South Cave to Hessle: E2 Day 75

My last day on the Yorkshire Wolds Way, a day of hills and a muddy, riverside walk to reach the giant Humber Bridge.

I had thought that the hills would disappear today as I approached the River Humber. This was incorrect. I spent the morning climbing up and down the rounded wolds, often in mixed woodland. Many people were out for a stroll, enjoying Easter Sunday and the dry if slightly misty weather. 

Another dale on the Yorkshire Wolds Way. 

Deviating into Welton on the chance of a café I discovered a coffee shop in the Memorial Hall. I enjoyed my coffee and carrot cake sitting outside with a view of the Green Dragon Inn where Dick Turpin, the highwayman, is said to have been captured. A classic English village with an old pub, ancient church, village green and duck pond.

After an empty Scout camp the path went by a large chalk quarry. It was well hidden and I was only alerted to its existence by the informative signs. Glimpses of the Humber Bridge were visible before it was hidden by a final hill. Having crossed the busy A63 dual carriageway at an intersection I reached the flood plain of the wide River Humber. A final flat section through woodland took me to the river itself. Here a problem arose for those who planned the path. Nearby houses had extended their gardens over the river embankment forcing the Yorkshire Wolds Way onto the muddy, tidal foreshore of the river. An alternative route was available for when it was high tide, but having reached this point when the tide was receding, I made my way along the mud beneath the large boulders of the sea defences. Fortunately, the liquid mud overlay more solid gravel but care was needed to avoid slipping or tripping over scattered rocks. I wondered if the owners of the houses above had been wise to occupy the sea defences. With rising waters associated with climate change I could see from marks on the rocks left by high tide that the embankment would soon need to be raised, and who would be responsible for this?

River Humber foreshore where the Wolds Way is forced onto the mud.

In time it was possible to climb up into a park area where a display board described the bronze age remains of wooden boats found in the mud of the river. An outline of such a boats was shown in the grass nearby. 40 feet or more in length they were maybe used to ferry people across the Humber thousands of years before the bridge was built. The park funnelled me onto a good track between the river and, for a Sunday, a surprisingly busy railway line. In front of me the Humber Bridge gradually became closer, its slender construction and the graceful curve of the wires between the thin towers a testament to skill of civil engineers in designing such a light structure. One that has carried countless cars and heavy goods vehicles in the 40 years or so since my now wife agreed to marry me in a restaurant that once stood in its shadow. The restaurant, housed in the old ferry, has now gone, there is still a car park by where it was moored. Between this car park and the road, a new flood barrier has been installed made largely of glass panels. I suppose these look less obtrusive (if more expensive) than a concrete wall. Contemplating such thoughts on a riverside bench I licked a "99" ice cream.

Humber Bridge. 

Although there was a stone sculpture by the ice cream seller, with the National Trails acorn, similar to the one in Filey, this was not the end of the Yorkshire Wolds Way. The finish (or start) was at a sign further down river. I made sure to reach it so that I could confidently assert I had walked the complete length of this National Trail when applying for my Silver National Trails certificate (indicating I had walked ten of Britain's National Trails).