Silkstone Waggonway
IMPORTANT: the Google map below is a very rough indication of the Waggonway route. Please read the PDF version of the official booklet available below in the details and information box.
Click the icons or route (the blue line) on the map for more information.
You can also view a larger, printable version of this Silkstone Waggonway map (opens in new window). Photos taken in the area are also available on that page - click the drop-down menu (starts with "traffic") on the right of the map for more options.
Please note that the route is for guidance only. If you spot any errors please notify us and we will make corrections as soon as possible.
The Route
The Silkstone Waggonway takes in both the beatiful landscape and historical heritage of the area.
To the many people who use the Bridleway, which runs through the village of Silkstone and down the valley, they find it a pleasant walk away from the busy roads.
To the residents of Silkstone this public right of way is called the "Waggonway". It was formerly the route of a horse drawn railway, built in 1809 by the Barnsley Canal Navigation Company, which was granted in 1808 an Act of Parliament for the building of a waggonway. This early railway transported the coal from the collieries in the Silkstone Valley 2.5 miles from Silkstone Cross to Barnby Basin Cawthorne, the terminus of the canal.
In 1830 Robert.C.Clarke of Noblethorpe Hall built an extension up to Silkstone Common and down to his new colliery developments at Moorend.
Coal had been mined in the Silkstone area for hundreds of years but this land-locked coalfield had to wait until the coming of the canal and railways to be fully exploited.
Read more in the PDF available on the right.
Details and information
Distance (one way):
3.34 miles (as calculated by Google)
Places on the route or nearby:
Silkstone, Silkstone Common, Huskar Memorial, Nabs Wood, Pot House Hamlet, Moorend, Blackhorse, Noblethorpe Hall, Norcroft Bridge, Barnby Basin.
Facilities: Car parking at the Silkstone Common station; toilets at the pubs (Station Inn and pubs in Silkstone) and Pot House Hamlet - generally for customers only so please ask!
Links and other info:
An informative, illustrated booklet was printed to accompany the walk and is essential for those wishing to walk it. Although now hard to find,
a version is available here to download and print. (NB the layout isn't the same and most images have been omitted; however, the text is exactly the same.)