Sunday 31 March 2013

Bishop Burton walkabout

Good morning on this sunny but chilly Easter Sunday morning. I set the bedside clock forward one hour, due to the start of British Summertime, it was 7am when I rolled out of bed, so 6am in old money. My watch has yet to catch up. As soon as the cats hear me stir they are up and hanging around the back door, waiting to be let out.
Yes, it was a bit of a grueller yesterday, but I set off with the intention of upping the mileage a notch or two. I like to push myself a bit, to see what can actually be achieved. Another trip over the bridge into the Yorkshire Wolds. My map is fast filling up with coloured lines highlighting the routes I have walked. There are some parts that are lacking in footpaths and bridleways, so some road walking is needed to join up the circles. My starting point was Walkington, guess what I did first, pop in the shop and go straight to the back to see if there were any out of date goodies in the trolley. Bingo, success. I bought some naughty chocolate, two at 10p each, and a big bag of crisps for 10p. A nice start to the day.
I took a bridleway out of the village which is part of the High Hunsley Circuit. It is a circular route of  25.5 miles long, achievable in a day for experienced walkers. I don't follow established long distance routes in their entirety, preferring to hop on and off as I make up my own walks. So, I arrived in the village of Bishop Burton, and what a pretty village it is. Real chocolatey box type stuff. I couldn't resist lingering a while. Oh my, isn't this gorgeous.        
There is a massive village pond. The only thing marring this idylic setting is the main road which passes through, just beyond those white rainings over there. The drone of traffic is forever present.
Lots of white buildings with unusual features. The sticking out windows just below the eaves.
A lot of the houses had a rustic wooden porch over the front door, which was supported by tree trunks that have been left in their natural state, polished to preserve them. 
Ducks and swans wandered around freely on the village green. There was a hunt the Easter egg competition going on, a stall was set up and children were excitedly running around with a piece of paper and pencil searching out the hidden eggs. I could have joined in that myself, there was one behind the church, and one on the railings next to the duck pond.
The sun was in the wrong place for a good photo of the church, a bit of shadow on one side of it.
Inside a small display of Easter flowers, with little peg characters. 
You can see the porch a bit more clearly on this photo.
Even the pub on the main road had the same porch at the front.
Time to move on, I've got some walking to do. Continuing along the High Hunsley Circuit, there was a long tramp through several fields. Luckily the ground was not swampy, it has dried out nicely. Some remaining snow drifts in the hedges, quite high in places. A bit chilly but ok if I keep moving.  
Time for a late lunch. Not many places to sit down in the middle of the countryside, oooh look, some very conveniently placed bales of hay. I wasn't there long though, the sky blackend and flurries of snow were dropping on my head.
I passed Newbold Lodge, one of the many farms along the way, and when I reached the road, I turned right past Arras Cottages and continued up Kiplingcotes Lane. Eventually it comes to Hudsons Way Nature Reserve, where I stopped for a few minutes at the old railway station. The station is now a house, and another building has been turned into a small furniture making business.
The Wilberforce Way is the old railway line which was converted to a cycle and footpath. At this point it crosses over a farm access road. The path continues under the bridge on the left.
It was a long and pretty boring trek along the straight path, at least I could get some speed up as the ground conditions were quite good. The only people I saw was a group of cyclists braving the cold. The Wilberforce Way became the Hudson Way. I find it confusing when two long paths merge and they run together along the same path. This is where I got off, at Mill Farm. You can get a glimpse of the old mill here in the top right of the picture. It has been left to go to ruin, shame really.  
By now I was ready to head back, so the last part of it was the quickest way, by road. Time to march on. The roads were quiet however, and some of the grass verges were pretty flat so I was able to walk on them to save wearing down the soles of my boots on the tarmac. A quick look at Cherry Burton on my way through. The church is gorgeous, but the village is not half as pretty as it's neighbouring village, Bishop Burton.  
A simple but very nice altar.
Just as I was coming back into Walkington, the sun was going down, and made a beautiful sunset. There has been a mixture of all sorts of weather today. At times I was pretty cold, but other times the sun came out. I was striding along and I had to roll my knee length socks down and remove my scarf and gloves, because I was too hot.
I started at 10.30 am and finished at 6.15pm. Ready for home now ready for a sit down, ready for my dinner. More spinach and mushrooms, and the left overs warmed in the microwave from the meal out last night. Yes I took my own plastic box with me because I knew I wouldn't be able to eat the whole lot. Ha ha. Thanks for reading. Toodle pip. 

21 comments:

  1. Aren't we lucky to live in such an amazing country?

    Thank you for sharing your fantastic walk.

    Granny G

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  2. Your scenery up there is beautiful. I love the white houses.
    Briony
    x

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  3. Were you walking alone? If so, did you use a timer on your camera , to take the picture of yourself. If so, well done. I can never mange things like that.

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    1. Hi, Yes I walk alone. There's a ten second timer on the camera. You can see that it is on another bale of hay, by the blurry close up at the bottom of the picture. I check the view on the back of the camera to make sure I am going to be somewhere in the middle of the frame. Press the timer button, press the shutter, that gives me ten seconds to run round to the front and pose.

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  4. Amazing - quite inspirational. Lovely pictures, thanks for sharing. We have a rails-to-trails scheme here in the States, wonderful.You are off to a very good start this year.

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  5. Brilliant! Just love your walks.

    I am reading "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" at the moment. The central character walks the length of England. I can imagine him walking along in your photos. It is a lovely tale. Very appropriate for Easter, even though I am not religious.

    Does the weather ever faze you?

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    1. Hi. I wouldn't set off for a day walk in the rain, but if I get caught in a shower then I don't mind if there is evidence of it passing over. I don't much like walking a long way in snow, hell on the leg muscles, and the footpaths are covered over so more chance of getting lost. I like the noise of wind rushing through the trees, and of course sun is a bonus.

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  6. Well done. A lovely account of your walk with beautiful photographs.
    Dianne - Hereford

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  7. The white houses are just wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your walks. I bet you slept well after that walk!

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  8. Fantastic walk, love the photos, just reading makes my legs tingle.I have not done much walking for 2 years, 2 falls and badly broken wrists put paid to it but I am fully recovered now and need some decent weather to get motivated.I do cycle a fair bit and walk miles at work in the course of a week.

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  9. What a glorious day you had for a good long walk! Thank you for sharing the lovely photographs. Makes me think of doing a walking tour of Britain. Would love to visit.

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  10. Bishop Burton sure is a pretty place Illona, there is a well known Agricultural College there. It good to see local people taking pride in their villages and their churches. My walking days are long gone now, I am having difficulty walking after a stroke and I am using a wheelchair and walking aids
    , its so frustrating but I am getting pleasure walking through your steps so keep it up girl hugs for the pussy cats, I have 2 lovely cats come into my yard area every day, they look like Norwegian Forrest Cats, big, fluffy and I think they might have been dumped , they are so timid and will not come near yet.
    Danneke

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    1. Hi Danneka. I wanted to have a walk round the college grounds but there are big signs at the entrance discouraging this, also, it was closed for Easter.

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  11. Thank you for the walk today and the views of lovely houses and a great sunset.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  12. Thanks for sharing . We should have been cycling this area if it hadn't been for the weather . Hope we get cycle camping soon
    Brenda in the Boro
    www.cyclinginthesixthdecade.Wordpress.com

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  13. i really enjoyed your photo's,thank you for sharing!xx

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  14. Sue here Ilona.
    Lovely to see the places you saw on your long walk. Pleased you had decent weather for it.

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  15. So lovely to hear of home and find out what other people's experiences of it are. I come from nearby Market Weighton although am a southerner now! I am often up there though and always passing through Bishop Burton and the duck pond. A few years ago someone put a stuffed deer in the pond, it was sticking out and the pond froze and everyone thought a deer was stuck in the ice!

    I have often walked the old railway tracks from Market Weighton to Kiplingcoates and it is a lovely walk.

    Glad the weather held out for you and am very impressed with the length of your walk!

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  16. I enjoyed that walk. Some lovely houses there and a very pleasant day out it sounds. Well done on the 18 miles!

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  17. Another lovely walk with you Ilona....thanks.
    Loved the chocolatey-box type houses. That's one thing I remember from my childhood, those lovely boxes of UK imported chocolates and biscuits with such lovely photos on the boxes.

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