Welcome
Dearne Valley Ramblers is one of around 500 Ramblers groups across the country, founded in 1996 by people from the Dearne Valley with a passion for walking and a love of our local area. We have a thriving community of active walkers and a Programme which offers walks every Sunday and most Wednesdays throughout the year. Sunday walks are usually around 7 to 10 miles, while Wednesday walks are usually a little shorter, anything from 2 to 6 miles, which often finish near a café or pub. Walk lengths are in miles, and difficulty ratings are always made clear on our Walks Programme listings.
Scroll down the page of text and photographs to find out a lot more.
Where do we walk?
We are based around the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, roughly the area between Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster.
Whilst many of our walks take place in this area, we also venture further afield, often heading over to the Peak District and Derbyshire, or up to neighbouring West Yorkshire.
Other Activities
We also arrange a few coach trips each year, based around a walk and meal out; in the past we’ve visited Lincoln, Chester, the East Coast and the Yorkshire Dales.
We hold social events such as summer picnics and an annual Christmas Party.
We have also arranged short walking holidays which have proved very popular with our members.
How do I join?
Membership allows you to walk with us and any other Ramblers group across the country, as often as you want. If you are a new walker thinking of joining, we encourage you to try before you buy, with up to three free walks to give you chance to see if the Ramblers is for you. If you then decide to join, membership starts at £3.75 per month (2026 rates), and is available here.
Please choose "Dearne Valley" as your group on the on-line application form to receive walk information from us.
Walking with us
We ask that you book on all our walks in advance, which allows us to communicate any important information, such as route changes or walk cancellations, easily and promptly. Just choose a walk from our Walks Programme and use the contact details shown to book a place.
Children are welcome to join us on our walks, and do not require their own membership. Please ensure you are confident that your child can manage the distance and terrain of the walk and that they wear suitable clothing and footwear. All children and youngsters under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Well behaved dogs are very welcome to join us on nearly all our walks. All we ask is that they MUST be kept on a short lead throughout the walk and kept under control; this protects other walkers in the group and helps avoid disturbing wildlife or livestock.
Many walks have stiles of varying shapes, heights and forms; if your dog is likely to have problems getting over these, please contact the walk leader for more details about the route. If your dog might try and chase or react badly to farm animals (we come across sheep, cattle, horses and more exotic beasts like alpaca regularly!), contact the walk leader first as we may ask that they are left at home on some walks.
If you are looking for an opportunity to enjoy the countryside in a spirit of warm friendship and fun, then Dearne Valley Ramblers is for you.
Questions…?
Just contact Helen, our membership secretary, using the contact form here if you need any more information.