George Wilkinson steps out along Minster Way at Bishop Wilton.
NEW maps are pouring out of the Ordnance Survey. Their 'Wolds Central' replaces a couple of 'Pathfinders' and I tried it out from Bishop Wilton on the Minster Way. It caused me grief, an hour of confusion, as it shows a non-existent link between a path north of the village and the rest of my intended route. The moral - 'throw out the chintz' by all means, but never old maps.
Bishop Wilton is a delightful village, strung linear along a sparkling beck, containing old brick houses in a little valley terraced with sinuous greens. We are at ground zero, right at the bottom of the western slope of the Wolds, almost on the same latitude as York, and barely ten miles from the city.
My first objective was to climb up to the tops for a sunny day view. My reward for the three hundred-foot effort was a rare view of the Minster from the Minster Way. I can't remember the last time I had a long distance sighting, as air clarity is usually a problem.
The short grass of the slope was replaced by chalk-flecked soils, the shelter of the lowlands by a howling wind, till I dipped down into Given Dale, where all is lovely with a pristine farm and hamlet and sweet St Ethelburga's Church. Have a look inside for the jazzy zigzag Norman chancel arch. Here, too, you can have a sandwich stop on the recent memorial benches and take in the tranquil top end of the wildlife-friendly valley and ponds.
I was a little apprehensive about the next bit as I did it in the summer of '97 on a route up Given Dale, and described the stretch as a 'rumble in the jungle'. Things have much improved and now we have an atmospheric path of arching hedge and larch trees. This fed us to a descent of very pleasant ungrazed grasses and specimen trees.
Back on the flats, I took Tarmac to the village of Meltonby, looking forward to a mile along the Beck Side Road, thinking this historical and important village-to-village connection would have been respected. So I was irked to find the first couple of fields to East Field Farm pathless but thought I would soon get the clagg off my boots on the track to come. However, I was surprised that, despite posh new stiles, the 'road' was no more than minimal field/beck edge. But I made fair progress nonetheless, and received an education from a retired local farmer. He explained that until recently there had been a 'good chalk road' from Meltonby towards East Field Farm, and that Beckside Road had been gradually shaved away.
Farmers must know that city voters pay their agri-subsidies and are unhappy about food scares. The reactionary among rurals should realise that a bit of good PR as in good Public Routes would be cost effective.
Fact file
Distance: Five miles.
Time: Three hours.
General location: Ten miles east of York, on the edge of the Wolds.
Start: Bishop Wilton.
Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.
Date walked: Sunday, November 26, 2000.
Road route: Off the A166.
Car parking: Roadside in village.
Lavatories: None.
Refreshments: Pub and shop.
Map: Based on new OS Explorer 294 Wolds Central.
Terrain: Climb up to and down from the Wolds.
Points of interest: Views, St Ethelburga's in Given Dale and St Edith's in Bishop Wilton.
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. Road south from village. Stile/fieldgate on left (Minster Way sign) and uphill.
2. At gate on left, when about 50 yards below old boundary hedge/fence, turn right and contour on terrace for about 300 yards.
3. New stile/fieldgate on left, up bank then by fence to your left for 50 yards, stile, 50 yards, right (by fence), approx 300 yards, left (by fence), 150 yards, over fence on right by electric fence into field (waymark), over fence out.
4. Gate and left to hedged track, right fork, left to road into hamlet, right at T-junction (visit Church).
5. Stile (waymark) to wood-edge path for a few hundred yards, stile on left out of wood and right to field-edge path, becomes grassy track at corner.
6. Where fence ends at hedge, stile and left to nearby stile/fieldgate and path 1 o'clock downhill above wood.
7. Fieldgate, bridge over stream, track 50 yards, left to road.
8. At edge of Meltonby (opposite Manor Farm), straight across arable field on right (signed), pass 20 yards of hedge to your right then straight across next arable field (not reinstated).
9. Right to grassy track (at waymarked post), bridge and stile/fieldgate and right to follow stream (stiles).
10. Fieldgate to lane, right at junction to road into village.
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