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EAST YORKSHIRE - North Newbald & Swin Dale
A Walk for Winter
A walk over Newbald Wold into Swin Dale, with extensive views from the tops.
Fact File
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Distance
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14.5km (9 miles) |
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Time
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4 hours
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Grade
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** Moderate
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Map
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OS Explorer 293 (Kingston-upon-Hull & Beverley)
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Parking
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Roadside parking - taking care not to cause inconvenience. Groups should arrange parking at the Village Hall, Galegate (Honesty box for donations). Details on village website: Newbald Village Hall
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Start
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North Newbald village green
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Terrain
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Field paths, tracks & minor roads
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nearest Town
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Market Weighton
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Refreshments
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Two pubs - The Gnu and The Tiger in North Newbald.
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Toilets |
none
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Public Transport
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EYMS: 143 Brough - Beverley (Mon, Wed,& Sat only), MiBus 198 'shopper bus' to/from Market Weighton (Fri only). No Sunday buses |
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Suitable for
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all
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Stiles
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2
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Route created using TrackLogs Digital Mapping
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.
- (Start) From the north side of the green follow Eastgate towards Beverley with a stream running down the right-hand side. Turn left into Eastwold and through a snicket between houses up onto a road.Turn left then right up a driveway that climbs steeply up Dot Hill. Where the drive goes right continue ahead on footpath along field side. A gap in the hedge near the top provides good views to the west with the hilltop church at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor prominent in the distance, beyond Houghton Woods. The path descends to a signpost near Syke House Farm. Here turn right and walk up a typical Wolds valley with Sancton Wold to the north and Newbald Wold on your right, both with their clusters of wind turbines.
Beyond the cultivated lower part, the sides of the dale are open access so you can venture away from the path if you wish. Otherwise head towards a gate by a beech wood, after which the gradient increases as you near the head of the dale. Here in addition to wind turbines on both sides, a line of pylons strides across the countryside taking power to Hull. At the top you meet the Yorkshire Wolds Way.
- (4.1km, 2½ miles)Turn right, heading south on the Yorkshire Wolds Way which continues for 20 miles to Hessle. From this high vantage point the view west past the wind turbines extends across to the power stations at Drax and Ferrybridge. Having reached the highpoint here, the walk is now downhill for the next mile or so. At a minor road turn right for a short distance the left to continue downwards. At the bottom you meet another road by a pig farm. Once again turn right, past the farm, for about 200yds until a YWW sign directs you left into Swin Dale.
- (6.6km, 4 miles) The YWW follows a tractor track up the dale. After the lower cultivated section it becomes grassland - sheep pasture. It is a pleasant walk up the dale, through gates and bearing right at a fork. A gentle uphill gradient until near the head of the dale, where a signpost abruptly points you right, up the steep side of the dale. Emerge at the top onto flat farmland and follow the edge round to a road. Transmitters at High Hunsley can be seen above the trees.
- (10.2km, 6½ miles) At a cross roads continue ahead on the minor road leading to South Newbald. Shortly the Wolds Way goes left, towards a beacon, but this walk continues along the road. Once again views over the Vale of York open out. You must follow this quiet road all the way down to South Newbald, ignoring a footpath and then access land on the left, although you are welcome to explore the access land. Ahead, you can see North Newbald with its church tower prominent and further right, the wind turbines passed earlier seem a long way off.
- (13.6km, 8½ miles) At the junction in South Newbald turn right and walk along the street into North Newbald. (There is a footpath along the back of the houses, but it is more interesting to walk along the street) You come to the Parish Church, and round the corner the two pubs and the village green. (14.5km, 9 miles)
Along the Way
North Newbald is a large village with much new housing, but the old part, with the stream, village green and church, is quite attractive. The church of St. Nicholas is the finest example of a Norman church in East Yorkshire, retaining many original features.
Red Kites have been reintroduced to the area and if you are lucky they can be spotted soaring over the Wolds - easily identified by their red-brown colouring and forked tails. Kestrels are quite common, and buzzards may also be spotted soaring on thermals in summer.
Arnold Underwood & Suzanne Watson (Nov 2014, updates 2018)
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