The weather this month was much more unsettled caused by a couple of storms passing over giving heavy rain and gale force winds! However all but one of the scheduled walks missed the worst of the weather, although for others there was still the strong winds to contend with.

Sunday 3rd March
The 'short' walk today coincided with a significant birthday (70th!) for Joyce. So at the start at Bishop Wilton, bottles of Prosecco, and birthday cakes were shared among various rucksacks for the birthday celebrations at lunch time. On an overcast day with the threat of rain later, the thirteen of us set off alongside Bishop Wilton Beck. After a brief coffee stop we passed through the hamlet of Meltonby from where we climbed up onto the Yorkshire Wolds to arrive at Great Givendale. We took our lunch break by St Ethelburga's Church at Givendale and celebrated Joyce's birthday with the Prosecco and birthday cake. With rain in the air, we soon were on a way back to Bishop Wilton following the Minster Way along the top of South Cliff. We then headed down the hillside to join the road for an early finish at about 2 o'clock having walked 6½ miles. For tea and more cake, we stopped off at Sledmere on the way home!
'Google photos - March 3rd Bishop Wilton'

Sunday 10th March
The weather certainly put a 'dampener' on today's walk, with a return to winter with a forecast for rain, even sleet and snow, and strong NW winds. A pity as car-parking had been arranged at Worlaby Village Hall and a table booked for afternoon tea at Elsham Country Park tearooms. As it was eight braves souls set off from Worlaby to climb past the church onto the Lincolnshire Wolds. Initially there was only light rain and light winds, and the view back from the top was better than we expected. However once on top there is absolutely no shelter to speak of! The walking conditions were pretty good - generally fairly flat farm tracks and country lanes - and we pressed on at a brisk pace and about an hour and 3 miles into the walk we came to the Burnham Lane underpass below the A15. This provided an ideal spot out of the rain for a coffee break, although it was also a bit of a wind tunnel! From there we joined the Viking Way - and the rain started in earnest, and the wind picked up - for the next hour and another 3 miles across the exposed Elsham Wolds. Near Elsham Top, the skies brightened and the rain stopped. Although no shelter from the wind we took the opportunity to make a brief lunch stop. Continuing along Middlegate Road back under the A15 and downhill to Elsham village. The street names hereabouts are all adorned with crests of RAF Squadrons that were once based at RAF Elsham Wold - now the site of an Industrial Estate near the A15 road. For the last couple of miles the skies brightened and the sun broke through, drying us off a bit by the time we got back to Worlaby. There were still heavy, wintry, showers about and we almost got caught in one at Elsham Country Park tearooms!
'Google photos - March 10th Worlaby'

Thursday 14th March
It had been a week of stormy weather, but by Thursday things were improving - it was warmer, there was no rain or sleet, but it was still very windy. So under blue skies, me and Suzie set off from Huggate down Cow Dale, up Oxlands Dale and headed east on the Chalklands Way with a following wind. By Freshlands Farm we had commenced turning back, first the wind was side-on, then as we turned west on the Hawold Bridle Road it became head-on. There is no shelter on the Hawold Bridle Road so we took an early lunch stop by a small wood near Freshlands Farm before starting the 3 mile battle against 40mph winds. No stopping, it was heads down and press on. We actually made quite good time, so back in Huggate we added an extra 'loop' up to the top of Farmer Sam's fields where there is a great view back towards Huggate. Then it was back down York Lane into Huggate stopping off at Rachel's Tearoom for tea and freshly backed scones. From the tearoom back to the car we looped round by the pond and the church to complete nearly 9 miles of walking.
'Google photos - March 14th Huggate'

Sunday 17th March
A bright sunny day, but with a chill wind for today's LWC walk from Huggate. Fifteen of us set off towards Northfield Farm to join the Yorkshire Wolds Way. At the convergence of Holm Dale and Horse Dale we turned to walk up the length of Horse Dale (Access Land) and paused for a coffee stop where there was some shelter from the wind. After crossing York Lane we dropped down through the woods into Tun Dale. Here we came face to face with Beverley Ramblers, walking a similar route but in the opposite direction. After exchanging pleasantries we continued on our separate ways. Whilst still in the relative shelter of Tun Dale we opted for an early lunch break in the sunshine. After lunch we continued down the length of Frendal Dale to the Millington Road and then up onto the top of Nettle Dale. There were no nettles but the gorse was in flower, adding splashes of colour to the scene. We followed the Hawold Bridle Road as far as Mill Lane then back into Huggate. Being a little too early for our 'booked' time at the tearoom we continued round by the pond and church back to our cars. Having changed out of our boots about 10 of us walked back up the village to Rachel's Walnut Cottage Tearoom. Here we discovered other 'ramblers' had bagged our space! However Rachel opened up an 'overspill' conservatory for us, whilst three of us sat outside in the sheltered garden, for welcome cups of tea and scones.
'Google photos - March 17th Huggate & Tundale'

Friday 22nd March
Only a 7 mile walk today with Suzie, but it was quite 'challenging' because it crosses Garrowby Hill, the highest point on the Wolds in East Yorkshire, ... twice! The walk explored access land near Bishop Wilton and near Kirby Underdale, linked by the route over the hill. Initially climbing out of Bishop Wilton above the 'bowl' in the hillside and above Worsendale then once over the hill, we deviated at Megdale Brow to explore the access land around South Wold Dale. A permissive path created by the Lord Halifax Estate links this access land with Painsthorpe and Kirby Underdale. After lunch in the churchyard at Kirby Underdale, we were faced with the long gradual climb up to Megdale Brow to retrace our steps over Garrowby Hill Top, at about 800ft above sea level. This time we dropped down into Worsendale access land to join Worsendale Road back into Bishop Wilton. On our way home we picked up my granddaughter Chloe (aged 2) because I had agreed to look after her overnight on my own!
'Google photos - March 22nd Garrowby Hill'

Sunday 24th March
Today was to be the first venture on to the North York Moors this year and 17 walkers gathered at Gillamoor for a 9 mile walk into Farndale to see the famous daffodils. It was a bright clear day but with a chilly north-westerly wind, which was fortunately behind us for much of our way across the exposed Harland Moor, at about 1000ft above sea level. Looking down on Farndale from the edge of the moor, we could see that Low Mill was very busy with many cars in the car-park. We therefore took our lunch stop in the shelter of the woods at Petergate, before dropping down to Low Mill. After a brief stop at Low Mill we headed along the road to Rawson Syke where we took the track down to the River Dove at Dale End Bridge. This section is off the 'tourist daffodil route' but there was a good show by the river. We met two groups of Ramblers from Washington (Tyne and Wear, not the USA). At Lowna Bridge we reached the road and the steady climb back up to Gillamoor. Afterwards most enjoyed drinks, tea, coffee, or beer, in the Royal George in Gillamoor.
'Google photos - March 24th Gillamoor & Farndale'

Sunday 31st March
It was a lovely spring day for this extra walk. Fifteen walkers, not deterred by the one hour less sleep due to the clocks going forward, met up by Mauley Cross, a remote spot on the edge of Cropton Forest for this walk into Newtondale, led by David Holtby. By coincidence this walk was on the first operational weekend this year for the NYMR, with a guest appearance of A4 'Union of South Africa' scheduled. Our route was contrived so that our lunch spot & time in Newtondale would coincide with this locomotive passing by. Alas, 'Union of South Africa' was unable to attend - piston/cylinder problems - and a substitute in the form of 34092 'City of Wells' was arranged, loaned by the East Lancs Railway. Our walk took us along the northern fringe of the forest with views of the Moors, then past Wardle Green to a viewpoint overlooking the NYMR snaking through North Dale. From there we walked towards Needle Point, but a misunderstanding between those at the front and our leader (near the back!) meant that we began our descent too soon, via a steep, muddy, severely eroded path definitely not for the faint-hearted! After much slipping and sliding and tree-hugging we all safely got down to the forest road which runs parallel with the NYMR through North Dale. A bonus for this mistake was that we got a good view of B1, No. 1264 steaming through the Dale on the supporting train service. We found a spot for our lunch-break overlooking the railway and precisely on time guest locomotive 34092 appeared, wearing full 'Golden Arrow' regalia, heading down the dale towards Pickering. (34092, along with 34091, was dedicated to powering the 'Golden Arrow' boat train between London to Dover in the 1950s). After lunch we walked down Newtondale then turned to climb steadily past Raper's Farm up to Raindale Head and through the forest back to Brown Howe Road and Mauley Cross to complete an excellent and at times, strenuous, 10 mile walk. On the way home, most of us called in at the Steam & Moorland Garden Centre for tea and cakes.
'Google photos - March 31st Mauley Cross & Newtondale'