Across the bridge to the North Bank

Good morning. What a glorious day we had yesterday, maybe summer is here at last. We desperately need some sunshine to get the veggies growing, but a day walking will be good for my soul, I'll see to the garden in the next few days.

So, yesterday I drove to the Humber Bridge, and parked directly underneath it on the Southbank. The toll has recently been reduced to £1.50 each way, but even so, there is still a saving to be made by walking across if I only have a small rucksack and don't need to carry anything else. The view as I start to cross.

There is a path which leaves the main road just before the toll booths, and takes you down into a car park. I popped in to browse the leaflets in the Tourist Information Office. I find these places are a great source of free maps, and finding out what is going on and where. Good for ideas for future trips. The lady on the desk was very helpfull, pointing things out to me.

For this walk out I dug out the map I printed off for the last leg of the long walk I did last month, and added a bit to it to cover the area west of Hull. There is a little pocket of villages to explore around there. This pic is looking down on the North Bank, the main A63 trunk road from Hull to Leeds. The windmill is just a monument, and the building beyond it is a pub/restaurant. I walked along the foreshore for as far as you can see in the picture. This is part of the Trans Pennine Trail, a long distance cycle path. The Yorkshire Wolds Way also shares this section of the track.

It opens out into quite a nice country park as you reach North Ferriby.

Here we are in the village.

I remembered this church from the last day of my Blackpool - Humber Bridge walk I did last year. Oh how I remember that last day, 30 miles of hard slog from Selby to the Bridge, arriving at 9pm, then ringing my friends to come and get me. Todays walk is a bit more leisurely, so I have time to enjoy :o)

Through North Ferriby, and pausing to stop at the Co op shop for my favourite Magnum choccy ice cream on a stick, I crossed the A63 at Melton and took a left turn off the slip road to follow the Yorkshire Wolds Way through the woods.

Here I had just crossed a B road and set off down a track alongside a quarry towards Welton. I really wanted to get some photo's of the quarry, I could see bits of it through the fence but couldn't get anywhere closer to get a good shot. I love big holes in the ground, and love to see the different rock formations in the layers. This one was pure white chalk, but alas they had made sure no one could get in. There are a lot of newish finger posts on this walk, someone has made an effort to encourage walkers, cyclists, and horse riders.

This is the Church at Melton. There is a stream running through the village which opens out into a duck pond just in front of the church. A perfect place to sit and eat my lunch.

A quick peek inside, and to spend a few minutes giving thanks for my fabulous life.

Welton Dale is a beautiful tranquil place place, there are woods on one side and grassy banks on the other.

The last bit takes you through some woods, delightful in the sunshine.

Now I must think about heading off back towards the bridge, I could wander around here forever, but I want to get back to take Rocky for a late walk. The next and last place to visit is Swanland. Another pretty village. They have made a start on their flower displays in this bed overlooking the village pond.

Sadly I didn't see any swans, but plenty of ducks and other wading birds. Across the pond is the Village Hall.

Heading out of the village I crossed the main A164 towards Anlaby, then did a right turn towards Hessle, picking up the last section of the Morecambe to Humber Bridge walk I did last month. This bit passes a lot of big posh houses, I gaze in awe at some of the entrances, must be a lot of rick folk around here.

Now, do I get a bus to cross the bridge, no, I decided to walk, might as well go for it. Even though there is a good bus service across, every half hour, I still hate hanging around and waiting. I got back to the car at 7pm, and back in time for Rocky.

A lovely day out, I walked 17.5 miles, and all it cost was £1.65 for the ice cream, and a drop of petrol for the 22 mile round trip to the bridge and back.