16/05/2019

Yorkshire Wolds way..Let the walk begin.

It's been 6 years since we completed the Yorkshire Wolds way, looking back, the 79 mile trail from Hessle to Filey is up there with the best walks we have done.. Most walkers head for the North York moors or the Yorkshire Dales leaving the Wolds relatively quiet...I like quiet. These gently rolling chalk hills with their wooded slopes and deep green, almost secretive valleys have avoided the coffee-table book treatment. You may meet a few walkers along the trail but Crocodile lines of walkers are rarely seen. The plan is to walk the trail in short sections, whenever we get a free day...No need to hurry. ...So here we are...Parked up...and booted up at Hessle foreshore.

I picked up a chalk stone, one of millions along the Humber foreshore and put it in my pocket...A lucky stone, a stone to bring us good fortune along the trail..I will carry it to Filey where it will be thrown into the sea. A sort of a tradition...I wonder if anyone in Kirk Yetholm has ever wondered how a Gritstone rock from Derbyshire turned up in their Scottish village...Photographs taken..We set off.

We passed under the massive Humber bridge, arguably one of the most spectacular man-made structures in the country..From the cliffs at Hessle to the outskirts of Barton-on-Humber on the south bank it is almost 1.5 miles long..I took a few photographs [ like you do].

A few minutes later ….whats this "path closed"..We stood staring at a notice which told us that the riverside path was closed as far as North Ferriby..I don't bloody believe it. So much for my lucky stone.

A bit of a detour was now needed, firstly though a country park and then a 3 mile trudge along roads..The country park was lovely, 48 acres of woodland and open meadows surrounded by White chalk cliffs..The road walking on the other hand was dreadful..Hated it...We eventually made it to North Ferriby.

Its a large village with many old buildings..The Duke of Cumberland pub caught my eye, far to early for a pint yet...we carried on. Ferriby is famous for the finding of some Bronze age boats along the shores of the Humber, radiocarbon dating tells us that these Plank sewn boats were the earliest known boats in Europe.

More road walking followed before crossing the A 631..Then suddenly countryside at last..We passed a couple of women that were walking the trail as far as South cave.We decided that we would walk as far as Welton today before retracing our steps.Another 1.5 miles and we were sat by the village pond in Welton, demolishing the contents of our lunch box..Its a most attractive village.

Over our shoulder we caught a glimpse of the Green dragon public house..It would have been rude not to have partaken in a quick pint.Its a pub with an interesting history as it was here in 1739 that the legendary highwayman, Dick Turpin, scourge of all coach travellers between London and York was arrested..He was tried at York and sent to the gallows...Pint finished all we had to do was retrace our steps back to the start..i was glad to get back as I never really enjoyed the walk as it was too much of a trudge on tarmac..On the plus side, that's the worst section of the whole walk over...Things will get better.