Sunday, May 5th
The HDWC ‘short walk’ this month started from Barton-le-Street and was led by Stuart. There was a good turn-out for this walk round through Slingsby, Coneysthorpe Bank Wood, and Appleton-le-Street. An added bonus, being Bank Holiday weekend, was the Scarecrow Festival at Slingsby with various stalls and refreshments.
On the same day a few of us decided to do the Leven Club walk that was cancelled in April. This took us from Lockton across to the Bridestones on the edge of Dalby Forest. From there we dropped down to Staindale Lake for our lunch stop. After lunch whilst I was studying the map for a path onwards, Bob decided that easiest course was straight up through the trees. This turned out to be near vertical at the top, and so on all fours, we scrambled out onto the road near the Adderstone (a kill or cure treatment for my sciatica!). From there we headed through the forest and past High Rigg Farm. Soon after we made a major navigational error by miscounting the number of right-forks and made a loop back towards Staindale before realising. So we had to retrace our steps, to get back on course down to High Dalby and up through the woods to Lockton (a strenuous 9¾ miles). Alas the tearoom in Lockton has closed so we stopped of at Low Marishes farm shop for tea and cakes.

Sunday, May 12th
The picturesque little town of Epworth in North Lincs was the start for this walk. Epworth is famous for being the home of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church. The walk passed the John Wesley Statue and the Old Rectory and headed south across rolling countryside, which was turning yellow with flowering rape-seed, towards High Burnham. We skirted the edge of the town of Haxey, and turned north past a graveyard for combine-harvesters to the wooded nature reserve at Haxey Turbary (a turbary is an area where peat was extracted). Then the rain started as we headed across a dead flat landscape to Epworth Turbary and back into the town. Tea and cakes at the local garden centre (10 miles)

Wednesday May 15th
The first of this years evening walks was the traditional route from Hornsea to Wassand, led by Stuart. We made brisk progress on a sunny evening along the Rail Trail to Goxhill church for a brief stop. From there, the section across fields towards Wassand was made interesting as we had two dogs with us and had to pass a herd of cattle. Fortunately after an inquisitive approach to us the cattle decided we were harmless and ignored us. With cloud and rain threatening it was quite gloomy as passed the Mere to arrive back in Hornsea just after 9pm. (5½ miles) For me a pint of Bitter in the Rose & Crown.

Thursday May 16th
I had volunteered to monitor a section of the Coast to Coast path for the Wainwright Society. This had to be completed in May, being the 40th Anniversary of the publication of AW’s guide to the route. With an eye on the weather forecast a decision was made at short-notice to go for Thursday. Fortunately Suzie, Joyce, and Neil were free to accompany me. On a glorious day we set off from the Lion Inn to follow AW’s route as far as Glaisdale Moor. The view down Great Fryup Dale was stunning – a superb spot for our lunch stop. Having completed my bit of the Coast to Coast, instead of retracing our steps I had plotted a return route across the moors into Rosedale. The George Gap Causeway is an old pack-horse path and still has flagstones for some of the way – unfortunately on the moor I think they have long-sunk into the bogs – so picking our way through the squelchy bits was interesting! Then it was steeply down, down into Rosedale past Dale Head Farm, alas not open for teas. Then of course it was steeply up and up to get back to the Lion Inn! Refreshments taken at the Lion Inn. (10½ miles)

Sunday May 19th
This month’s Leven club walk started from Helmsley. It is usual for a walk in May to visit Riccal Dale for the bluebells, but this year our route there was completely new. Heading south out of Helmsley alongside the River Rye we arrived at the picturesque village of Harome for a coffee stop by the pond. Then we headed across farmland to the twin villages of Beadlam & Nawton and headed up Howl Dale to a lunch stop in the woods. From there a couple of ups and downs brought us to Pockley with its unusual church bell-tower and thatched cottages. A steep descent followed into Riccal Dale and up the other side past Reagarth Farm back into Helmsley (10 miles) Tea & cakes at the Old Police Station tea room (for some)

Wednesday May 22nd
Our evening walk started and finished at the White Hart in North Cave. Opposite the pub we took a narrow path and across paddocks towards the old railway embankment then back into the village and along the path by the beck. Then we headed north towards Hotham and completed a circuit of the village before heading back through Hotham Hall Park to North Cave (4½ miles) For me a pint of Copper Dragon ‘Fred Trueman Bitter’ in the White Hart.

Sunday May 26th
Probably the warmest Sunday of the year so far. Fourteen of us set off from Kirkham Priory and headed up the road towards Howsham Woods – the opposite direction to previous occasions. In the woods we were greeted with displays of bluebells and wild garlic, along with clumps of primroses, cowslips, and the occasional early purple orchid. After a coffee stop by Howsham Beck we headed through the village and along field paths towards Scrayingham. We had lunch by the church in the sunshine. The return leg followed, or should have followed, the River Derwent. However the first part of the footpath wasn’t clear and we veered off course, encountering the path we had used on the outward leg! Cutting back through a gap in a hedge and through a clump of nettles (sorry Neil – he was wearing shorts!) brought us back to the river and from there it was plain-sailing to Howsham Bridge. We glimpsed the restored mill on the opposite bank then turned away from the river up hill past Crambe Grange. Here we were subjected to some close scrutinity from over the fence by inquisitive alpacas. Up and over the hill we reached the little village of Crambe, then it was all downhill through the woods to Kirkham (10 miles). Refreshments afterwards at the Stone Trough Inn.

Wednesday May 29th
A complete contrast to last Wednesday – the day had been wet with a cold easterly wind. However, come 7 o’clock the rain had stopped and 12 walkers met at the Travellers Rest in Long Riston for this 5mile route via Rise. Fortunately the field-edge paths and the going underfoot were fine so we didn’t finish the walk wet and mud-splattered! (5 miles). For me a pint of Wold Top ‘Wold Gold’ in the Travellers Rest.