Reedness

Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve

Almholme · 16 miles

Covering 77 hectares, the reserve sits on the flood-prone lowland of the River Don south-west of Thorpe in Balne and north of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. Managed jointly by volunteers operating for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, the site occupies the marshland that formed after the closure of the adjacent coal-fired power station in 1994 and the demolition of its cooling towers in 2012. The landscape is characterised by wet grassland, reed beds and a network of ditches that support a variety of wet-land wildlife. The fields within the reserve retain a ridge-and-furrow pattern dating from the medieval open-field system, still evident in Reedholme, Applehurst and Cockshaw. Historical documents from the early 18th century refer to the area in connection with the River Dun Navigation, while the name Thorpe Marsh itself first appears in 1731 letters concerning that project. Remains of Reedholme House, recorded on an 1849 map, are still visible, and the site’s long-standing association with flax cultivation is documented in 1790s claims for agricultural subsidies. The nearest settlement identified on OpenStreetMap is Almholme, providing a reference point for visitors approaching the reserve. No admission charge or specific visitor facilities are mentioned in the source material, but the presence of volunteer staff suggests basic access for walkers and wildlife observers.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Auckley · 17 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.

Drax Priory

Long Drax · 8.1 miles

"In 1868 it was reported that traces of the priory could still be found[2] but field work in the 1980s and 1990s has failed to find any physical remains of it" (source: wikipedia)

Central Park

Lincolnshire House · 9.9 miles

Park and Garden

The Whipping Stone

North Newbald · 11 miles

base of stone cross

Coronation Garden

North Ferriby · 12 miles

Opened to commerate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2nd 1953