Wolds wonder

Leavening is a village in a small valley on the north-west bulge of the Wolds.

I parked up at the picnic spot, car park on its outskirts, and walked back in, did most of the tarred part of the route first to the clickety-clop of horses' hooves. It turned out a horsey walk.

The Jolly Farmers was not open, not I'm sure due to a dearth of happy cultivators, so I ploughed on by, but the Shetland ponies were out on Mount Pleasant, which, after a little fuss with padlocked gates, did turn out quite pleasing.

The hedges were as yet uncut and were fizzing with little birds, notably bright yellowhammers, and sloes dressed with a dark bloom hung enormous like grapes.

Half a mile on, a sign read 'Guild Wood, Welcome, The Woodland Trust'. This encouraged a little meander through the young oaks and brought me to a farm called High Penhowe.

First the good news, the views west of the Wolds are fine. The slightly irritating news concerns the field margin path here, it unfairly diminishes for a field.

Primrose Hill might have said flowers in season; Penhowe Lane brought a sharp turn east and only a Post Office van as traffic.

For half a mile the isolated church on a hill at Burythorpe was in my sights, worth a visit this.

A big horse was pulling a solid wooden cart. The driver said that the animal had spent the summer doing the shows and was now being trained up for a winter pulling heavy loads.

At Burythorpe village there is a pub, The Bay Horse, that I know dishes up a substantial feed. Then I turned south for the final mile.

This is in valley, on good track. Halfway along, to the left, the east, is a hillock with some trees called Mount Ferrant. On the Ordnance Survey map it is described as a 'Motte & Bailey' ancient monument but recent research suggests that it is natural.

Walkers will be faced by the fact that they have parked at the top of a brow, and so must climb. The ascent is quite comfortable, the views are good, and from the top the whole of the day's route is visible.

Fact file

Distance: Four and a half miles.

Time: Two to three hours.

General location: The Wolds.

Start: Picnic site half a mile east of Leavening, around 150 yards after right-turn on way up Brow.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way except for permissive length.

Date walked: Friday, October 10, 2003.

Road route: From York, either A64 and then via Kirkham, or A166 and then via Buttercrambe or Bugthorpe.

Car parking: At picnic site, free. Unsigned entrance with wooden height barrier.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inn at Leavening and Burythorpe.

Tourist and public transport information: Malton TIC 01653 600048.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 300 Howardian Hills and Malton.

Terrain: Small hills.

Points of interest: Don't expect classic Wolds chalkland landscape here, the overlying clays are mobile, they slip and slide, the result a more complex landform. Village houses are of stone from very local quarries.

Difficulty: 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. Left to road (downhill, some verge), straight through Leavening (pavement).

2. Fieldgate (was padlocked) on right to track (signed) just after village and 30mph signs. Fieldgate (padlocked), stile. Track becomes field-margin. Keep hedge to left.

3. At woodland, either track beside it or permissive path around wood - rejoin route via path 150 yards after ruined buildings.

4. Fork before farmyard gate to stile in hedge 15 yards to left. Left (waymark), stile and right, (margin a bit scrappy), right at corner, left at next corner so hedge to right.

5. Gate in trees at corner to right of sign into paddock, downhill, fieldgate, stile, farm drive downhill.

6. Right to road (some verge). Left at junction, 15 yards, gate on right to field-edge path which forks left up to church at corner. Track from church.

7. Right to road through village.

8. At right-hand bend, fork left to tarmac (signed 'Unsuitable for motor vehicles'), pass farm to right, stone track.

9. Fork right to grassy track (so little stream now to your left), hedge to right, fieldgate, uphill on path through trees, fieldgate into field, straight on, then grassy with 's' bends. Fieldgate to road and left back to picnic site.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:44 Saturday, October 18, 2003