Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

I've done so on many occasions knowing it was Wincobank Hill - but not knowing the significance of it. That's until I went up it with the Sheffield Ramblers. One of the things I didn't know is that it was home to an Iron Age fort or a Roman ridge.

Setting off

We started off from the Meadowhall Interchange up on to the main road behind the depot and crossed at a pelican crossing.

Terry Howard led the group through a small estate on to an open grassland area with a small unearthed path which ran up the hill's early incline.

Meadowhall from Wincobank Hill

This was the Roman Ridge. From my naΓ―ve perspective it could just have been formed through years of dog walking. How little I knew.

I was put in my place as I found out it's part of a snaking 11 mile linear walk across the northern side of Don Valley which runs from Wincobank to Mexborough. (Luckily the my punishment for my ignorance wasn't to walk the whole distance.)

Although we were tackling a smaller version of the walk, we were warned it wasn’t for the faint hearted. It's a constant uphill battle, but the views are panoramic and give great views over Don Valley to Sheffield city centre and all its surrounding suburbs.

Marching on

There was beautiful green foliage all around us and the hill got steeper until we reached a ledge of flat grassland where schoolchildren were playing football. They seemed slightly astonished to see a group of walkers but they carried on with their game as we carried on with the hike.

After another 500 yards or so we reached a crossing where some of our Ramblers left us to catch the bus home, and the rest of us marched on.

World War Two machine gun turret

We climbed up the hill until we reached a stone slab. Terry Howard who was leading the walk described how this had been a machine gun turret during World War Two. It made perfect sense as it was in an ideal position - surrounded by woodland yet within a small clearing which allowed 360 degree views across where the steelworks stood. Its positioning was very useful and tactical in Sheffield’s defence of enemy aircrafts in the Don Valley.

Iron Age fort at Wincobank Hill

Iron Age fort

On we went to the Iron Age fort at the summit of Wincobank Hill. The actual fort is oval in shape and covers an area of two and a half acres, consisting of a single rampart and outer ditch. Running through the site is a track known as Wincobank Lane but otherwise the rampart runs almost three metres above the bottom of the ditch.

The fort is one of a series of forts which run across our region. Others include Mam Tor above Castleton, Carl Wark and Castle Ring in the Peak District, and Caesar's Camp in Scholes Coppice, all sites I would like to visit after going up Wincobank Hill.

Once we'd taken in the spectacular views we started to descend the hill, down a small path within the woods where brambles tugged at your jacket and the bushes were so overgrown you felt as though you were walking through a jungle.

Hidden coal

As we followed Terry through a parting of trees he told us that unknowingly there was coal underfoot - in fact he actually bent down and picked some up. Because the coal was quite close to the surface, Terry explained that many people during the miners strike used to come up here to try and get some coal until the dispute ended.

Ramblers at the bus stop

Once we had fully finished the walk it was only another 15 minutes walk to the local bus stop just near the Northern General Hospital.

It may have only been a small hike but my legs felt the effects of the effort of getting up the hill, and with the winds blowing a gale my lungs were filled not only with the freshest of air but also with a sense of satisfaction and humbleness at the historic hill which is soaked in history yet goes unlooked so often.