The Chalkland Way is a circular walking route in the

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...

and

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, England. The route covers the chalky hills and valleys of the western

Yorkshire Wolds The Yorkshire Wolds are hills in the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in Northern England. They are the northernmost chalk hills in the UK and within lies the northernmost chalk stream in Europe, the Gypsey Race. ...

, with the common starting point in the town of

Pocklington Pocklington () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, its population was 10,123. It lies east of York, and ...

History

The Chalkland Way was first established by Ray Wallis in 1994. The waymark badge is a black swan on a green background encircled by the walk's name at the top and the words "

Ramblers Association The Ramblers' Association, branded simply as the Ramblers, is Great Britain's walking charity. The Ramblers is also a membership organisation with around 100,000 members and a network of volunteers who maintain and protect the path network. T ...

" to the bottom.

Route

The route crosses a number of other long-distance walks. Notably Yorkshire Wolds National Trail, the

Centenary Way The Centenary Way is a route devised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of North Yorkshire County Council. It was opened by Chris Brasher in 1989 to mark the Centenary of the governance by County Councils. The route runs across the Howardian ...

(North Yorkshire), the

Minster Way The Minster Way is a walking route between the Minsters of Beverley and York in England. It crosses the chalk hills of the Yorkshire Wolds, as well as a wide variety of the East Riding of Yorkshire countryside. Part of the route follows the Yo ...

, and the Wilberforce Way.

Clockwise from Pocklington to Bugthorpe

From the western end of Market Place, the route follows the road north east via Union Street before turning off left down Target Lane and Denison Road out towards Pocklington Wood across the open fields. The route curves back west before turning north along a short part of a road and then continues across fields near Broad Ings. It then climbs through Grimthorpe Wood to the peak of Great Givendale () and joins the Minster Way. The route goes through the village of Bishop Wilton before departing from the Minster Way near

Youlthorpe Youlthorpe is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bishop Wilton. It is situated approximately east of York, north-west of Pocklington and just south of the main A166 road from York to Bridli ...

. Here it crosses the A166 and passes close to

Bugthorpe Bugthorpe is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, about east of York and west of Driffield. The village is just south of the border with North Yorkshire. According to the 2011 UK Census the civil parish had a po ...

. The route turns mostly east over fields and through several farms before briefly joining the Centenary Way just outside

Thixendale Thixendale is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the Yorkshire Wolds about 20 miles east of York. The place name ''Thixendale'' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as ''Sixtend ...

. On the other side of the village, the route turns south-east and goes through the hamlet of Fimber. Crossing farmland it then reaches the village of

Wetwang Wetwang is a Yorkshire Wolds village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, west of Driffield on the A166 road. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 761, an increase on the 2001 census figure of 672. Name There ...

on the A166. On leaving the village, the path curves south and then west towards

Huggate Huggate is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north-west of Beverley town centre and west of Driffield town centre. The village of North Dalton lies to the south-east. Accor ...

. It skirts the northern edge of the village before entering woodland and turns south to again join the Minster Way near Millington Wood. Passing to the north of

Kilnwick Percy Kilnwick Percy is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Nunburnholme, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north-east of Pocklington town centre, and to the north of the B1246 road. In 1931 t ...

it rejoins the starting path south of Pocklington Wood to end back at the Market Place.

Images

File:The Chalkland Way through Pocklington Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1416945.jpg, The Chalkland Way through Pocklington Wood File:The Chalkland Way - geograph.org.uk - 1429215.jpg, The Chalkland Way, north east of Bugthorpe File:The Chalkland Way ascends Thixen Dale - geograph.org.uk - 1318738.jpg, The Chalkland Way ascends Thixen Dale File:Chalkland Way - geograph.org.uk - 1636150.jpg, Chalkland Way above Horsedale File:Junction of the Yorkshire Wolds Way with the Chalkland Way - geograph.org.uk - 1393711.jpg, Junction of the Yorkshire Wolds Way with the Chalkland Way File:Along the Chalkland Way - geograph.org.uk - 901754.jpg, Along the Chalkland Way above Millington Dale File:The Chalkland Way into Pocklington - geograph.org.uk - 1416963.jpg, The Chalkland Way into Pocklington

Sources

*OS Landranger 100, 101, 105, 106 *OS Landranger Active 100, 101, 105, 106 *OS Explorer 294, 300 *OS Explorer Active 294, 300

References

{{reflist Long-distance footpaths in England Footpaths in the East Riding of Yorkshire Footpaths in North Yorkshire Yorkshire Wolds