Bishop Wilton to Millington 

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Bishop Wilton – free on street car parking (SE 797553)		Ordnance Survey Map OS Explorer 294 – Market Weighton & Yorkshire Wolds Central. Buy this map from List of OS Maps Commission from map sales is used to fund the website, so keeping it free to use.
Distance: 10 miles
Traffic light rating:   (For explanation see My Walks page)
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To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction: This Yorkshire Wolds walk from Bishop Wilton to Millington takes in some pretty countryside, fabulous views across the Vale of York and typical Yorkshire Wolds dales with their sinuous curves which look man made. Bishop Wilton and Millington are attractive villages. A beck winds its way through Bishop Wilton.

The walk goes through Great Givendale which despite the adjective is tiny but so attractive, with its small church of St Ethelburga.

There are refreshment opportunities in Millington at the Gait Inn and Ramblers Retreat Café. You would be advised to check opening times before relying on them, although the café was open on a November Monday when I passed. The churchyard there has a couple of benches for a picnic stop.

Bishop Wilton also has a pub (Fleece Inn) and a village shop.

The walk follows parts of a number of “Ways” – Minster Way, Wolds Way and Chalkland Way. This can get quite confusing as there are overlaps in some places and you can meet signs for any. Where I have mentioned fingerposts for them, this is to indicate your turns, not to indicate you should try to follow the “Ways” themselves to any length.

There is some road walking but only short distances and the roads are mostly very quiet.

The walk starts at Bishop Wilton. To get there, turn south off the A166, just to the west of Garrowby Hill. There is street parking at the crossroads in the village and a bench for booting up.

Start: Head south out of Bishop Wilton (SE 797553) along the main street through the village, passing the pub to your right. After about ¹/₃ mile, turn left off the road following the fingerpost “Public Footpath Minster Way” (SE 799547). Go through a kissing gate and the footpath goes straight ahead up the hill, following the left hand field boundary.

About 100 yards short of the top of the hill, the path swings to the right following a terrace in the hillside (SE 804749). There are fantastic views here across the vale of York and several power stations should be visible.

The path drops down off the terrace to a gateway. Go straight ahead through this, to the top of the field, then, turn right to follow its boundary. As the fence swings left, follow it round. You reach a corner with a padlocked gate (at least it was when I did the walk) and a yellow arrow indicating a right turn for the footpath. It may not be obvious but you need to climb the wooden fence area next to the gate, then turn right. The path is clear, sandwiched between the fence and hedge.

Follow this path to a walkers’ gate then turn left (SE 808540).

You are on a track which divides, the left hand arm going to a farm but you take the right fork. It is indicated by a yellow arrow and you are now on the Chalkland way.

At the road, turn left following the Minster Way finger post (SE 810539), passing through the tiny hamlet of Great Givendale. When you get to the road junction, have a look at the prettily situated St Ethelburga’s Church ahead of you, rebuilt in 1849, using parts from an earlier Norman church.

The continuation of our route runs down the left hand side of the church, following the Minster Way’s obvious bridleway.

Pass a couple of junctions on the left, clearly marked as “Private”.

Through a double set of 5 bar gates, climb the hill following the left hand boundary of the field and head for the gate which comes into view. Go through this and turn right.

At the road keen straight ahead (SE 827525), along a quiet lane shown as The Balk on the 1:25,000 scale OS map and at the cross roads, go straight ahead into Millington village. The route goes off to the left shortly (SE 831519), indicated by a public footpath fingerpost. To visit the Ramblers Rest café or the Gait Inn, pass this fingerpost and turn right at the junction. To visit St Margaret’s church, where there are useful benches for your sandwiches, turn first right again.

Return to the finger post and follow it along the tarmac track. The footpath quickly turns off to the right, going down to a house where the path continues along its right hand side down a wooden walkway. The walkway evolves into wooden steps into the field. The path goes straight up the field although there is a broad track to the left across the field and which bends to the same point, if you wanted to even out the slope a little.

Bear to the right at the corner of the fence and follow the obvious track to the hilltop where there is a three-way fingerpost (SE 840519). Go through the kissing gate and turn left here, following the fingerpost for the “Yorkshire Wolds Way”, passing Warren Farm.

Just past the farm, there is a two way fingerpost. Take the Yorkshire Wolds Way path. Over to the left across Millington Dale is Millington Wood. The path follows the right hand field boundary and curves round, left, at the end of the field to descend to the floor of the valley, via a kissing gate (SE 845530). This is Sylvan Dale, a typical ‘V’ shaped curving Wolds dale.

On reaching the valley floor, you will be pleased to know you ignore the steep steps ahead and turn left.

Go through a kissing gate, along the path between the fence and hedge. Cross a footbridge across the stream, alongside a pond and go straight ahead at the road.

You now follow the course of an old Roman road, climbing gently to pass Millington Heights (SE836543). At the road, turn right. You now have about a mile of road walking. The first half mile passing Millington Grange can be quite busy with large lorries but there is a wide grass verge to keep you out of harms way. Just past the Grange, turn left following the road sign for “Malton 13 miles”.

As you reach some power lines, look for the left turn indicated by a public footpath fingerpost (Se 828560) and follow the left hand field boundary down past the plantation. According to the map, the footpath swings off to the right part way along the valley after the plantation but the simplest route and what looks like the normally accepted route is to stick with this boundary until you are nearly at the trees straight ahead. Look out for a yellow footpath arrow on the left, indicating you should turn right (SE 822555). Descend the valley from here to the gate at the bottom which you will soon see.

Through this gate, climb up through the trees following the yellow arrow. There are rough log steps to help you up the hill.

At the top of the steps, turn right on a broad track and stay on this until you reach the road, curving left past the sign for Cot Nab. Go straight ahead at the road.

Go through a walkers’ gate and keep straight ahead as the field descends. At the bottom of the field by the trees, turn left to follow the line of the trees (SE 808559). As you get half way along the wood, head for the gate in the field about 50 yards left of the corner.

Go through the kissing gate and follow the path as it curves clockwise around the top of the little valley. You pass a bench provided by the Hull CHA Rambling Club (founded 1911).

You more of less follow the contours of the top of the valley, as it curves round. Follow the left hand fence. Along here, I must confess to missing a gate (engrossed in conversation – happens to us all!). I followed the path down to the bottom of the valley where I turned left through a double walkers’ gate arrangement. After walking along a couple of hundred yards looking left up the hill, I could see the gate I should have come through. No matter, Bishop Wilton is clearly in sight.

At a kissing gate, turn right and left at the tarmac to return to the centre of the village.

If you need to buy any hiking equipment/clothing before your trip see the Hiking Store

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