Found yourself with a little bit of cabin fever as the weather finds itself in a rather unpredictable rut? We feel ya. Between moaning about the rain ruining the newfound sunshine to stuffing our faces silly with Easter Eggs – we’re in dire need of a scenic walk. Which is exactly where this East Yorkshire walk comes in.
A lesser-known National Trail known as The Yorkshire Wolds Way, the route spans across some of East Yorkshire’s most glorious villages, meandering along up to North Yorkshire and stopping just before York.
Coming from the Wolds ourselves, we’ve never quite appreciated how much beauty there is around us, but upon discovering this trail – it led us on a journey through childhood. Of little memories pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, from visiting some of these places along the trail. Many people speak about The Dales and The Moors, but you don’t hear as much about the Wolds. Our advice? Don’t take this as a reason not to visit. There are some really magical moments along this secret route of Yorkshire.
The Yorkshire Wolds Way, which is a 79-mile walking route, is broken up into manageable chunks that any Tom, Dick and Harry could try this summer. From rural dog walks, to grand valleys and hidden gems pubs – there’s absolutely tons of uncover (and plenty ot come back to our neck of the woods for, too). Not sure where to begin? Check out our guide to the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds Way below.
The Yorkshire Wolds Way is signposted brilliantly, so you shouldn’t have any issues on your way. Just be sure to plan how to get back from each section or accommodation.
1. Hessle To South Cave
Humber Bridge > Welton > Brantingham > South Cave
Starting the walk at Hessle foreshore, you get a beautiful view of the iconic Humber Bridge – which was once the single-span bridge in the world. You follow the beautiful estuary for the first stage of the walk. Other places of interest along this stretch are the black painted mill used for crushing the chalk at the old quarry and three Bronze Age boats, which were found back in the 1940s that are nearly 4,000 years old. There are buses in South Cave if you’re looking to get back to Hull or Hessle.
This section is around 13-miles
2. South Cave To Goodmanham
South Cave > Weedley Dale > High Hunsley Beacon > North Newbald > Rifle Butts Quarry > Goodmanham
As you head out of South Cave towards Weedly Dale and Swin Dale you get a fantastic view over South Cave. Along the route make sure you look out for the beautifully carved poetry benches that are scattered along the Yorkshire Wolds Way. The walk is beautifully signposted, so you won’t have any trouble navigating. Things of interest to look out for are Little Wold Vineyard, High Hunsley BEacon and Rifle Butts Quarry which is Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve. There are some beautiful views along the wolds here that take us back to our childhood growing up around this area.
This section is around 12-miles
3. Goodmanham To Millington
Goodmanham > Londesborough Park > Nunburnholme > Kilnwick Percy Hill > Warren Dale > Millington
As you head towards the beautiful Londesborough Park, you can expect more rolling hills. Along this stretch of the Yorkshire Wolds Way, you get spectacular views of York along the Vale of York. Other points of interest are Nunburnholme, Kilnwick Percy, and Kiplingcoates – which is home to the oldest horse race in England that dates back 450 years ago. There is another beautiful poetry bench as you head towards the village of Millington.
This section is around 8.5-miles
4. Millington To Thixendale
Millington > Huggate > Horse Dale and Holm Dale > Fridaythorpe > Thixendale
Another hill part of the Wolds Way with a few climbs to do along the way. As you climb out of Millington, you get a glorious view of the village. At its highest point on the walk on a clear day, you can see the towers of the Humber Bridge, York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral and the lighthouse on Flamborough Head. Our favourite part is the view from the poetry bench at Huggate – which is absolutely breathtaking.
This section is around 12-miles
5. Thixendale To Sherburn
Thixendale > Wharram Percy > Settrington Beacon > Wintringham > Sherburn
There are some great thickets of trees along this route, which make you feel like you’re straight out of an adventure film. Leaving Thixendale village the Yorkshire Wolds Way reaches the highest point on the walk at 700ft (215m) and then descends into Deepdale. Some points of interest along this section of the walk are Wharram Percy, which is a medieval village abandoned in the 15th Century.
The walk reaches a high point after Wharram Percy before sloping down to Sherburn which has a lovely little pub to enjoy a pint after a beautiful walk.
This section is around 19-miles
6. Sherburn To Filey
Sherburn > Ganton > Muston > Filey
The last leg of the Yorkshire Wolds Way has some fantastic rolling hills synonymous with the Wolds. Highlights of the walk are the St Nicholas’ Church in Ganton and the beautiful sea views you get as you reach Muston. When reaching Filey Brigg, there’s a wonderful sense of completion as you walk along the beach after walking on Chalk hills for so long.
This section is around 17-miles
Read More: These Are The Best Spring Walks In Yorkshire
