Ever since the Yorkshire Sculpture Park started charging for access to the grounds of the YSP (and not just for parking), controversy has surrounded the use of paths by walkers within the YSP. A recent walk along some of the paths revealed the extent to which YSP are trying to discourage / prevent walkers from using these rights of way, with misleading and erroneous information on signage and an information sheet designed for walkers using the Dearne Way, Barnsley Boundary Walk and Wakefield Way.
First up is the public footpath (signed at the beginning and clearly marked on OS maps) which runs from Jebb Lane, Haigh (OS Grid ref: 294 120) to Litherop Road via the YSP. Where the path enters the YSP at Oxley Bank Wood (Grid Ref: 287 122), a sign (placed by YSP) here states that â??There are no public rights of way across the YSP from this entrance â?¦â?¦YSP may restrict access or close this entrance at any timeâ? when this is clearly NOT the case. The same signage appears on a gate where the footpath crosses a fence in the grounds of the YSP (Grid ref: 278 118). After this, the path continues for around 200 metres westwards before crossing the public bridleway (which runs northwards through the YSP from Litherop Road to Park Lane) and then continues in a westerly direction before exiting onto Litherop Road. As will be seen below, this path is a crucial link for those walking the various Ways mentioned above.
The YSP information sheet advising walkers of changes to the various Ways that run through the YSP contain equally misleading and erroneous information â?? this sheet claims, for every one of the Ways, that â??the section of the way that used to run through YSP grounds was along a permissive footpathâ?¦.the way no longer comes through YSP grounds.â? The reality is that the only permissive sections of these routes are those that run eastwards along the north side of Lower Lake, from Cascade Bridge to the car park at Huddersfield Road â?? all other sections of the Ways within YSP are on public rights of way. The sheet also provided details of the â??diversionsâ? for these routes, implying these are official (needless to say, they are NOT official), which all involve circuitous, on-road routes which circumnavigate the boundaries of the park; the advice for the Dearne Route, particularly, is nonsensical and does not even link up with the official route.
All these on-road diversions can be avoided by:

Barnsley Boundary Walk - follow the official route along the public bridleway (northwards) through the YSP until approx. 500 metres (and 500 metres before the bridleway reaches Cascade Bridge) turn WNW towards a gate in the fence and follow the footpath described above, to Jebb Lane, Haigh and re-join the Way here.

Dearne Way (travelling East / South) â?? Enter YSP along the official footpath (right of way) going towards Bretton Hall. Turn right along the public bridleway before the hall (official route) and follow this southwards over Cascade Bridge. After a further 500 metres, turn WSW towards a gate in the fence and follow the footpath described above, to Jebb Lane, Haigh and re-join the Dearne Way here.

I am surprised that none of this has already been flagged up, particularly the incorrect and misleading signage on the Haigh footpath. On possible reason for this is that the park saddles two authority areas (Wakefield to the north of the lakes and Barnsley to the south) and, indeed, the Facebook page of the YSP provides a link to a Wakefield authority map to show walkers â??where the rights of way are.â? There is no map for the south of the park (Barnsley), which may give walkers the impression that no rights of way exist there.
I have flagged up the incorrect signage on the Haigh -Litherop Road footpath -i.e., stating that the path was not a right of way and also the illegal threats to close the path - with Barnsley council. I have also emailed YSP (no easy task to find a contact address) and have been promised a reply within 10 working days.