Sunday, June 1st
Once again I joined the short walk but with ideas of extending it. On a glorious day 12 of us set off from the pretty village of Barton-le-Street and followed field paths and lanes to Slingsby. There we took a coffee break on the green before heading up hill on to the ridge that separates Ryedale from Castle Howard. Walking east along the ridge there were views north towards the Moors and south towards Castle Howard. Beyond Coneysthorpe Banks Wood, the main party led by Stuart turned down to Appleton, whilst four of us, Betty, Jyl, Carron, and me, continued towards Easthorpe. This 3 mile loop eventually brought us back round to Appleton, where we visited the little church, before continuing back to Barton. (10 miles). On the way home, we stopped off at Fimber for tea and cakes.

Wednesday, June 4th
There had been heavy rain through the day and for a while it looked like another evening walk might be cancelled. However things improved, and the walk went ahead albeit on a revised route avoiding overgrown field paths. Ten of us heading along the river bank from Hull Bridge towards Grovehill Road and on to the lock-gates at Beverley Beck. There we walked by the beck but then turned to cut through the industrial area (scenic loop !) back onto Swinemoor. We followed the drain bank to the brick bridge which we crossed, then continued round the edge of the common back to the river bank and Hull Bridge, followed by a pint at the Crown & Anchor (4¼ miles)

Sunday, June 8th
For the first time this year a coastal walk on the club programme. Starting from near Cloughton Old Station we headed south on the old railway towards Burniston then turned along Field Lane to reach the cliff-top path at Crook Ness. Here we turned north to follow the path all the way to Hayburn Wyke. This is not as easy as it sounds as the path dips steeply down and up several times to cross gullies ending with final long steep descent into Hayburn Wyke, where we took lunch on the rocks by the waterfall. Of course this meant that after lunch we faced the steep climb back up to the hotel where we rejoined the old railway for a short distance, before turning up past Nab End to reach the woodland on Cloughton Moor. As ever, I failed to find the correct path through these woods, so we were faced with a bit of bracken and bramble bashing before coming across the waymarks which led us out of the woods and up to the farm at The Hulleys. The path from there down to Cloughton was more overgrown than I ever recall, so not easy walking, but at last we were back in Cloughton walking alongside the beck, past the cricket pitch, and back to the Old Station for tea and cakes on the lawn (9 miles)

Tuesday, June 10th
Somewhere completely different - County Durham. Ann had arranged to visit a BATOD colleague who lived in Consett and I had studied the maps and discovered that there are many walks in that area along the old railway lines that once served the mines and quarries. After coffee and a tour of the extensive garden I was driven a few miles out of town and dropped off at a picnic site on the Waskerley Way. This was once part of the Stanhope & Tyne railway. On a bright, breezy day there were extensive views north across the Durham Moors as I turned to walk back to Consett. A pleasant easy stroll, trending gently downhill all the way. The main feature of this stretch is Hownsgill Viaduct, where the old railway crosses a steep-side wooded valley. Alas, this impressive 180 year-old stone structure, with local iron balustrade has been visually ruined by the recent addition of a shiny stainless-steel suicide-prevention barrier! Once across the viaduct the track enters the area that was, until 1980, the vast Consett Steel-works site, now hidden by new woodland, and marked near the track by one of the old crucible rail wagons. Suddenly the path veers from the old alignment and brings you abruptly back to the present day at a new ring-road! Now it's a matter of following signs to Consett town centre alongside busy roads past Morrisons, B&Q, Aldi, etc all built on the former steel-works site. Several large steel sculptures remind you have the old days, before I continued through the old town which looks a lot brighter and cleaner these days (6 miles).

Wednesday, June 11th
This week's evening walk set off from Barmston with a loop south past the earthwork known as Vesey Hill. The wooden 'henge' erected there in memory of the elm trees lost to Dutch Elm Disease several years ago now has only four uprights remaining. We followed a drain to the cliff-top and then headed north to the 'end of the road' at Barmston by the caravan park. From there it seemed a long way following a farm track past Hamilton Hill to Earl's Dike near Fraisthorpe. Then we headed back along field paths, passing a barn where a pair of owls had young, to Barmston for a pint of Guinness (!) in the Black Bull ( 5½miles)

Friday, June 13th
For the first time this month, me and Suzie were able to fit a weekday walk in. We heading towards South Cave, parking at Beverley Clump. From there we set off to join the Wolds Way and followed this path down to Weedley Springs. After crossing the old railway in Weedley Dale we headed up through the woods in Hunsley Dale to emerge on the road at High Hunsley. Here we left the Wolds Way and walked along the verge of this busy road for ¼mile then took to the farm track down into Drewton. We walked along the lane past Drewton Manor then the roadside pavement as far as South Cave Cemetery. After circumnavigating Cave Castle golf course we arrived at the church at South Cave West End and walked back through this large village to the Market Place. We turned off Beverley Road and followed Little Wold Lane up through the woods, past the recently-planted vineyard back to Beverley Clump (9 miles). We stopped for a nice cup of tea at Tescos in Beverley, where I left Suzie to catch the bus home as I had to collect Caitlen from school.

Sunday, June 15th
The monthly Leven Club walk found us at Epworth, a pretty little town in North Lincolnshire. The walk was a variation of the one I did for Country Walking two years ago. Alas, a not very exciting walk by way of field paths and tracks to Owston Ferry, by the River Trent. This sounds like it could be delightful spot but it isn't - the river is a broad expanse of under-utilised waterway hidden behind a concrete flood barrier. With nothing attractive about the river, we decided to take our lunch break on the seats by the village green/playing field. After visiting the church, our route continued via High Burnham and Low Burham across fields to Epworth, where we passed the Vicarage and the John Wesley statue (9 miles). However, we - well, Mike actually - found a nice little bar/restaurant in Epworth where we were made most welcome and provided with cups of tea.

Wednesday, June 18th
The evening walk from Hornsea via Atwick is the longest on the programme at about 7miles. However I caught the bus to Hornsea and met up with the group on the sea-front, so missed the first part of the walk. It was a pleasant sunny evening as we headed north along the cliff-top to Atwick, where we took a break on the green. Then round by the church, to pick up the field path to the ruined farm at Little Atwick. Here we passed the memorial, set in the ground, to the airmen killed in a plane crash here in WW2. A barn owl was spotted near Little Atwick just before we joined the long straight Bewholme Lane back to Hornsea, arriving at Mereside about 9.30pm (6 miles for me). Just time for a pint of Brakspear Bitter in the Rose & Crown before catching the 10 o'clock bus home.

Friday, June 20th
Another fine day so we took the opportunity to check out the short walk from Fordon that Suzie is leading in September. Fordon is hamlet of just a few houses and farms tucked away off the beaten track in the Yorkshire Wolds. From the village, near the phone box, we entered North Dale and followed the footpath up this dale with just cattle and sheep for company. Overhead, a pair of buzzards soared. After about a mile the path takes a right turn into Lang Dale where it is crossed by the Wolds Way. We turned right here onto the Wolds Way steeply up the side the of dale to meet a road. We turned right to follow this road to Danebury Manor. However we decided to make a slight detour onto the Wolds Way above Raven Dale where we took our lunch break. Then back to the road, past the farm at Danebury Manor after which the road becomes a green lane, and a rarely used one at that - being overgrown with tall grass, thistles and nettles! The lane gradually descends into Cans Dale with views across to Hunmanby Grange, home to Wold Top Brewery, with its two wind turbines. At the road we turned right towards Fordon, but in ¼ mile went through a gate onto Fordon Banks access land. Initially I climbed too high up the bank and the steep descent gave Suzie problems (sorry). After that little detour, we contoured along at a lower level on a faint path which led us through woods, waist high in nettles - so much for wearing shorts today! Marker posts suggested we were following a butterfly trail, but there were none here, although we had seen a lot of Common Blues in Lang Dale earlier. At last we rejoined the road in Fordon and paid a visit to the little church before heading home (7 miles).

Sunday, June 22nd
Our first visit to the Peak District this year for a walk near Hathersage and Stanage Edge. Setting off from Longshaw Park we headed down Padley Gorge for the customary coffee stop at Padley Chapel. From there a farm track led us back to the main road above Hathersage, but Bob took us via a narrow lane away from this busy road for most of the way down to Hathersage Church, where Little John's grave is situated. After the church we began the long trek up to North Lees, associated with the Brontes, to a lunch stop below Stanage Edge. After lunch we were faced with the final push, up the old pack-horse path, onto the crags. Climbing over, we now turned south along the edge to the trig point then down to the road at Burbage Bridge. A long easy stroll down the valley above Burbage Brook brought us to the main road and into Longshaw Park, back to the Lodge (11 miles). Here we relaxed with tea and scones before the journey home.

Wednesday, June 25th
Another fine evening found us in Lund. Our route was a familiar one, setting out towards Kilnwick across two large fields - one cropped with peas, the other with wheat. A factor of this walk was that all the field paths were clearly defined. We paused briefly in Kilnwick then returned via South Belt Plantation, Lockington Road, and the Lund Millennium Parish Path. (5¼ miles) The evening was rounded off with a pint (or two) of Great Newsome bitter at the Wellington Inn.

Sunday, June 29th
At last there was a 'free' Sunday and I was determined that this day should be used to try out the EYMS Moors Explorer bus service that some of us had been involved in publicising, whatever the weather! And the weather didn't look good - Heavy rain overnight, and still raining at 8am. It was still raining at 9am as we drove into Beverley to catch the bus. At 9.35am precisely the bus pulled in - to my surprise a double-decker! The poor weather had obviously put people off and there were probably no more than 20 passengers, including our party of eight. We headed north through the rain with steamed up windows spoiling the view from the upper deck. But by the time we reached Pickering the sun was shining. At 11.23 we were dropped off at the Lion Inn. We set off to join the old Rosedale railway for our walk back to Hutton-le-Hole and the sun was still shining, but there was a chilly NE wind. We made good speed along the track. After a lunch stop above Thorgill we continued to Rosedale Bank Top and on across the moor to Ana Cross. Dark clouds gathered but we didn't get any rain, and by the time we were nearing Lastingham it was brightening up again. After a short stop at Lastingham Cross we had the one down and up to cross Hole Beck then alongside the road and across fields into Hutton-le-Hole, with about an hour to spare before the bus home (9½ miles). Plenty of time for tea and scones in the sun outside the Old Forge Tea-room, a wander round the craft workshops, and for some, a pint of Golden Hen in the sun outside the Crown Hotel. Right on time at 4.45pm our bus arrived to whisk us back to Beverley and Hull. A grand day out indeed.

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	Welcome to the Trans-Dales Trails These Trails, Trans-Dales Trail 1, Trans-Dales Trail 2 and Trans-Dales Trail 3, are each about sixty miles in length and can be comfortably completed by anyone that is reasonably fit in five days, with four nights Bed & Breakfast accommodation. The routes establish links across the Yorkshire Dales using some of the public rights of way that are less frequently walked. There are three booklets in the Trans-Dale Trail series, each giving a detailed description of the route. The booklets cost £2.50 each (including p&p) and are obtainable from: Arnold Underwood (Dales Trails) 41 The Orchard Leven East Yorkshire HU17 5QA e-mail: arnold.underwood@dalestrails.freeserve.co.uk (Please make cheques payable to 'Arnold Underwood')
	The Author Arnold Underwood is an experienced walker and a leader of his local walking club. He lives near Beverley and is the East Yorkshire correspondent for Country Walking magazine. He has walked the Ridgeway (1983), the Pennine Way (1990), the Dales Way (1993), and A Bowland - Dales Traverse (1994), the latter two with Peter Tomkinson. He has walked much in the Yorkshire Dales, Moors, and Wolds, including completing the Three Peaks, Lyke Wake, and Saltergate challenge walks - the last two again with PeterTomkinson. Arnold devised the three Trails with the help of Peter Tomkinson, and together they walked each of the routes - Trail 1 in 1995, Trail 2 in 1996, and Trail 3 in 1997. Peter Tomkinson is a former Scout Leader, and as such has done much walking in all terrains and in all conditions. In addition to those walks mentioned above he has also completed the Cleveland Way, Minster Way and the Ebor Way.
	Leven Walking Club Leven Walking Club is a long-established club. Members suggestions result in a varied programme of walks on the Yorkshire Wolds, North York Moors and elsewhere. Go to Calendar for walking programme. For further information contact Arnold Underwood on 01964 543883 or 07989 292522, or Dave Fox on 01964 542564 Read Nomad's report in each issue of Leven Life. Find out more about 'Leven Village'.
	Hornsea District Walking Club Hornsea District Walking Club is an independent club relying on its members for suggesting and leading the variety of walks. Go to Calendar for walking programme. For further information contact Club Chairman Graham Hadfield or Walks Secretary Arnold Underwood (07989 292522) *********************** Visitors to Dales Trails since August 1st 2007 ************************* This page was created by Arnold Underwood | Home | Calendar | Trans-Dales Trail 1 | Trans-Dales Trail 2 | Trans-Dales Trail 3 | Walking with Underwood | Photo Gallery | Useful Links