Wolds way

GEORGE Wilkinson first noticed he really had a problem when he found he could not down his market day pint without the use of a straw - a stiff neck with a vengeance.

He's better now, but in the interim he couldn't have trodden anything more arduous than deep pile carpet, so after a camera lesson -"Leave it on auto" - he dispatched me to the Wolds, "relatively benign territory".

Huggate was my start, and I had a lovely time, no complaints at all. For a change one was not dragged into the pub with the excuse that "it's part of the job". I would have sampled carrot and apple soup at the Old Blacksmiths Tea Room but had already eaten. Here they provide pull-on boot covers, so you don't muddy the floor or have to unlace; a very good idea.

A kestrel hung around in a tree and I strode off along Cow Dale which has sheep these days and is one of those beautifully sculpted Wolds dry valleys. A waymarker indicated the Chalkland Way.

One valley curved into another, Cow Dale to Oxlands Dale then Shortlands Dale. It was warm in their shelter but I had to pile some gear on for the icy blasts of wind when the path climbed to the exposed tops, but there were some windbreak hedges and a wide Wolds vista.

There were lots of wheeling lapwings, many a musical skylark, a rabbit or two, a sane-looking March hare and a surprising number of bird scarers. Moles were doing the Chalkland Way, leaving molehills of white-flecked soil. There is a dewpond at a dale junction, and a trig-point that you won't see but it's at 500 foot which about as high as the route goes.

There wasn't much farming machinery on the move - this can be spectacular on these wonderful acres; but there was sign of shooting. Little yellow posts advertised Sportsman Game Feeds and around some of these were untidy heaps of spent shotgun cartridges - tut tut.

I hope the shooters return to clear these up; can't think of anyway they would disappear otherwise unless moles learned to haul them underground for use as worm stores.

I must say that the paths are in terrific shape, veritable motorways of grass and almost highway-smooth, ideal for chatty group walks; were it the same all over Yorkshire.

I walked on a Saturday and was surprised not to see any other hikers, and that on a mix of the Wolds, Minster and Chalkland Ways.

Fact File:

Distance: Seven miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: The Wolds

Start: Huggate.

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

Date walked: Saturday, March 13, 2004.

Road route: From York, A166, turn off before Fridaythorpe.

Car parking: Roadside. Wide verge on lane south of village.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: The Wolds Inn, the Old Blacksmiths Tea Room and the Post Office/shop.

Tourist & public transport information: Beverley TIC 01482 867430.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 294 Market Weighton and Yorkshire Wolds Central.

Terrain: Valleys and tops.

Points of interest: Huggate used to get its water from a well '116 yards deep'.

Difficulty: Easy going.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418

Directions:

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

1. Downhill on road through village. Stile/fieldgate on right (3-way fingerpost) into dry valley, path along bottom.

2. Stile near head of valley, 30 yards, stile on right and path through valley, grassy track climbs out.

3. Right at T-junction to track, left to road, 20 yards, field-edge path on right (signed). Keep hedge to right.

4. Right at junction to surfaced farm track, pass houses, cross road, path by outside of wood, field-edge path on right of hedge after wood for 50 yards.

5. Right to grassy path. Cross road to grassy track (hedge on right). Right to road (mostly wide verge) to Huggate

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 09:58 Saturday, March 20, 2004