Fridaythorpe to Market Weighton: E2 Day 73

A sunny day to admire the valleys and views of the Wolds.

Today sunshine blessed the country. The dales looked beautiful with their smooth curves, sides swooping down to curvaceous bottoms before rising up the opposite slope. These valleys, down which no stream or river now flowed, turned right angle corners, one way and then the other, as if wishing to avoid too direct a route or else hide a secret glen. Looking up from the valley base, I saw lines of trees on the skyline. Still lacking leaves their silhouettes guarded the valley, or else hedges stood on the horizon, marking the valleys limits, their tops sharply cut in a neat line. Occasional trees on the slopes cast shadows in the morning sun.

Trees on the skyline.

Entering a valley.

My path crawled down valleys only to rise up the other side, or else it crossed the farmed, flattened tops of the Wolds giving views across the Vale of York to the Pennine mountains in the far distance. I spotted the cooling towers of the Drax power station 27 kilometres away. It was notable for using pellets of wood to produce power rather than coal, its previous fuel. Provided the trees cut to produce the pellets are replanted, it is almost a carbon neutral technology as the carbon dioxide produced by burning the wood is absorbed by the growth of the new trees. I chatted about such things with a couple out for a day hike, and bemoaned the shrinking of the Athabasca glacier in Canada which we had both visited. It is receding partly because of rising world temperatures associated with increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There has been progress, as they commented you could once see three or four coal fired power stations from the Wolds. Now only Drax remains, while in the haze to its left I could see a wind farm, producing power from the breeze. 

Millington village as seen from the Wolds Way, nestled in a valley with the Vale of York in the distance.

Despite the large cultivated fields, there were wild flowers by the hedges and trackside; a line of purple dead nettle, a scattering of yellow celandine. Although doubtless a deliberate planting, clumps of daffodils appeared in random places. A red kite turned on the wind while pheasants shrieked at my approach and skylarks sang their endless song above a patch of ground.

There were a number of curious benches like this one with phrases written on them. Normal benches were also in greater abundance than on most trails.

Many people and their dogs were about today, maybe as it was both good weather and Good Friday. For the latter reason the church was open in the village of Londesborough, so I looked inside. The vicar in his long black robe offered a sheet of prayers appropriate to the day on which Jesus died, but I chose to pray in my own way in the quiet of the ancient church for the health and happiness of my family. A notice in the street nearby told how the village had ancient roots. Most villages in the area seem to have these informative signs speaking of Roman origins, an appearance in the Doomsday book, the historic church and the influence of the Manor house.

After Londesborough the path splits for a stretch. I chose the alternative that led to Market Weighton, the small town where I had booked accommodation for the night. On this last stretch I was on flatter, clay rich farmland, having lost the glories of the Wolds. The streets of Market Weighton were lined with red brick houses, and small shops. I was especially pleased to find a café open offering coffee, cake and pottery painting. The pottery painting will have to wait for another time!

My bedroom for the night has half height panelling and a large ensuite bathroom with some antique plumbing including a high level cistern above the toilet with a chain to pull (reminding me of my childhood). Despite the age of the taps and pipes everything except the bidet seemed to work. As the hotel did not offer food, the receptionist-cum-barmaid suggested a nearby restaurant for dinner. Although fully booked they squeezed me in late as the place was winding down. I should have checked the menu first as it was an expensive place to eat, but the scallops with curried parsnip sauce were really good and the dressing with the artichoke tart had just the right acidity.