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| Thorne, Crowle and Goole Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest, Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve. Courtesy Natural England/Peter Wakely |
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About eleven miles northeast of Doncaster is the town of Thorne. It has long been a busy little market town, and a coal mining community until the closure of the colliery. There has been a canal running through Thorne since 1802, and the town has had a long association with boat building, and although the larger industries are no longer there, there are still several smaller thriving marinas, boat yards and boat builders.
The landscape of Thorne is very flat, and has been dubbed 'Little Holland' due to that and its canal and disused windmills. What draws many people to the area around Thorne is the bog and peatland across the moors. The Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve, which includes Thorne and Hatfield Moors, is the largest area of raised bog wilderness in lowland Britain, and is a rare and important habitat. |
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It's a vast area with more than 5000 species of plants and animals living there, including some rare and endangered ones. It's been a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1970. The area is certainly worth exploring and seeing what wildlife you can spot, but stick to the paths as the peaty ground and ditches of water can be dangerous!
Thorne is easily accessible due to the nearby motorways and the town's two railway stations, and a few notable places that are worth visiting in the town itself are Buntings Wood, and Thorne Memorial Park, that has a bandstand, miniature railway and a lake suitable for model boats. The miniature railway runs every Sunday between Easter and the end of September, and the first Sunday in every month between October and Easter.
The Parish Church of St Nicholas is behind the Market Place. It is interesting to wander around, with its medieval font and many Norman features. It is close to Peel Hill, on which used to be a Motte and Bailey castle. Today, nothing remains of the castle except the foundations on the hill, as it was demolished in the seventeenth century. It is still an interesting, historical feature, even though it has become somewhat of a bike park. There are a couple of guided walks that pass this site, amongst other sites of interest – the Thorne Town Trail of 2.5 miles (4 km), and the circular Historic Thorne Walk of 2.5-4.5 miles (4-7 km) depending how far you wish to explore Buntings Wood. Information on these, and other walks around Thorne can be obtained from the Town Council. Walks taking in the wider landscape include the waymarked Thorne Round Walk of 11.5 miles (18.5 km) which roughly follows the River Don. This goes through a mixture of habitats with various species of wildlife to observe. The Peatlands Way is a 50 mile (80.5 km) circular footpath route that links the historic towns and villages in the area and crosses the raised peatlands of Thorne, Crowle and Hatfield moors.
In the town itself, the buildings cover style and architecture from all ages, from Georgian town houses to quaint cottages. There are all the shops, pubs and cafés you may need, and the local butchers and bakers are particularly good. There is a market in the town four days a week, and a farmer's market on the first Sunday of every month.
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