Arriving at the High Street bus stop in Tadcaster, it looks a lot like the weather that I left here last weekend has only just passed, which is odd as you wouldn't think you could fit all this rain into the weekends when the other days have provided so much shirtsleeves weather. Anyway, it seems like it's impossible to get out here early in the day, not getting my start until 9.55am has passed, and I wonder just how many more times I might be pacing my way up Bridge Street before this season passes, having been here four times in the last month, and the ghost town is soon to be left behind as the path takes me to the riverfront once again. Pace past the 2016 footbridge, as there'll be no criss-crossing the Wharfe on this third and final leg, taking the tree lined avenue out to the east, detouring around the house on the bank, and past the local plating fields (where all the town's sounds of life are to be heard) and on to the embankment path, onwards under the A64 and the last crossing point on the river for foot passengers and rubber tired vehicles. The hiss of rain continues as the river winds on, these lowest stretches of the Wharfe being a completely unknown quantity to me, and this feels a lot like a path I might have to myself, aside from the company of the odd dog walker and a number of roaming sheep. Pass over the sluice at the outspill of Cock Beck, finally encountered after so many appearances elsewhere, and this must be where the Wharfe ran red with blood in 1461, if the chroniclers are to be believed, and the eye does wander some to seek any landscape interest as the flat lands head east, and you stop looking west to the receding town and the hills at the edge of West Yorkshire. Grimston Park spreads out to the south, but offers little more than a lot of trees, despite the relative proximity of the house, and the only other habitation in the area is Ouston Farm, distant on the other bank, so it's time to watch the livestock and waterfowl along the way as the last hiss of rain passes over, ending just as we meet the hamlet of Kirkby Wharfe. It's a pretty modest place, set just far enough from the river to be off piste, and well hidden by many trees, but the tower of St John the Baptist peeks out to give a first bit of landscape interest since the start of the day.
Push on, happy with the sunshine arriving on a day that promises to be consistently changeable, and interest focuses to the Wharfe bridge in the distance, where the railway between Church Fenton and York passes over the river, offering some train spotting and the sole point of contact with the lowest section of the Wharfe that I have previously had. It's not a bridge of any great vintage sadly, in fact it's about as unattractive as they come, built in brick and steel, but it's definitely a feature, with the long walk to it and the long walk on the curve of the river beyond, as attention wanders to Bolton Lodge hiding on the north bank, and the imminent arrival of the village of Ulleskelf, coming up to the south. Arriving on Ings Road, we've managed to miss about three-quarters of the village, but what we do see is an odd mix of farmsteads and commuter village, all feeling a bit off the beaten track, and pathfinding gets difficult as the map fold of E290 is crossed and the way forwards beyond Eastfield House is not clear at all. Staying on the most obvious track leads back to the flood embankment, when the path should be further from the riverside, but I'm not going to waste time seeking the correct track, instead enjoying some bonus river walking in the sunshine, secure in the knowledge that the way forward onto Boggart Lane shouldn't be too hard to find. Emerge safely onto the B1223 on the edge of Ozendyke, a hamlet that is little more than a scattering of farmsteads, but the lane has enough kinks to keep you alert before striking a straight line in the direction of Ryther, which means a passage up to and over the bridge on the ECML, the very last crossing on the Wharfe, which won't be seen today as no paths leads that way. Glumness and the threat of rain come on as the road drops down to Ryther, looking again an odd mix of commuter belt and ancient, sitting just that bit too close to the river for comfort, but the old bits are quite lovely, and it's worth taking the path up to All Saints church, a surprisingly sizeable Norman church, with a curious little bell turret. The yard would be a nice spot to take lunch, if it wasn't for another rain shower coming on with a forceful wind, so steps are taken onto the path back to the main road, despite there being no actual access to it, hopeful that the day's main target feature might provide me a good picnic spot instead.
There's quite a bit of road to negotiate before we get there though, winding through the flat landscape and giving good notice of any traffic coming on, and sight is gained of that familiar trio of power stations once again, and the path will continue on towards Drax, but once again not quite getting there, rolling past Button hill Farm and the Cawood Park caravan site, developed around a former claypit that is extra picturesque these day. Depart to seek the end of the Wharfe, on footpaths that once lead to a house near the confluence, but now this tongue of land is all dedicated to crops and weediness, the boundaries followed with frustratingly few views to the last half mile of the river, and worst fears are realised when the meeting of the Wharfe and the Ouse cannot be seen at all, hidden away behind an impenetrable wall of trees and bushes. It probably wouldn't even be visible in winter, either, so join the Ouse-side path to head towards Cawood, and after seeing the Wharfe peter out somewhat, the Ouse is a wholly different proposition, wide, muddy and clearly tidal, even this far inland. Downstream with hints of Cawood on the horizon, though nothing looking familiar, grabbing a shady spot to finally take lunch just before the grounds of the local boating club are met, the path wandering over the flood embankment to land on the narrow King Street and leading up to the Ferry Inn and the swing bridge. Much less traffic chaos today, but more threats of glumness as Old Road leads to the nicest waterfront terrace seen so far, looking faintly nautical with some serious retaining walls and floodgates built to access the riverside gardens, and I'm pretty sure that this is Cawood's best face, on the roll down to Church End, with All Saints and Goole bank farm terminating the village. I'm not here for an Ouse walk though so leave the embankment path behind, delving deep into the flatland farming instead, with all paths leading directly to Selby as I can manage, pacing along Marsh Lane, which should give some indication of just how managed and man-made this landscape really is. No signs of habitation to be had in it though, just fields of green, yellow and that intermediate shade of under-ripe barley, and focus wanders inland towards Wistow, seemingly spread out over the flatlands, but our last trip out here gave warning of how deceptive this landscape can be, so I'm ready to accept that it's smaller and further away than I think.
The flood embankment is passed over, by their Millennium beacon, having only met one car on the trip on Marsh Lane, as Lordship Lane leads past the Jubilee Hall and the playing field to enter Wistow, celebrating a bit of Leicestershire name synergy, and it's worth a brief tour, making a circuit of the yard of All Saints church and checking out the Black Swan and the Wesleyan chapel on the main road, and spotting a lot of country buildings that have had a pleasing face put on them. The commuter belt growth makes a bit more sense here, and the developers have to be praised for finding styles that fit neatly into the local landscape and using materials that don't look out of place, like irregularly coloured and rusticated bricks, altogether another place to add to the list of desirable countryside villages, if you are willing to overlook the other obvious drawbacks. Garman Carr Lane is the route back to the flatlands, where the roads bring more dog walkers than cars, and there are at least a few farms to meet along here, like the incongruously named Richmond Hill and Lodge Hill, whilst Rose Grove hides behind many trees before Black Fen Lane gives us some mileage with no company at all. The eye can wander over the landscape, though, as Selby reveals itself with suburbs nearby and the Abbey and four mills more distantly, a distant cluster of houses must surely be Barlby, beyond the flood embankments and the Ouse, whilst other farmsteads are identified to Give your location context, Wistow Grange and Mirybank Cottage being the closest. Meet Lordship Lane, again to direct me to the driveway and footpath to Selby, which used to be a riverside path, before the loop of the Ouse got severed, to give further illustration of the management of this landscape, and the industrial sites which once stood at the north edge of the town have now gone, replaced by developments that must need some crazy flood insurance. Into town along Holme Lane, and over the throat of Selby Dam, passing between the flour mill and the top of the market place on Micklegate to meet Water Lane and Ousegate, home to possibly my favourite post industrial waterfront, and as good time has been made, I'll allow myself a short detour to see Selby's first railway station, only operational for passengers between 1834 and 1841, but a good relic to spot at the end of a good day. So back under the swing bridge to make the last footfalls to Selby station, arriving on the platform at 3.35pm, and 50+ miles down the Wharfe seemed like a major excursion when I initially plotted it, but the reality of my walking life reveals it to be easily within my compass, even with all the weather Summer can throw at me!
5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 2319 miles
2016 Total: 304.6 miles
Up Country Total: 2122.3 miles
Solo Total: 2088.1 miles
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| Bridge Street, Tadcaster. A veritable Home from Home this last month. I need to find an occasion for a session in the Angel & White Horse. |
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| The Cock Beck - River Wharfe confluence. |
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| Kirkby Wharfe, hiding from view and the only village to actually acknowledge the river along its whole length. |
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| Wharfe Bridge, along with the A64 and the ECML, the only points of contact that non-walkers would have with the lower Wharfe. |
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| Ulleskelf, where old farms and new houses jam together, often along the same stretches of the street. |
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| Ozendyke, blink and you might miss it! |
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| The Riverside in Ryther, last public appearance for the Wharfe, and the village still celebrates the 2015 Tour de Yorkshire. |
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| Button Hill farm, on the snaking flatland lane between Ryther and Cawood. |
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| Field walking to the Wharfe - Ouse confluence, and this is the last sight of the river we'll be getting on it journey from Oughtershaw Moss, as the meeting point hides behind a wall of dense vegetation |
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| The Wharfe leaves landscape, and the Ouse will be our companion only as far as Cawood, this is a beast that doesn't invite close company. |
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| Riverfront dwelling in Cawood, for upscale living with some heavy duty flood protection measures in the front gardens. |
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| Marsh Lane, wending its way through the managed landscape of the Selby Levels, a country lane all to myself! |
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| All Saints, Wistow. Four churches on the day and three were dedicated to All Saints, clearly as much protection as possible is needed in these flatlands. |
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| Black Fen Lane, between Wistow and Selby, and I'm much more prepared for the flatlands than I was last year, and making excellent progress too! |
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| On the way to Selby, and you need to share a picture of the island of habitation that it brings, but after last year's flooding, would you really want a nice new house out here? |
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| Selby Old Railway station, built by the Leeds & Selby in 1834, and superseded in 1841 by the current one, before enduring as a goods shed for a healthy portion of the 20th century. |
Next Up: Now we've come this far east, let's Railway walk, to York!
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