Huggate walk

THE Wolds were banded in frost. For a mile or so, we drove through white and frozen countryside, then a mile where all was green and the temperature three degrees.

At Huggate, due to a microclimate or the vagaries of the night, it was mild and spring-like; and a thrush sang the chance of snowdrops and winter aconites. The last house in the village had a sign up reading The Final Frontier.

There are three farms on this route, the first we bypassed on the Wolds Way to a signpost pointing to the Chalkland Way.

And there are three dry valleys; the first called Horse Dale was still in shadow and cold and silvered grey-green.

The swooping fields were hazed with a few inches of winter growth; the wide paths took us quickly on. Ash trees were violently storm torn, but at least they survive. After a couple of miles, we reached Wold House Farm. Like the other farmsteads hereabouts, it is protected on three sides by trees and is only open to the views in a direction a little east of south.

This farm is one of my favourites. It has a realistic statue of a farmer and a live farmer smiled hello. It has old and modern barns, 15 bays of brick and slate, and you could take breakfast on the acres of pristine yard. Never mind the food machine on a massive scale, this is the sort of place where indeed one could 'eat the landscape'.

We walked the big-sky heights, there's a trigpoint near at 650 feet. Then we had our sandwiches at the top of Holm Dale, and looked down the dry valley with its distinctive and typical flat bottom, which is 50 feet wide. On the day, on the descent, it was something of a wind channel, a flow of cold air between the smooth grass sides some 200 feet high. It was lovely though, with the whole set in sinuous curves.

A classic valley T-junction brought us to Harper Dale, a new one for us. It starts with a ripple of ancient earthworks. Nowadays it's given over to shooting, with pegs for the guns and little woods and patches of decaying maize as shelter for the pheasants. To our surprise a sparrow hawk preened on a branch.

The track swings round for the home run; a dopey hare didn't seem to notice us and lolloped unconcerned into Rabbit Dale. We reached our last farm of impressive brick buildings, with a clock tower in a stable yard. After that a long avenue of cherries brought up Huggate, a fast finish to a brisk walk. Don't forget to clean your boots pronto: this is clean country but the soil can set like cement.

Directions

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. From Inn right to road, right at junction and downhill through village, fieldgate after last house on left (sign by broken stile) and diagonally down across field, fieldgate and left to metalled farm drive, path skirts to left of garden (waymark), rejoin drive.

2. At bend, grassy track on right along field-edge (signed Chalkland Way). Fieldgate and left along edge of valley for 150 yards then path angles downhill to gate, 1 o'clock for 25 yards then path/track on right up little side valley.

3. Wooden fieldgate to fenced track (waymark) then field-edge track (ignore gate on right).

4. Right to metalled farm drive, into farmyard, left then right between barns (waymark), track out and ignore side turns. Track swings left then right downhill (waymark), white fieldgate and track/grass by fence for 200 yards to head of valley.

5. At fieldgate on left, turn right to grassy track down valley. At approach to valley junction keep to left of fence, then stile and left at valley junction to valley bottom path.

6. After wood on valley side take right-hand track at 'Y' junction uphill, cattlegrid. Into farmyard, left after brick barn (waymarks) then track swings right, white gates out to metalled drive, becomes road into Huggate.

Fact file

Distance: Seven miles.

Time: Three or four hours.

General location: The Wolds.

Start: Huggate.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Friday January 14, 2005.

Road route: From York the A166.

Car parking: Roadside in Huggate.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: The Wolds Inn at Huggate.

Tourist and public transport information: Beverley TIC 01482 867430.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 294 Wolds central.

Terrain: Valleys and tops.

Points of interest: Traces of pre history.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:43 Saturday, February 05, 2005