Welburn - Low Hutton - Firby - Kirkham - Whitwell-on-the-Hill - Welburn

Peter Williamson

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From the pretty village of Welburn set amid the rolling Howardian Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, head out through flower-filled meadows and woodland with glimpses of the grandeur of the Castle Howard Estate through which you walk. Quiet paths and tracks lead through isolated farms to the village of Low Hutton and across an intriguing suspension footbridge over the River Derwent. You are as likely to see otters and kingfishers as a steam train puffing its way to Scarborough, packed with excited day-trippers on the way there and sleepyheads on the way back to York.

Wander along the banks of the river through the nature reserve at Jeffrey Bog before climbing through the tiny hamlet of Firby and then descending to explore the romantic riverside ruins of Kirkham Abbey. A final walk through imperious gateposts announces your return to Welburn, where refreshments await at the lovely cafe or smart village pub. The walking is straightforward, with gentle gradients, following a combination of riverside, field and woodland footpaths, farm tracks and quiet country lanes. En route take time to visit the village churches you pass and the ruins of Kirkham Abbey.

England - North England - Yorkshire - Howardian Hills