A linear walk of 20 to 23 miles depending on choice, from Beverley Minster to River Head, Driffield. There is no special waymarking, but standard footpath and bridleway marking should be present. From Beverley to Arram, part of the route coincides with the Minster Way. Some of the route tends to be a little overgrown during the summer, and it is very flat. There is usually much of interest to see for those interested in nature, and this aspect has been constantly improving.
From the North door of the Minster, walk along Highgate to Wednesday Market. Continue along Butcher Row and Toll Gavel to Saturday Market and North Bar Within and pass through the North Bar.
The beautiful St.Mary's church is worth looking inside. Note the plaque on the North Bar detailing its cost.
Follow North Bar Without and New Walk, passing some fine buildings including the Sessions House on your left. Turn right, down Bleach Yard Lane, just before the Molescroft boundary and a cemetery. Cross The Paddock and take the footpath opposite to reach Woodhall Way.
Cross and turn left, quickly turning right along Rosemary Walk. Ignore all paths that lead to the streets at the side, continuing ahead along the meandering path or on the wide grassy area. Two roads are crossed before you reach the disused railway line, now the Hudson Way, at a playing field. Turn left.
The path soon widens. Shortly after passing the Hayride public house (Our original route crosses here, along with the Minster Way) reach and cross the footbridge over the bypass. Leave the Hudson Way and walk through the car parking area on the right. Turn left along the lane which leaves the bypass here and shortly turn right at the corner. Reach a path junction, rejoining the Minster Way, and turn left along the track to Leconfield Low Parks Farm.
Immediately before the farm, turn right, along the field headland to reach a stile close to the Hull — Scarborough railway line. (To be crossed 5 times before reaching River Head) Cross and walk alongside the hedge to another stile. Ignore the railway crossing here, (bridleway: possible alternative route to Arram and the River Hull.) and continue ahead along the grass track. Reach a bridge over Catchwater Drain. Do not cross, but take the path along the drain embankment.
The boundary of the Combined Services School of Transport, Normandy Barracks, Leconfield, is now on your left. Ponds created here are attracting more wildlife. You may, if lucky, see odd types of vehicles going over the man-made mounds. Much tree planting has been done. Police and rescue helicopters are stationed here.
Descend a little to cross a stile, and walk ahead along the drain side until another stile is reached on your right. Cross this and the stiles over the railway with great care. Walk directly across the field, passing an old pump, and soon with a fence on your left, to reach Arram. Cross the stile and then bear slightly left and then right, along the road. Pass a junction on the right (bridleway alternative as above) and pass by the side of White House farm. The road becomes a track and crosses a drain. Here we leave the Minster Way which crosses a stile on the left. Walk ahead along the track. Cross the bridge over Barmston drain.
We now have alternative choices of drain or river banks, D or R, in the text below, on 3 occasions. The drain is much shorter; the river holds a little more of interest.
D1. Turn left along the drain bank through fields until, close to Aike, a stile is crossed to rejoin the river path.
R1. Turn right, and go through a gate, after which follow the top of the river embankment to the left.
An area of wetland can be seen across the river, and also, on the opposite bank, the disused Leven canal is visible. The river eventually nears the drain again. Cross a stile.
D1 and R1 merge and continue between both, just above the drain. Wilfholme Landing is now in sight and we make our second choice.
D2. To use the drain, descend, go through the gate, and follow the track alongside the drain to reach The Three Jolly Tars Farm. Just past the side of the farmhouse on the left, cross the stiles of a small enclosure to reach a track. (If access is difficult, use the gate to the right, but this is not the right of way.) Ahead, reach the road, and, to the right, steps take us up to the riverbank by the side of a pumping station.
R2. To use the river, keep to the embankment. (Leven airstrip is on the opposite bank, and light aircraft are often seen flying close by. A collection of small boats is passed moored at Wilfholme Landing. There are a few permanent residents.) Cross stiles on your way to reach The Three Jolly Tars Farm and the pumping station. Both routes again merge.
(The Three Jolly Tars Farm was once The Three Jolly Tars Inn. The river was used by vessels carrying goods between Hull and Driffield. Now pleasure craft use much of the route.)
Walk ahead, along the river bank and Watton Beck is soon reached. (This has been diverted from its original course. An aqueduct takes it over Barmston Drain before it enters the river.) To cross, turn left, pass through a gate, turn right to cross the beck, and turn right again, through a gate, to rejoin the river. We soon reach our third and final choice of river or drain,
(Top Hill Low waterworks, much of which is a nature reserve, lies between the river and the drain. Both routes provide interest with the longer river path slightly better usually. Note that the river path is not shown on the map as definitive, but is regularly used by anglers. If you wish to visit the reserve, the drain path passes by the entry. The reserve has several different viewing areas, principally attracting a good variety of water fowl to the 2 reservoirs and the ponds, swampy areas and scrapes. It is open during the summer months and at weekends only through the winter. A car parking charge is made.)
D3. Where the river and drain diverge, descend to the drainside path. A plantation is on your right. (Shortly, on the opposite bank, you will see a pond. Cormorants may be seen here.) Pass a hide on your right, and you may glimpse the side of a circular reservoir. Reach the access road to the works. Here is the entry to the reserve. Our route carries on along the drain side. A fence on our right unfortunately now stops us observing clearly the D shaped reservoir. Pass a footbridge on the left, which could provide a short cut along the original route of the river. Soon take a path to the right, by the side of a building. Pass through a small gate and regain the riverbank. We should now turn left, but you may wish to spend a little time at Struncheon Lock, which is a short distance to the right and is well worth a look.
R3. As you continue along the riverbank, please remember that the reserve ahead usually has a large number of birds and some keen twitchers delighting in them. PLEASE TRY TO DISTURB THEM AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. You will pass the swampy areas and some ponds before arriving at Struncheon Lock.
(At the restored Struncheon Lock, it is very pleasant to stop and watch the fresh water descending into the tidal part of the river. Fish may be seen, and, at the right time of the summer, dragonflies hawk around. Small boats use the lock now, thanks to the work done by the Driffield Canal Navigation group.)
From the lock, continue along the riverbank until you reach Scurf Dyke on the left. Do not cross. You may see boats up river towards Brigham, but we turn left, along the dyke side. Note the aqueduct carrying the dyke over Barmston Drain. The path may be a little difficult due to overgrowth during the summer, and this can make it seem a little long. Hopefully, you may see swans,ducks and signs of water voles. Pass through gates, and cross stiles, and note a footpath on the left, which is the other end of the short cut along the old route of the River Hull. Reach a quiet road, before which you may have been tempted to leave the dyke side and descend to an easier track alongside…not a right of way.
Walk ahead along the road up to Scurf Dyke Farm. The road turns sharply right. We keep straight ahead along the track, to pass by the side of Whinnyforth Farm, still by the dyke side. The main track soon goes to the left, but here keep to the field headland path by the dyke side until a footbridge is reached.
Cross over and walk away from the dyke, along the right hand side of the hedge, through a gate and up to Little Common farm. Immediately before this, cross the footbridge to the left, and walk alongside a hedge on your right, to reach a larger footbridge. Cross and arrive on Sheepman lane, close to a road junction. Turn left, along the lane, which quickly becomes green. Follow the lane into Cranswick, passing Spring Cottage, opposite which a spring provides a tempting supply of clear water.
Turn left, along the main road through the village, and over the level crossing by the station. A green track to the right is reached within a few yards, Eddlemere Lane.
(You may wish to obtain refreshment from one of the inns along the road ahead. The White Horse has had the best reports.)
Walk along the lane and reach a meadow. The official path follows the field boundary to the left, but a clear path bears left across the field to a gate, and a path junction. Keep in the field and follow the boundary right to the field corner. An enclosed path is now followed to Hutton. At the road, cross and turn left, and take a road on the right. At the bend, just before a farm, find a stile on the right. Cross this and another ahead to enter a larger field. A careful look to the left and you will see where there is a slight rise in the fence alongside the railway. Bear left, across the field, to this. CROSS THE RAILWAY WITH GREAT CARE.
The path here has been diverted left, alongside the railway. Reach a stream, which will soon become Skerne Beck, and follow this to the Skerne road by the side of a bridge, crossing a footbridge along the way. Cross the bridge and continue along the narrow road with care, up to a gate at Skerne Grange on your left. Take the track through the gate, which passes by the side of the grange, and through gates, straight over a field, before a short bend to the left, between bushes, leads you to the Skerne — Driffield road. Turn left, again taking care.
A track (footpath) is reached on your right, to Skerne HILL farm. Possibly the highest point on the walk..Just before the buildings, bear left off the track, to find a narrow path on their left hand side. This may be OVERGROWN. Beware of nettles and brambles. Soon reach an open field, and a gap in the hedge on the left ahead is where the path turns left, straight across a field towards a gate and back to the road. Turn right.
Bell Mill is reached.
(Still partly powered by water, and worth a close look at the water courses and alongside the garden centre. Plenty of water fowl here!)
Continue along the road, into Driffield, and over a level crossing. Turn right along the main road, and quickly right again over a second level crossing by the station. (The bus station is just further along the main road) Here is River Head and the Canal Head is soon reached, and the end of this stage.