Wolds Way Day Walk

“Swerving east from traffic all night north” brings you to the Yorkshire Wolds; an area of steeply sided, riverless dales and probably the quietest of the National Trails, the Wolds Way. At roughly mid distance is the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy, an archaeological treasure and an area of haunting beauty. This is the centre point of a gentle stroll on the boundary between the east and north ridings.

The walk works its way, circuitously, to the village of Thixendale. This is a working landscape as we walk through fields of wheat, corn and barley, with disused chalk works scarring the countryside and the first introduction to the typical dales. Thixendale, the debate rages as whether the name is from Sig’s dale or refers to the reportedly sixteen dales that surround, whatever the origin, this is an isolated village and one of the last places to receive terrestrial TV in the UK due to its remoteness. If we are lucky, the church hall café may be open, otherwise provisions can be bought from the local shop.

From Thixendale, a steep climb past a farm takes us to the most demanding section of the walk, a descent into a deep dale followed immediately by a climb up the other side to take us to a long flat section, curving around to Wharram Percy. Exploring the village brings a sense of what living in the village might have been like. The ruins of the church, the fish pond and foundations of the manor house are the most obvious indications, but the groundworks on the hill, indicate the locations of the long houses and shared areas.

The walk continues along the route of the Malton-Driffield junction line, closed following the closure of the Burdale quarry, before returning to the start of the walk. For those that wish, a café is available about 4 miles drive away, opposite the start of the heritage railway.