Walk · South Yorkshire

Wombwell Wood

Wombwell · S74 9SZ
N 440 YD
2.5MILES
1h 20mON FOOT
70mCLIMB
CircularSHAPE
Off-road 95% 5% shares tarmac with cars
Field & moor path 60%Lane & track 35%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
Wombwell Wood car park, Woodhead Lane, Hoyland, Barnsley S74 9SZ — from Wombwell take the B6096 Hough Lane west towards Jump, third exit at the roundabout towar S74 9SZ
Parking
Free Forestry England car park on Woodhead Lane with no charges; it is not large and fills on fine weekend mornings, and there are no accessible bays
Directions to the start →

A hundred and forty-four hectares of ancient broadleaf woodland between Wombwell, Jump and Worsbrough, held by Forestry England and old enough to appear in Domesday. Paths twist through the trees to a large pond and stream in the middle of the wood, with open glades on the higher ground and bluebells through the middle of spring. Forestry England lists it plainly as dogs allowed and there are no parking charges, which makes it the best free off-lead woodland in this corner of Barnsley. There are no toilets, no cafe and no accessible parking bays, and the paths turn to mud from November onwards.

THE SMALL PRINTForestry England lists Wombwell Wood as "Dogs allowed" and applies its Forest Dog Code: "Keep your dog close and in sight" — use a lead if they don't always return when called, and prevent your dog from going up to or chasing people or animals; "Always clean up your dog's poo" — bag it and bin it or take it home, any public or household general waste bin will do; and "Stay safe" — follow signs to avoid injury and protect forest wildlife and farm animals, and take care around other visitors, bikes and horses. Barnsley's borough-wide dog control PSPO also applies.

House rules, decoded

Off-lead OK
REGION · SOUTH YORKSHIRE
GRID · 53.5163, -1.4326
SOURCE · HTTPS://WWW.FORESTRYENGLAND.UK/WOMBWELL-WOOD
Also in Wombwell
No photo yet
Pub DOGS WELCOME

The George Hotel

S73 0DD
No reviews yet

A community pub on George Street in the middle of Wombwell, run by Craft Union, with a pool table, sports screens and an outside area at the back. The operator states "We are pet-friendly and we welcome everyone" and lists it as a dog friendly pub. It is wet-led rather than a food house, so this is a pint after the Wombwell Ings footpath rather than a Sunday lunch. Level access and an accessible toilet.

In the bar
VERIFIED 30 JUL 2026 VIEW ›
No photo yet
Pub SOME LIMITS

The Prince of Wales Hotel

S73 0DA
No reviews yet

A street-corner local at 15 High Street in the middle of Wombwell, a few doors from the shops on Hough Lane. Craft Union names it as a dog friendly pub, with water bowls kept behind the bar and no expectation that a dog stays outside. It is wet-led — sport on the screens, pool, and a crowd that knows each other — so it suits a pint after the Ings or the Trans Pennine Trail rather than a meal. The George Hotel is a couple of minutes away on George Street if this one is full.

In the bar Water bowls
VERIFIED 30 JUL 2026 VIEW ›
N 880 YD
Walk SOME LIMITS

Wombwell Ings from Old Moor

S73 0YQ
3 MI · 1H 35M · 90% OFF-ROAD

Wombwell Ings is the westernmost of the Dearne Valley flashes, a wet grazing marsh in the crook of the River Dove with a public footpath running right round it and a hide on the south side looking over the main flash. The RSPB is explicit that "Dogs are welcome on the rights of way but please do not let them stray from the path", and there are grazing horses on the marsh, so this is a lead walk rather than a run-about. The approach along the Trans Pennine Trail from Old Moor is hard-surfaced and flat; the footpath round the ings itself is grass and can be genuinely wet after rain. There is no car park at the ings, so this is written from the Old Moor car park and back.

Livestock — leads on
VERIFIED 30 JUL 2026 VIEW ›

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