Passionate about sharing walking in the East Riding of Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Wolds and to promote the fantastic walking routes in the county

Welcome to 'The Walking Cave Man', a fantastic reference guide to walking in the East Riding of Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Wolds.

'The Walking Cave Man' is an extremely useful resource to unearth the fabulous walking within the East Riding of Yorkshire, providing  details on over 700 miles of walking routes, maps, route descriptions and footpaths showcasing the beautiful countryside and villages in the county, also including information of many other routes and paths.

The purpose of this site is to provide information and interesting walks to enjoy within the Yorkshire Wolds and East Yorkshire, however does include walks in The Yorkshire Dales and The Lake District.

      

The interactive map opposite details all of 'The Walking Cave Man' walks within the East Riding of Yorkshire, however please also look through all the other walks I've highlighted, accessible by selecting the page tabs above or links opposite or try the Walking Cave Man Highlighted walk by selecting the banner below.

    

  If anyone has an interesting walk/route/trail they feel would be of interest or wish to share, I'd be happy to include it on this Blog (please post to thewalkingcaveman@ymail.com) - full accreditation will be given to the author and website if applicable.

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Beverley Twenty Back Nine!

           

Depending upon the variations of the route this is a seven to nine mile circular walk, taking in the historic market town of Beverley, Walkington, Bentley and the Beverley Westwood. The walk can be started from various locations along the route, although I have described the walk from the Beverley Minster, however just as easy to start from either Walkington or the Beverley Westwood.

*Beverley Minster

The first time I walked the majority of this route was when I completed the Beverley Twenty Hike - a route from the Humber Bridge to the Beverley Minster (part 1 of the LDWA 4 walks Heritage Way) - To see more regarding these walks select the following link 'LDWA Anytime Walks'. 

This walk is a combination of The Beverley Twenty's two alternative routes to the finish (the Beverley Minister) splitting at Skidby, the first passing through Bentley, the other by following the more traditional route via Walkington.

From The Beverley Minster the walk heads in a southerly direction following 'Long Lane' until reaching a public footpath before a right hand bend leading to Willow Lane. Follow the footpath to GR TA039 387 where a choice of paths can be chosen by either:

1. Crossing the railway lines and following the footpath to recross the lines at GR TA043 387 rejoining Long Lane at GR TA041 376
2. Follow the railway lines to rejoin Long Lane at GR TA039 380 passing Black House Farm

Either way, both routes meet up on Long Lane, and should be followed until meeting up with the Beverley Twenty route at GR TA043 369 by turning right at the junction just before the Beverley Park rail crossing. The walk at this point follows the Beverley Twenty route over the A1079 (via a footbridge) towards Bentley.

Passing through Bentley, pick up the footpath at GR TA043 369 passing Sod Wall Plantation and Silver Fir Plantation meeting up with the other alternative Beverley Twenty route at Risby Park Farm that heads towards Walkington.

At GR SE998 358 take the public footpath via Walkington Plantation skirting the southern edge of the village (although Walkington is a fantastic place to visit and take lunch -  there are a couple of brilliant public houses), meeting up with the Killingwoldgraves Lane where the route heads towards Bentley Park and Moore Lane Track at GR TA009 365, which reaches it's end at Walkington Road opposite Broadgate  Farm.

Turning right over the bridge, that crosses the A1079, turn immediately left at the footpath running parallel to the A1079 until GR TA009 382 - this path leads onto the Beverley Westwood. Upon reaching the common head towards 'Black Mill', Beverley Minster should be visible, crossing the golf course (please note that walkers have the right of way and therefore no fixed footpath needs to be followed).

View of Black Mill upon reaching the Beverley Westwood

From 'Black Mill' head South East to hit the Walkington Road again, however on the same bearing, carry on a further four hundred yards to reach Keldgate Road.

On following this road it will lead directly back to the Beverley Minster and the end of the walk.

 

Path from Black Mill to Walkington Road



Geocaching

See my Activity Blog for further Geocaching

Geocaching in simple terms is a treasure hunt using a GSP unit – The object of the activity is to find hidden 'geocache' in various locations dotted around the country.

Each ‘cache’ container is given a coordinate and contains a log book, in order that a record of each find can be recorded. Some cashes contain small items which can be taken away by the finder, however these items should be replaced by something you wish to leave for the next person who finds it.

A map of all recorded caches can be found at the following site, detailing their coordinates, cashe type, star rating on size/difficulty in finding and small clues where to find each one (as the caches can be tucked away). There are various different types of cache ranging from the traditional ones to Mystery and Puzzle. 

* The Cache comes in all shapes and sizes from Micro to large 'Ammo' boxes

Some of the cache location details are only available to Premium members on the website (£30.00 per year); however the majority are available to everyone with a basic account (no charge). Each time a cache is found a record of these finds can be logged on the website to keep a full log of all the ones each person has located.

There are thousands of these caches located around the country (and tens of thousands around the world) including East Yorkshire, some of which I’ve detailed below close to where I frequently walk. I have also started to include locations of some of these on the walks detailed on this blog, so that these can be located whilst out on the routes.

* Geocaching map showing caches in my area

Although the Caches are located at their individual coordinates (and can be located exclusively) a number of them have been setup to create a challenge. These caches have been grouped together (in terms of how they are named) to produce a route, each cache being found in turn. The distances between each of these caches vary and therefore the routes can  differ in length. It is therefore worth checking to see where these challenges are and look to see if one is available in the area you wish to explore (I have detailed one of these challenges below as an example).

Although my family love to get out walking, I've found that this is a fantastic way to keep my boys interested and gives them something exciting to do on our walk. It also gives them an opportunity to have a go at using a GSP and looking at the website before hand to design a route (I've found the walks they do design seem to get longer each time as they try and pack in as many potential caches as possible!)

 Finding cashes near Brantingham - Total of seven found on this occasion

Give Geocaching a try!

See my Activity Blog for further Geocaching

Top Hill Low Nature Reserve, East Yorkshire

 

Although this five and a half mile walk does not incorporate the rolling hills and dales of the magnificent Yorkshire Wolds this is a flat interesting walk in a relatively unknown and little walked area of East Yorkshire, four miles from Watton, which takes in two fascinating reservoirs, a water works and a nature reserve.

The area is a spider's web of footpaths and therefore the route I've detailed on the map above can easily be increased in length, giving the chance to visit more of the villages in the vicinity, such as Arram and if a longer walk is preferred Hutton Cranswick can also be included.

The first time I walked most of this route was when I completed the 23 mile Hutton Hike (part 2 of the LDWA 4 walks Heritage Way) - To see more regarding these walks please see the LDWA Anytime Walks I've completed.

For more details regarding the reservoirs, water works and nature reserves please visit the following sites:

Top Hill Low Nature Reserve, Hull Valley Wildlife group, Yorkshire Water

The walk can be started at two locations where parking is available - The car park at Wilfholme Bridge (GR TA061 470) close to Three Jolly Tars Farm or at the waterworks itself (GR TA073 486).

From Three Jolly Tars Farm and crossing the bridge over Watton Beck, following the River Hull towards the first reservoir via a bridle way through Easingwold Plantation passing a number of hides positioned to get the best vantage points to observe the wild life occupying the wetlands.


*Low Top Nature Reserve

Passing the first reservoir the route continues on a straight path to the waterworks itself where the walk's other starting point at Tophill Low Bridge would start. From this point the footpath continues to Tophll Nature Reserve.

*Low Top reservoir

Passing the reserve the route meets up with the River Hull once again for a brief stretch where the river channels into the 'River Hull New Cut', a section of the water where a number of canal boats are moored. At GR TA078 505 take the footpath left passing an aqueduct until reaching GR TA072 504, taking a further left turn following a footpath heading towards Strandingholme Farm to GR TA062 495.

The route heads south until reaching Easingwold Farm passing the water works to the right onto the starting location by once again crossing the bridge at Three Jolly Tars Farm.

For further walks in the East Yorkshire area please select the link below to see my interactive walks map

East Yorkshire Woodlands

There are many wonderful places to walk within East Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Wolds spring to mind, however sometimes I feel that our woodlands do not get the attention that they really deserve. I therefore hope that the following blog post will bring the woodlands we are lucky to have in this county into the limelight a little and hope that you will have time to visit them.

By just looking at the Woodlands Trust web site, on their extremely useful interactive map and searching on my postcode, I've found a large number of woodlands (within a 15 mile radius) of which 10 I never knew existed, for example I have walked the South Cave area extensively over a number of years, however have never realised 'Etherthorpe Quarry Wood', managed by the East Riding Council, was 
on my door step.

A number of these woods usually have public footpath flowing through them and therefore well known, however there are hidden gems which are privately owned and are open to the public to walk through, enjoy and be explored (I'm also sure there are many more remaining in the hands of landowners who are unwilling to open them up). 

This blog post mainly concentrates on the woods located in East Yorkshire, however I am sure there are hundreds (maybe thousands) across Great Britain which remain un-noticed and are ready to be revealed.

The following woods are located in the South Cave, Brantingham, Hotham area and are walked frequently, my aim is to update this blog regularly to add more of the unknown ones and to highlight woods further afield in East Yorkshire (as and         when I visit them), hopefully taking pictures at different times of the year. I have also detailed  walks from this blog that take in these woods.

I would love to hear from anyone with details of a wood near them, so that I can add them to this blog (these do not have to be in East Yorkshire) and maybe if a couple of pictures and a brief description/location could be supplied it will provide a visual record as well. It would be good to get as many unknown woods on here as possible.

I've started by detailing a number of woods: 

Little Wold Plantation

Little Wold Plantation from 

This wood, nicknamed by local children as 'Frog Wood', is located just North East of the main centre of South Cave and is only a short walk from the town hall (no further than two miles) - and is managed by The Woodland Trust.

Little Wold Plantation is on the Yorkshire Wolds Way and therefore very popular with walkers and visitors who, from the top of the dale, are rewarded with fantastic views over the river Humber and on to North Lincolnshire.

Anyone interested in Geocaching can find one of The walking Cave Man's Geocaches located in this wood (cache name is Wilma Flintstone) - Details of all The Walking Cave Man's caches can be found on the Activities Blog.

View over South Cave and in the distance the River Humber

The Walking Cave Man walks that take in this wood:
A1. North Cave to North Newbald
High Hunsley any time walk
Rudolph Romp (LDWA event) 

Grid ref for wood main entrance: SE928 320

Low Hunsley Plantation

Comber Dale leading to Low Hunsley Plantation

Low Hunsley Plantation can be accessed from four different locations, one of which being from Little Wold Plantation detailed above, and therefore making this a great circular walk (see walks list). The other access points are from Drewton Dale and High Hunsley.

This wood again is on the Yorkshire Wold Way, however is less busy than Little Wold Plantation, however offers a walk through a heavy wooded area passing the old dismantled Hull to Barnsley railway.

* Low Hunsley Plantation

Again if anyone is interested in Geocaching The Walking Cave Man's caches can be found in this wood (cache names are Fred Flintstone, Betty Rubble and Barney Rubble) - See The Walking Cave Man's Activities Blog.

 For further pictures of South Hunsley Plantation 

The Walking Cave Man walks that take in this wood:

A1. North Cave to North Newbald
High Hunsley any time walk
Rudolph Romp (LDWA event) 

Grid ref for wood main entrance: SE948 343 & SE941 346 (Hight Hunsley) SE937 330 (Comber Dale)


South Wold, Scarbrough Plantation & Elloughton Dale

Although included as one these are three separate woods interlinked mainly because they all can be walked as one and are therefore some of the most popular woods in the area. There are a number of recognised walking routes that pass though these three woods including The Yorkshire Wolds Way and The High Hunsley Circuit.  

Although the woods can be accessed from many locations, I personally like to park up in Brantingham and walking through to South Wold Plantation, as detailed in the map above and follow the directions of the arrows to Scarborough Plantation onto Elloughton Dale.

There are a few parking spaces available at the lower end of Elloughton Dale which is another great place to take in the woods.

'Molson' taking a breather where South Wold Plantation meets Scarborough Plantation

The Walking Cave Man does not have any Geocaches in this area, however there are a number located in the woods, therefore please check these out before setting off.

Grid ref for wood main entrance: SE946 298 (from Brantingham) SE950 283 (Elloughton Dale)


Houghton Woods

This wood is accessible from a number of locations i.e South Newbald, Hotham, South/North Cliffe and Sancton with a number of public footpaths leading from each village, however the walk from Hotham is my personal favourite and can be incorporated with walks detailed in this blog

There is currently only one Geocache located in this wood called 'Houghton Hunt' however The Walking Cave Man is looking at placing more in this location, therefore please check 'The Walking Cave Man Activity' blog for updates.

Grid ref for wood main entrance: SE885 365 (south) SE891 383 (north)


North Cliffe Woods

This wood is managed by the Yorkshire Wild Life Trust and is a short walking distance from Houghton Wood detailed above and therefore can be visited by footpaths connecting the two woods via South Cliffe and North Cliffe.

There is an entrance at both the north-east and north-west corners of the wood and parking (in the lay-bys) east of the eastern and western entrances is available. A walking route around the reserve is about one-and-a-half miles and there is also a footpath that crosses the reserve south of the entrances.

Please note that detailed on the YWT website -  "The woodland between the north-eastern section of the footpath and North Cliffe Lodge is strictly private", therefore please respect the footpaths and refrain from disturbing the wildlife, although this does not retract from the enjoyment of the woodland.

There is currently only one Geocache located in this wood called 'North Cliffe Wood' - The Walking Cave Man is looking at placing an additional cache within the wood therefore please check 'The Walking Cave Man Activity' blog for updates.

Grid ref for wood main entrance: SE859 374


Waulby Scrogs

Waulby Scrogs wood (commonly know as Nut Wood by locals) is an extremely popular, used by dog walkers, children and for people 'out for an afternoon stroll' and therefore maybe worth finding a less popular wood if peace and tranquillity is prefered. Road side  parking close to the north east end of the wood is available, which is one reason that the location attracts the crowds therefore best avoided at weekends  

The wood has may footpaths leading to and from it and therefore can be incorporated in a longer walk e.g from Weton and Brantingham.

Although The Walking Cave Man does not have any caches in this area (although see the Activities blog for other caches), there is a multistage cache located in the wood "All's well, that ends well, at Raywell"

Grid ref for wood main entrance: SE991 305