10.9 miles
Explorer Map 300, - Howardian Hills and Malton.
Described in "The Times" as one of the best Summer
Walks, it certainly proved to be just that (although it was a
somewhat shorter walk than the one described in "The Times"
which started and finished at Coneysthorpe).
The walk is mostly well indicated and easy to follow, BUT there
were two points where all the waymarking and finger posting WEREN'T
there. Just outside Firby the clear path became an impenetrable
jungle, and we simply skirted some woodland to make progress.
And just past Westerdale Farm you needed a 1:25000 scale map to
make sense of the path.
The path beside the River Derwent approaching Low Hutton was overgrown
and took a bit of getting through. In wet weather it would probably
be virtually impossible to travel along, as it is right beside
the River Derwent which is prone to flooding.
It is also worth pointing out that the route crosses the A64 at
two points. This is a VERY busy main road and both crossings are
basically quite hazardous.
Having said all that, the walk is a splendid one, - certainly
for a warm Summer's day!
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the
above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Some new mapping software is now available which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers website, - just use QUO!!
Start from the grassy area just opposite Welburn's parish
church (SE72119 67798). Although its is possible to park in the village's
main street, this is quite busy traffic-wise and it is not recommended.
Take the footpath opposite the church that heads North Westwards,
and then uphill in a Southerly direction where it meets another footpath.
Continue on farm footpath to Whitwell-on-the-Hill.
Here, head down the main street, and at the end turn left to the church.
Take the footpath over a field that heads South East to the A64. This
main road is a dual carraigeway, with a crash barrier in the centre,
and crossing needs a good deal of care. Continue on the field footpath
on the other side of the A64. Continue down Onhams Lane towards Kirkham
Bridge. There is a footpath down towards the bridge which helps avoid
using the road at this point.
Cross the bridge and continue along the road to the junction near
the pub. Here take the road on the left (sign posted as The Centenary
Way). About 1/2 mile along the road on the left a gapin the hedge
takes you to a footpath over fields to Firby.
At Firby, continue Eastwards along a farm track (signposted "To
the River Derwent") until you come to a strip of woodland (by
a water treatment plant). The map shows the footpath heading Northwards
through this woodland, but we found no path of any sort at this point.
To progress, we followed the edge of the woods on the West side until
we came to the River Derwent.
A very rough riverside footpath follows the river to Jeffry's Bog,
where the path turns South to follow the road for a short distance.
The Centenary Way then continues along the road (after a left turn
above Howlbeck Bridge) to the Low Hutton Suspension Bridge.
Cross the River Derwent here, then head up the road through Low Hutton
and High Hutton to the A64.
Cross the A64 again (GREAT care at this spot, - on the brow of a hill)
and take the footpath to Low Gaterley past Westerdale Farm.
From Low Gaterley, take the Centenary Way into East Moor Banks woods,
then follow the clear footpath back to Welburn.