Flatlands drifters

RICCALL is happily by-passed by the A19, not penetrated. The tasteful and triangular green is set bang in the middle of the large village. It made for a peaceful place to start.

St Mary's is handy and also the Hare And Hounds.

We snuck off down an alley, by a deserted football pitch and allotments with mini- sprouts, for our day's sport.

As we walked the flatlands we gave thanks to a farmer for a generous field margin path, and thanks, too, to the local walkers who have paddled smooth a ploughed up path. We then looked to the low horizons and listened.

No beagles, no bangs, it was quiet. A finch-like flock flurried on a field and high in the sky a fast-gliding flock, perhaps of fieldfares, split then re-emerged. A hare raced down a drainage ditch and we crossed Dam Dike and followed Sike Dike and headed for the River Ouse.

At the Ouse there is an odd jink past Pond View, Lake House, and then around said water to the riverside.

It doesn't rain much hereabouts, about 20 inches a year and less than half of that in the winter.

But the Ouse was flowing faster than we walked, swollen and dirty, nearly filling its "natural" channel. The footpath is high and dry on the splendid floodbank.

Just when we were thinking that some boats would brighten the day - so far a mite untidy in places - a pair of swans in the bulrushes did the trick and heralded lovely marshes of tall, plumed reeds.

After an acreage of Environment Agency Depot, with a bevy of orange bulldozers, things got very nice. Ahead, the "power and the glory", if you like, on the far skyline - power station, abbey, steeple, power station. Between the floodbank path and the river lay ponds of winter water stubbled by rushes. Pigeons made a strip of field quite grey.

We left the river for a greening up field that was a little sticky.

Never mind, we seasonally smiled, the track cleaned our boots and, anyway, we were more interested in the buildings showing up on the south side of the village.

Fact file

Distance: Four and a half miles.

Time: Two hours.

General location: Southern Vale of York.

Start: Riccall.

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

Date walked: Friday, December 26, 2003.

Road route: A19, between York and Selby.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inns.

Tourist & public transport information: Selby Visitors Centre 01757 212181.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 290 York, Selby and Tadcaster.

Terrain: Flat, low farmland.

Points of interest: Rainfall data from the new and kaleidoscopic Historical Atlas of North Yorkshire edited by Robin A Butlin, with maps by Nick Staley and published by Westbury.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly.

While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Directions

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

1. From Village Green, Silver Street, Kelfield Road, 100 yards, white gate on right to alley (signed). Path kinks right then left, allotments to right, to field-edge path then straight across field.

2. Footbridge, 11 o'clock across field, path (drainage ditch to left). Left to road.

3. Right at road junction, track on left immediately after terrace to left (low sign on wall), 50 yards, gate, path to river (bit overgrown here, some rubble, locals skirting to left).

4. Left to path between pond and river, stile to floodbank path, pass buildings, stile and continue on floodbank.

5. Right to track at large brick building, 50 yards, stile and rejoin bank path. Over track.

6. Stile on old fieldgate in hedge on left (waymark), 200 yards straight across field (posts marked route), grassy track, right to road back to Riccall.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:43 Saturday, January 03, 2004