Spaldington

Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve

Almholme · 19 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 Historical documents from the early 18th century refer to the area in connection with the River Dun Navigation, while the name Thorpe Marsh itself first appears in 1731 letters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.

Drax Priory

Long Drax · 6.2 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)

The Whipping Stone

North Newbald · 9.9 miles

base of stone cross

Groupes Lourds

Elvington · 9.9 miles

Commemorating the French heavy bombers at Elvington (allegedly the genesis of the French air force)

Millenium War Memorial

Walkington · 13 miles

Warm memorial installed at the millennium celebrating the anniversary of the end of the war.

Bishopthorpe Palace

Bishopthorpe · 14 miles

Official residence of the Archbishop of York from 1241 to the present day.