A walk from Snaith to Selby

A walk from Snaith to Selby

holidays/days out walking

Good morning. It started off bright and sunny this morning so I went out and did my three miles, but Owain the weather man says it is going to cloud over and he was right, it is. 

I was in all day on Friday so yesterday I was ready to go for a walk. I had a 40 minute drive westbound to Snaith, which is a few miles past Goole. There is plenty of free parking at the Railway Station. It's a small market town dominated by the Snaith Priory. Just outside the wall of the Priory is the Town Lock up, a listed building. Methinks it would be very handy to have some modern versions of these in our town centre's. Read the blurb below.

Snaith has a small brewery. Pity it wasn't open, It would have been nice to sample the nectar. I like a glass of real ale now and again.

A brief history of the Priory. Here is a link to the Snaith home page which will tell you a bit more about it. 

Off I went a short distance up the road and over the River Aire bridge, and turned left onto a track in a field. This links up with the Trans Pennine Trail cycle route a bit further along. Turn left on the road. Ooooh look, I could do that job.

I had my lunch sat on a bench in the kids playground at Hirst Courtney. No one was playing, it was a bit cold, I didn't stay for long. Spotted this colourful fence opposite. Isn't it great. I love it that someone has a bit of imagination.

At Temple Hirst I continued along the Cycle Track and just before it crosses over the railway line I decided to turn right and take a farm track which runs almost parallel to the railway line, eventually crossing it a bit further up. The land is rather flat in these parts, mostly agricultural, and mostly crops. The wind whips across it and if the fields have been newly ploughed and it is dry, there is a chance you could be sand blasted. I wonder if the farmer has planted these conifers to give a bit of shelter to the fields. This is what happens if you don't trim back Leylandi, they grow to a massive height. Mind you, interspersed with some silver birch they provide an effective windbreak. Good job they are out in the middle of the fields and not in someone's back garden. 

I picked up the canal on the outskirts of Selby and followed it into the town centre.

Passing the bus station I noted that it might be too late to walk back to Snaith, so I checked the bus timetables. Yes, there was a bus in an hour, that will do nicely. The gardens look lovely.

A look round the Abbey. I once stayed in the pub next door on my first long distance walk, but didn't have time to explore. Now I can. There were a few tourists around, snapping away. 

There are more pictures and information on this site.

I was back in my car at 4.45pm and home by 5.30pm. It was a lovely walk, nine miles, luckily the rain kept off, but I'm not sure if my rosy cheeks are down to the wind or the sun. Nevertheless I have a healthy glow.

We have a sprinkling of rain now, and I want to go outside. I have an idea for a garden sculpture and I want to play with wood. It will probably brighten up shortly.

I hope you are having a fab Easter holiday. I had my bit of chocolate yesterday, not an egg, I don't want to pay for the fancy wrapping. A plain bar will do me.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Walking Group call out. Log your miles here.

Walking Group call out. Log your miles here.

crafty stuff recycle reuse walking

Hello. I dropped lucky yesterday. I stopped off at the Cash and Carry on my way to town and there is also a junk warehouse which is not open very often. The man was there, with second hand furniture spread about on the yard, so I had a nosy inside. I found a brown table lamp with a green shade, the perfect colour. He wanted £1 for it. I have scrubbed the shade with soapy water, it has come up a treat, and added some pink trim to the top and bottom. There was already some white trim on it which looked a bit tatty, so I just stuck the pink over the top. I'm very chuffed with it. 

This is it's permanent place next to me when I am on the computer, it is within easy reach so I can switch it on and off without getting up. I only need a light when I use the keyboard.

This is the brown lamp which it came with, it looks ancient, like the old fashioned bakerlite. I wasn't expecting it to be working, but it does. I've given it a clean up, it was filthy, and put this old shade on it which looks perfect. It must be about 40 years old, it was on a lamp which I bought for my mum, which I am still using on my bedside ironing table. 

Right, it's the 1st of the month, you know the drill, this is where all the members of the Walking Group congregate together to share their stories. I want to know how you have been doing, or not been doing. Do you need praise from me, or a kick up the bum?

I have finished the first three months of the year on 375 miles. I would have done more if it wasn't for the twisted muscle in my leg, but that's gone now thank goodness. The weather is hopefully getting better so I am looking forward to a few day walks this month.

So how is it for you, don't be shy, spill the beans.

Lunch time, belly is rumbling, so I'll leave it with you. Lets have those miles come flooding in. You can update at any time in the month, just come back to this post on the 1st.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip

All mapped out

All mapped out

map reading maps personal safety walking

Hello. A bit more on walking today. Some of you are interested in trying longer walks, perhaps not as long as mine, but a bit further than you normally go. Obviously where you live makes a difference, I cannot give advice for those who live outside the UK as I don't know what your roads and paths are like, or the type of maps you have, so this is mainly for the UK readers.

To start off it might be a good idea to make yourself a measured walk like I have with my three miles, setting off from your front door. If you are on a busy road you might be better to drive to somewhere close by which is quieter and use that as your starting point. 

There are a few sites which will calculate distance, I use Bikehike.co.uk  If you find yourself on the home page click course creator, but this link should take you to it. In the box on the bottom right corner put your starting point in the Find UK Place/Postcode box. From home I use my postcode, if I'm away I use place name. 

You want to be working from the OS map on the right but it is a bit small, so to enlarge it click on Toggle Map Sizes. 

Then it grows bigger on that side, and the other side shrinks. Get your start point in the middle, and left click on it, a green marker will appear. You may need to zoom in or zoom out, use the plus and the minus on the top left hand side, to get the scale you want. Then use your mouse to click along the proposed route, it will add the distance up for you, which will appear in the box on the left. If you make a mistake or want to go back and change direction, click Undo. Or if you want to start again click Clear Route. I can't help you if you access the internet with a smaller hand held device, I am not familiar with them.

If you carry a paper map like I do, and mark the route you have walked with a felt tip pen, you can check the distance with this. Bikehike probably has a lot more features, you can show elevation data if you do a lot of hill walking, but I only use it for checking distances. 

I suggest you might want to buy a paper OS map of where you live, and study that. It will give you all the footpaths, tracks, bridleways and roads. It has landmarks like pylons, churches, buildings, bridges, hotels, and tourist information. Start with a one mile route, then increase the distance. 

What you could do when you become more confident in finding your way around, is to get a bus from your house, check the distance that it travels, get off, and walk back. We have a bus which goes to a village five miles away, I sometimes get off there and walk back. Take a map and look for stiles in hedges and walls, between houses, tracks along fields, country roads, and use these to find your way home. I did a post about map reading here. 

The question always arises about safety of walking alone in unfamiliar places. To be honest I have more chance of being run over by a bus or attacked in a town centre than I do in the countryside. Sensible precautions should always be taken, like always being aware of your immediate surroundings. Looking behind to check no one is following. Look to each side in case there is an oddball in the bushes. 

Look at people's faces, if there is anything a bit dodgy looking about them, keep moving, turn a corner, skidaddle. Walk with an air of authority and confidence. If you look scared someone might pick up on it and see you as an easy target. People do speak to me along the way, if I feel a bit uneasy about the person I will say, must keep going, and carry on walking. That very rarely happens, everyone I meet is generally nice and chatty. 

I am probably more confident than a lot of women because of the job I have done. Working with men teaches you a lot of things, like sticking up for yourself. I have a right to walk wherever I like, except private land of course. I will not allow my freedom to roam be curbed by fear. In the years I have been walking alone I have not been attacked, accosted, or approached by undesirables. 

Now I must get some lunch, I am hungry, then I'm going to town for a few things I need. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. 

Toodle pip

Come walk with me

Come walk with me

food healthy eating walking

Hello. I'm just getting back into the daily routine now, the feet are healed so I can walk again. Bailey's owner is not very well so I am helping with the dog walking. I shall take him out in the mornings, and someone else will do the afternoons. I've also started on the three mile walks again, need to keep up with it, and I like getting out to chat to people.

Mayze has been very affectionate since I have been back. She has taken the place of Bugsy on the desk, so when I sit at this computer she plonks herself right under my nose. She also takes an interest in what I am having for dinner, and if it appears to be tasty she is waiting to lick the plate when I put it down. She liked the mayo and the cheese sauce, but doesn't like the toasted sesame seed oil.

This is the frozen cheese sauce I bought from Tesco, it's in little brick shaped pieces, it needs microwaving for two minutes.

So, the verdict. It has a lovely creamy taste and consistency, but is not very cheesy. I don't know if that's because I like strong cheese. I think I will add a bit of real cheese to it, to up the taste a bit next time I make it.

I've made a little video about my walking trips, and put it on yooootooob. It took a while to upload, but it's published now. Don't expect my videos to be perfect, it's just me talking, a bit of fun.



Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Shiptonthorpe to the Humber Bridge and finish line.

Shiptonthorpe to the Humber Bridge and finish line.

holidays/days out walking

Hello, what a sunny morning, makes me want to get out there and walk, ha ha. Well possibly not today, I'll give my feet a rest. So, what happened on the last day. I had breakfast in the conservatory of the main house, after being picked up from the second house which is in the process of renovation. All the rooms are decorated to a high standard, but the kitchen facilities are not up and running just yet. The two properties are half a mile apart. 

The front entrance of the main house. There are seven rooms here and five more in the second house. It has a lovely homely feel to it and guests are made to feel very welcome. Robeanne Guest House web site is here, check it out if you are looking for accommodation between Hull and York.

On my way, last push for home. Big sigh of relief to see this sign, not far now.

 The A1079 bypasses Market Weighton but I walked through it on the shorter route. This is the statue of William Bradley, the tallest recorded British man that ever lived, at 7 feet 9 inches.

North Cliffe and South Cliffe are two tiny hamlets on a long straight road. They share this very big church. 

Between North and South Cave is the Wolds Prison.

My feet were beginning to get quite sore again, but on I went through the village, trying to ignore the pain.

The route then took me through Brantingham, Elloughton, Welton, Melton, and North Ferriby. Ladies getting stuck in to plant up the flower beds. I had to stop at Welton to take my boots and socks off and give my feet an airing. I was sorely tempted to dip them in the village duck pond but thought better of it, there might be nasties in there. You would think that taking a break would ease the pain, but it doesn't, it's just as bad when you get going again. Best to keep moving but slow up on the speed.

This is the pub at North Ferriby where Jo Brand stopped for a break on her One Hell of a Walk, just over a year ago. I was invited inside to join the crew for refreshments. How time flies. 

And finally, at the Humber Bridge just after five pm, waiting for a bus. I can't walk another step. The bus doesn't go through my village so Janet was there to pick me up a mile from home.

The day has begun with a soak, oooh, lovely. Only two blisters on my small toes where they got a bit squashed. It's amazing how soon my feet recover.

Someone asked what makes your feet sore. A combination really. Ill fitting boots, mine are a good fit, tight fitting and ankle support. Wrong socks, best try different socks, always two pairs thin and thick ones, change socks on a long journey. Depends on the type of surface you are walking on. Flat tarmac is comfortable for a while but as the soles of your feet become more sensitive you begin to feel small stones, and even the ribbing in your socks becomes painful.. Walking on flat mown grass is best, but there's not much of that around in the countryside. Rough grass with clumps means you never know what you are stepping onto. An uneven surface means your feet twist over to one side constantly and every step is agony if your feet are sore. Same with loose stones and small rocks, careful where you put your feet or it will hurt. Some people use walking poles to assist with balance, but I don't.

Well this walk has given me a boost towards 1000 miles, I don't need to walk at all for the rest of March. But of course I will. A couple of days off and I will be back doing my three mile route around the village. Walking is in my routine, I cannot imagine not walking. Hope your walking is going well, don't forget to check in on the first post of every month with your miles.

My accommodation was rather costly this time. In the past I have been worried about paying more that £40 for a room, but I decided I would make it easier for myself and say stuff it, I will stay wherever I like. There was one hotel I walked out of and walked a bit further to find cheaper. To have a high price for the room and then say breakfast is another ten pounds, was a bit of a cheek I thought. Yes the Radisson was the most expensive, but it was exceptionally gorgeous. It's a pity I couldn't take advantages of the facilities, there was no way I could do an hour in the gym, ha ha.

Booking in advance would get the cost down, but I can't do that on a long walk, it would be too much like walking to a timetable, something I like to avoid. The open countryside, go where I please is the attraction for me.

It's all done and dusted now. Maybe not another long walk for a while, maybe a car holiday, camping, bus pass holiday, who knows. I shall go where the fancy takes me. One last thank you to my house/cat sitter Janet, her kindness makes it possible for me to do this. I know I don't have to worry when she is in charge.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

York to Shiptonthorpe

York to Shiptonthorpe

holidays/days out walking

Hello. Here we are on day six, and another 21 miles done. I am hoping that day seven will be the last day, I am hoping I can manage the 20 miles to the Humber Bridge, my finishing point. I've taken my mind off to other places today, there has been some long straight roads. It's better that I distract myself and try and ignore my sore feet. In my head I have been remembering times gone by, the people I have worked with, the jobs I have done, even past boyfriends have come to mind. I wonder what they are doing now. Pity I didn't have a ghost writer by my side, making notes, it would make a good story.

Distraction works for me, I love to push negative thoughts away, and look at the positives. Even thinking about not so good things that have happened to me, or mistakes I have made, can be turned around. There is plenty of time to think on a long walk. 

Breakfast this morning was a rather noisy affair, the Youth Hostel was full of teenagers, some of them came on a coach from Belgium. This made a bit of a queue to get served . I sat and people watched. 

The hostel is on the side of the river, so I set off along the footpath to the city centre. It was a gloriously sunny morning. There were rowers out on the water, plenty of dog walkers, people jogging, mums with kids, it was lovely. 

The pleasure boats are being prepared for the days work.

I left the river and walked around part of the castle wall, and carried on out of York on the A1079. It's a busy road so as soon as I was past the ring road I took off to the right on the B1228, which was not quite so busy. When I got to Elvington I sat for a few minutes and wriggled my toes out of my boots. I was a bit annoyed that I hadn't packed shorts, there have been days when trousers were too hot. Today I could stand it no more. I did think about cutting the bottoms off, but decided to roll them up to just above the knee. That's better.

Over the bridge just past Elvington.

And into Sutton upon Derwent. I thought this was funny to advertise the Beer Festival outse the church.

The Pocklington Canal was going in the right direction so I thought this would make a change from the road. Oh dear, ten minutes of stumbling over clumps of grass and molehills I came to a section that was completely flooded. Nothing for it but to turn around and go back to the road. Time was getting on and I couldn't afford to waste any if I was to get finished by 5pm. 

When my feet are sore I find it easier walking on tarmac, I can make good progress by lengthening my strides. I stopped when I was in Melbourne and rang a possible B & B, the answer machine was on so I left a message. Twenty minutes later the owner rang me and said she had got a room. I now had to quicken my pace knowing that I had a destination to reach.

There was a place on the map called Scamland, shame there was no sign for it on the roadside. Just at that point at the junction was a very big haulage and farm machinery yard and warehouse. These characters made me smile. The strange things you don't expect to see. I walked in to get a close up. I've just had a look at their web site and sadly they don't have these two on it.

More long stretches of walking, upping the pace, past Everingham and finishing at Shiptonthorpe near Market Weighton at 5.30pm. I have a lovely room, relaxing with my feet up. There is only me and two other guests here, the owner doesn't live on the premises. She is coming to pick me up in the morning for breakfast at her other guest house a mile away.

And then the push for home begins.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Kilburn to York

Kilburn to York

holidays/days out walking

Hello. No wonder I am knackered tonight, I've just checked on bikehike.co.uk and I've done 22 miles today. I was rather hoping I could make it to York, and I have. I started looking for a hotel just before the ring road, and went in the Premier Inn, they wanted £85 which didn't include breakfast, that was another tenner. I thought that was taking the Mick, Premier is nothing special, a bit like Travel Lodge. I would have thought they could include breakfast for that price. I wasn't intending to walk much further but that spurred me on to find something better, and I have. I walked into the Youth Hostel, I have a private room en suite, breakfast included, for £42. That will do nicely. The receptionist said I would have to use the wifi in the communal areas, but I am sitting here on my bed and it works fine. Ooooh, it's lovely to put my feet up. 

I've had a brush with the law today, I was caught in a speed trap and the bobby said I was walking too fast, ha ha. No, he didn't just joking. He was out and about to catch drivers without their seatbelts on, and those fiddling around with their phones while driving. Pity we don't see more community bobbies out and about, he was lovely. 

It was a lot of minor roads today, I saw Mr Policeman at Coxwold, a lovely little village. Me being nosy peering through someone's gate.

It's amazing that so many small villages have such big churches. This is a whopper.

I stopped to admire this ivy covered house and a woman stopped to chat. She said it belonged to an old gentleman and it is for sale. I'm not so sure it is such a good idea to allow the ivy swallow up your house though.

A nice little B & B, how come I always come across them when I don't actually need one. 

This is the pond near Newburgh Priory.

The Priory isn't open today, the season starts in April.

I saw this marked on the map and thought it a strange name. Low and behold there is a sign for it. 

I arrived in Easingwold and picked up supplies at the Co op, and had a ten minute break. This car was parked outside a shop and the owner came out for a chat. He said he took it to a show at Harrogate at the weekend and they treated him like royalty with free tickets to get in. I certainly looks lovely. He showed me some pictures of a couple of vintage VW camper vans he has bought to do up.

A pub in Easingwold, quite a lot of black and white buildings round here.

I didn't take any more pictures after that, just got my head down and walked walked walked. I left Easingwold on the Stillington road and turned right to Hubey. That's a nice village. Bypassed Sutton on the Forest and went down a long track which turned into a tarmac road. I got chatting to a woman who advised me which roads to avoid as the traffic moves very fast on them. I took her advice and headed for Skelton, which go me onto the A19 into York. I was really beginning to struggle then, my feet were as sore as hell. I trudged on and made the decision to go to the Youth Hostel.

No wind or rain today, it was a great day for walking.

What does tomorrow hold? Well I am not about to give up, having come this far I have to finish it at the River Humber, at the bridge. I will check the maps if I can get off this bed, my legs have seized up. It would be great to finish it in two more days, so I will look at splitting the distance in half and see if I can find a bed in the middle. That's me being optimistic, it may have to go into Thursday.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.