South Cave to Market Weighton or Goodmanham

This section offers fairly easy walking and a visit to several interesting villages and historic locations.

The route climbs north east out of South Cave and soon offers wide expansive views of the Humber to the south. In Weedley Dale you cross the line of the old Hull – Barnsley railway line before gradually climbing towards the BBC relay mast at High Hunsley Beacon. The Yorkshire Wolds Way now drops down through the long grassy Swin Dale, a classic dry valley of the Yorkshire Wolds. You are within 2 Km of North Newbald which is well worth a visit to view its beautiful Norman church or visit one of its two pubs and the village shop.

After North Newbald you may get the impression that the Yorkshire Wolds Way is determined to avoid Market Weighton as it seems to keep defiantly to the Wold tops above the small market town. The high ground is, however, of great archaeological significance as you will pass the site of a Roman amphitheatre in a field to the east, Hesselskew Farm, once a granary belonging to Watton Abbey in the Middle Ages, and a great many tumuli around Arras Farm dating from the late Iron Age.

In Spring Dale the Yorkshire Wolds Way divides, one branch follows the Hudson Way into Market Weighton, the other going north to Goodmanham. The Hudson Way named after the “Railway King” George Hudson, who for a while lived nearby at Londesborough, follows the track of one of his former railway lines from Market Weighton to Beverley. In Market Weighton you will find several references to William Bradley, the Yorkshire Giant who was born here in 1787 and reached a height of 7ft 9ins (2.36m). The town also has links with John Wesley who preached in the town in 1788, one of six sermons he preached over only two days at villages between Hull and York. Not bad for a man of 85!

The route to Goodmanham passes close to Rifle Butts Quarry, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve and a site of international importance which demonstrates a huge gap in the geological sequence of rocks in this area. Goodmanham is an attractive village with a great pub and microbrewery – The Goodmanham Arms.  Goodmanham also has a significant place in Christian history, it was here in AD 626 that the Saxon King of Northumbria was converted to Christianity.

12 miles/19 Km

Market Weighton or Goodmanham to Millington

Setting out from either Goodmanham or Market Weighton you will soon enter the impressive and most attractive landscaped surroundings of Londesborough Park (The Goodmanham route makes the most of the Park). Approaching the village you will see signs of the original Hall long since demolished. Previous owners included the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.  Over Londesborough Wold, to the east of the Yorkshire Wolds Way, is the course of the oldest horse race in England, the Kiplingcotes Derby, first recorded over 450 years ago.

This is a great section of the trail to see Red Kite circling near their roosts.  From Londesborough the Yorkshire Wolds Way heads north, towards  Nunburnholme. The rector of the church here between 1854 and 1893 was Frances Orpen Morris. A pioneer of nature conservation in Victorian times, he published the six volume “A History of British Birds”. Continuing north the Yorkshire Wolds Way passes near Pocklington and Kilnwick Percy Hall. The Hall, now the Madhyamaka Buddhist Centre, offers retreats and has a café and accommodation open to all.

Now the route climbs above Warren Dale to the higher ground above Millington. The views from here are wide and expansive across Millington, on a clear day you might see York Minster and the White Horse of Kilburn.

8 ½ miles/13.5Km

Millington to Thixendale

Climbing out of Millington and looking across to the far side of the valley is the site of Millington Pasture. There are a couple of short, steep climbs up the sides of dry valleys beyond Millington and then a gradual rise to a high point from which, if the weather is clear, you may be able to spot the towers of the Humber Bridge, York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral and the lighthouse on Flamborough Head!

The Yorkshire Wolds Way continues on beyond Huggate, where the Wolds Inn provides refreshment, before dropping into the appealing dry valleys of Horse Dale and Holm Dale. The path then climbs gradually to reach Fridaythorpe, where there is a pub, accommodation, a shop and a cafe.  Take a rest at the walkers’ shelter/ bus shelter set alongside the village pond, this smart modern building is part of the WANDER – art along the Yorkshire Wolds Way series of artworks.

The walk heads west out of Fridaythorpe to reach the dale of Thixendale.  Here in this beautiful setting lies another WANDER artwork – “Time and Flow” a dramatic spiral earthwork best viewed from the top of the valley sides.  Head   north along Thixendale to the village that bears its name. The snug location of Thixendale village makes it one of the most charming along the Yorkshire Wolds Way and there is accommodation, a shop and a walkers favourite pub – The Cross Keys . Also near here is the gallery of the acclaimed wildlife artist Robert Fuller.  It is well worth the detour to Fotherdale Farm to admire his work.

12 miles/19Km

Thixendale to North Grimston

Climbing out and beyond Thixendale village the Yorkshire Wolds Way reaches the highest point on the walk at 700ft (215m) and then descends into Deepdale to the attractively located deserted village of Wharram Percy, There is evidence here that dates as far back as the Iron Age but most of the remains are those associated with the village that was abandoned in the 15th century. Don’t expect to see many actual ruins, the only standing walls remaining are those of St Martin’s Church which was in use for a further 400 years after the village was deserted.

Beyond Wharram le Street the Yorkshire Wolds Way climbs once again reaching a high point at Settrington Beacon. The mixed woodland here makes pleasant walking and as you leave the woods you get wide views across the Vale of Pickering to the North York Moors on the distant skyline.

The descent leads to Wintringham where the Wold scarp and the Yorkshire Wolds Way change direction, so that, instead of facing west over the Vale of York, the scarp is looking north over the Vale of Pickering as it travels east towards Speeton. Whist Wintringham has no facilities, the church of St Peters is well worth a visit.  Now managed by the Churches Conservation Trust, it was built form the same Limestone seam as York Minster.  The Yorkshire Wolds Way climbs steeply out of Wintringham, before revealing a true surprise – another WANDER artwork called Enclosure Rites, which celebrates the abundant archaeology of the area. From here follow the northern scarp of the Wolds, eventually dropping down to reach Sherburn on the Scarborough – York road. There is a pub here, shop and good public transport between Leeds, York, Malton, Scarborough and Filey.

8Miles/