Beltoft

Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Auckley · 6.2 miles

A wildlife-focused zoo set on the former Brockholes Farm near Branton and Auckley, south-east of Doncaster, offers a mix of animal conservation, rehabilitation and visitor attractions across roughly 100 acres. The park opened to the public in April 2009 after the site was bought in 2008 and redeveloped; the ceremony was performed by television presenter Justin Fletcher, MBE. It is recognised as a member of both the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and now houses around 500 animals representing about 100 species. Key areas include the Atlantic Forest, a South-American-themed zone opened in 2021 that displays bush dogs, maned wolves and lowland tapirs, and Lion Country, a ten-acre enclosure created in 2010 for rescued African lions. Visitors can walk through Lemur Woods to watch crowned, ring-tailed and red-bellied lemurs, or view Amur tigers from a 150-metre raised walkway in Land of the Tigers. The leopard enclosure, launched in 2012, features an eight-metre viewing tower and a long glass wall and is described as the world’s largest for the species. Project Polar, opened in 2014, provides a ten-acre habitat for six male polar bears, including deep pools. Facilities have been expanded with the Yorkshire Hive entrance, a larger car park, retail outlets, coffee shops, a restaurant added in 2022 and an on-site hotel serving guests and nearby airport travellers. Admission is charged and opening times are listed on the park’s official listing.

Potteric Carr Nature Reserve

Bessacarr · 8.7 miles

The reserve stretches over more than 3,000 acres on the south-eastern fringe of Doncaster, close to the Bessacarr community. Managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the site requires an entry fee and operates according to the opening hours listed on the Trust’s website. Its extensive wetland, grassland and woodland habitats are accessible via marked paths, offering opportunities for bird-watching, nature walks and informal study of the local flora and fauna. Historical records trace the area back to the mid-16th century, when the traveller Leland described a “largely impenetrable morass of bog and fen” that lay beyond the road from Rossington Bridge. The carr formed part of the medieval Hatfield Chase, later serving as a royal deer chase before falling into disuse under Elizabeth I. Over the following centuries attempts at drainage were made, culminating in a successful scheme by John Smeaton in the late 1700s, after which a duck decoy operated for about a century, its proceeds aiding the poor of Doncaster. The arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1849 and subsequent coal-related developments fragmented the landscape, with marshalling yards, sidings and further railway lines cutting through the former carr. Despite these alterations, the present reserve retains remnants of its wetland origins, now protected for wildlife and public enjoyment.

Sprotbrough Flash Nature Reserve

Warmsworth · 13 miles

The reserve occupies 28 hectares on the north bank of the River Don, just south of Sprotbrough and close to Warmsworth in South Yorkshire. Managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the site includes a long, water-filled depression that runs parallel to the river, giving the area its name. The Trans Pennine Trail cuts across the reserve, providing a route for walkers and cyclists to explore the habitat. The protected zone overlaps with Sprotbrough Gorge, which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Geologically, the ground dates back to the Permian period, when dolomite formed and later supported mid-19th-century quarrying; the original quarry remains visible opposite the river beside the lake. The lake itself resulted from subsidence after the collapse of historic coal mines. Fossil evidence shows that the Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros once roamed the area, with bones recovered from the site. Current wildlife includes common kingfishers, Eurasian bitterns, great crested grebes and ruddy darters, alongside mammals such as brown hare and reptiles like grass snake. The flora features species such as common twayblade, early purple orchid, spindle and small-leaved lime. Visitors can reach the reserve via the Trans Pennine Trail and by road from Warmsworth; the trust operates the site, though specific visitor facilities or admission details are not listed in the source material.

South Elmsall and Moorthorpe War Memorial

South Elmsall · 18 miles

First World War memorial, 1923, by Wilfrid Bond of Grantham. Second World War inscriptions added later. Market-cross style design

Maltby Buttercross

Maltby · 14 miles

South Yorkshire Air Museum

Belle Vue · 9.3 miles

Located at Lakeside on the outskirts of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the museum occupies the former RAF Doncaster airfield. The site retains the last original RAF structures – a Bellman-type hangar and two wooden Air Ministry billet huts (Buildings 19 and 21) – together with a range of smaller outbuildings. A newer former Air Training Corps cadet hut has been added beside Building 21 to house a World War Two collection, and the volunteer-run organisation also hosts the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group, which moved from the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington in July 2002 and maintains an on-site workshop for helicopter restoration. Exhibits span the whole history of aviation, from early pioneers to contemporary military jets, and include a substantial array of civil aircraft and gliders. A permanent display concentrates on the Falklands War, presenting aircraft that served in the conflict or represent their types. The museum also showcases aircraft with strong local connections, many of which operated from nearby airfields such as RAF Finningley, Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the original RAF Doncaster site. Notable restored pieces include the cockpit section of an Avro Vulcan B.2, a Bristol Sycamore HR.14, a Gloster Meteor T.7 and a Cessna 150. Recent additions comprise a Pucará received from the Royal Air Force Museum in 2025 and a Bristol Bolingbroke project transferred from the Imperial War Museum in 2026. The attraction lies nearest to the Belle Vue district, making it reachable by local road networks. Visitors can explore the historic hangars and huts, view the diverse aircraft displays and observe the helicopter group’s workshop activities, all overseen by a team of volunteers.