route — the shape of the walk, not a navigation aid. Carry OS Explorer on the hill.

Starts at
Swinton Lock, Dun Street, Swinton Bridge, by the activity centre S64 8HR
Finishes at
Kilnhurst, by the Ings and the stationLinear — plan how you get back
Parking
Free on-street parking on Dun Street and around Swinton Bridge; Swinton station car park is a few minutes away and is the sensible choice on a weekday when the industrial estate is busy
Directions to the start →

A flat two miles of towpath along the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation from Swinton Lock, where the old Dearne and Dove Canal met the Don, south-east to Kilnhurst. It runs between the working navigation and the river through the ground the collieries left behind, past Swinton Lock Activity Centre on Dun Street and out to the washland at Kilnhurst Ings. Swinton and Kilnhurst both have stations on the same line, so you can walk one way and ride back. The towpath is level and mostly surfaced, but it is unfenced against the water in places.

THE SMALL PRINTCanal and River Trust Towpath Code: "Keep dogs under close control and clean up after them", with "Pedestrians have priority", "Cyclists must slow down for others" and "Take extra care when passing people, pets and wildlife". Anglers line this stretch, and the code asks you to "respect people using the waterway for activities like angling, boating or paddle sports". Rotherham Council's only dog order is the borough-wide Dog Fouling Public Spaces Protection Order, in operation from 29 January 2025 for three years, with a fixed penalty up to £100 or a fine up to £1,000 on conviction. Rotherham publishes no order requiring leads and none excluding dogs from open space.
REGION · SOUTH YORKSHIRE
GRID · 53.4864, -1.3023
SOURCE · HTTPS://CANALRIVERTRUST.ORG.UK/SUPPORT-US/OUR-CAMPAIGNS/STAY-KIND-SLOW-DOWN/OUR-TOWPATH-CODE
Also in Swinton
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Stay NOT CHECKED YET

Swinton Park

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Swinton Park is a place to stay in Swinton, Swinton. It is listed here so you know it is there, but we have not yet established whether dogs are welcome — so there is no verdict on this page and no stamp. If it is your business, claim the page and tell us, and we will stamp it.

NOT CHECKED YET · IS THIS YOURS? VIEW ›
N 176 YD
Walk SOME LIMITS

Swinton Queen Street Recreation Ground

S64 9HB
0.7 MI · 20M · 90% OFF-ROAD

One of two recreation grounds Rotherham Council keeps in Swinton, this one off Queen Street on the northern side of the town, with pitches, changing rooms and a path round the perimeter. It is flat, open and lit at the road end, which makes it the practical everyday walk for the top end of Swinton. For anything longer, the navigation towpath at Swinton Bridge is a mile south-east and Manvers is two miles west. Keep off the marked pitches when games are on.

Off-lead OK
VERIFIED 30 JUL 2026 VIEW ›
N 440 YD
Walk SOME LIMITS

Swinton to Mexborough along the navigation

S64 8HR
1.6 MI · 45M · 95% OFF-ROAD

The short north-eastern leg of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation from Swinton Lock up to Mexborough, about three quarters of a mile each way on a level towpath beside the working waterway. Swinton Junction, where the derelict Dearne and Dove Canal turned west, is at the Swinton end. It is a working navigation with commercial-sized locks, so the water is deep and the edge is unfenced in places. Both towns have a station on the same line if you want to walk one way and ride back.

VERIFIED 30 JUL 2026 VIEW ›

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