WI Walk: Hull's Victoria Dock Heritage Trail (2.3 miles)

Saturday, 31st March 2018

With yet another grotty, rainy and thoroughly miserable day forecast, Mo decided on a mud-free educational walk around Victoria Dock following the Victoria Dock Heritage Trail - easy walking on pavements with lots of information boards showing how Victoria Dock looked when it was a working dockyard.

We parked up at the shops next to the Goldcrest pub and set off down Southbridge Road before turning river-ward a couple of roundabouts later.  According to the information boards, we were doing this walk in reverse (we'd started at board number 16).  Mo informed us this was so we could stop for the mandatory cuppa and bun at The Deep nearer the end of the walk.

Luckily, the rain held off for the walk but there was still a chilly breeze along the riverside.

Starting at the end

Remains of an old ship

Sculpture art - representation of the fluid motion of the river

Heading along the river front towards The Deep

The queue waiting to enter The Deep Visitor Centre!
(shark and tidal barrier in the background)

 

Views upstream towards the Humber Bridge
from The Deep's Cafe viewing platform

Hull's skyline, with Hull Minster standing prominent

 

Citadel and Watchtower

A pleasant enough, easy walk.  It made a nice change not to have to watch where you were walking or be worried about slipping and sliding in the mud.  I'll probably revisit this walk and find all the information boards, particularly now I know you can use The Deep's cafe without having to pay an entrance fee.  Good choice of walk Mo 

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East Yorkshire: Burton Constable Hall's Grounds (3.75 miles)

Sunday, 25th March 2018

Today's meander was another mud-avoidance attempt around the grounds of the rather grand Burton Constable Hall.  Despite it being only a 20 minute drive away from me, I've never walked around the grounds even though I have been round the house itself and done a couple of Archery taster sessions there.

It costs £5.50 to get into the grounds (via the tea room).  This fee excludes a tour of the house but you can wander around the courtyard and outbuildings which have some interesting bits and bobs to nosey at, including a whale(!) although the courtyard seems more geared up for children.

There are 3 walks available within the grounds; the Parkland Walk, the Lakeside Walk and the Woodland Walk.  I managed to link up all 3 to create an interesting and varied longer walk.

Anyway, I took a few pictures:

Burton Constable Hall

Whale Skeleton

Wire bambi in a nest of unopened Daffodils

Heading across the parkland

 At the end of this parkland, the official walk turns right to do a loop and return to the tea room.  However, I sort of veered left so I could join up the parkland walk with the lakeside walk.  Apparently you're not supposed to do this, and I had to prize open a rickety old gate and clamber through a fence to get to the lake!  It didn't look like I was the first person to do this either... just sayin' 

The lake

Canada and Greylag Geese

Capability Brown's bridge

Lots of Daffodils in the woodland

 To the right of this woodland is the entrance to the static caravan park and the walk joins up with the access road ... just sayin' 

Arty-farty pic of the day

18th Century Bathing Pool

Heading back towards the Hall through the grazing pastures

Avenue of Trees on the woodland walk

 I can imagine this woodland walk is lovely when the trees are in leaf.  I wonder if this was once an access road to the hall as it goes straight to the rear courtyard and stable block, although you don't get the impressive view of the front of the house on the walk up.

Stone representation of the bridge

Whalebone art bench

"Constable Moby" Whalebone art near the bench

Random monument

Quite an impressive wire art sculpture

Wooden representation of the hall
 - apparently there was a spring/water here once

Nope, they're not milking the whole whale thing at all!

A pleasant and varied walk in the sunshine and most of the mud can be avoided.  I might re-visit in summer now I've recce'd it... just sayin' 

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YWW: Hessle to Ferriby (4 miles)

Sunday, 18th March 2018

I've done previous walks along Hessle Foreshore to and from the official start of the Yorkshire Wolds Way so I thought I'd continue further along to Ferriby but starting from the parking spot under the Humber Bridge.

Officially, heading in this direction, the Yorkshire Wolds Way passes to the left of the hotel but the steps down on to the "beach" are severely eroded and, with hindsight, I should have walked down the lifeboat ramp instead.  So, I chose the other option and walked to the right of the hotel, pretty much following the driveway to their car park.  Reaching a gate beyond the hotel the route is obvious and on a good, compacted hardcore type path.

Much of my outward walk looked like this:

I was heading up to the jutty-outy bit in the centre of the above pic.

Eventually I got to the only incline on the walk and from this bit, the terrain got a little bit more squishy:

I decided to follow the true path of the YWW - possibly a mistake at this time of year as a spent the next quarter of a mile bog-dodging, not helped by the fact the ground was covered in snow:

The small patch of scrubland opened out onto something that looks like a playing field:

Here, there were a few other people around, mainly dog walkers.

At yon end of the above pic there are some information boards:

I spent a while reading those.  The Yorkshire Wolds Way continues a little further beyond this field before turning inland to Melton/Welton but I followed the edge of the field round to the right.

My arty-farty pic of the day:

A replica of the boats which used to launch from here in yesteryear.

 I continued on a small loop to follow a permissive path through some woodland:

In-keeping with it's enchantedness, there were all sorts of strange things dangling from trees and stuck in the ground:

I can imagine in Spring and Summer this little woodland is totally different.

There were a few birds around too.  I was lucky enough to get the above pic of a Thrush, who seemed unfazed by me.

So back to my return leg.  Simply retracing my steps back to the car.  This route is also part of the Trans Pennine Trail - a cycle route, although I saw more Sunday strollers than cyclists:

Looking across Redcliff Sands (the Humber Estuary!) to a sprinkling of snow on South Ferriby:

Much of my return journey had views like this:

With the Humber Bridge being the dominant feature.

All in all, a nice couple of hours walk and I'm now back up to speed with my Challenge365 miles.

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East Yorkshire: Paull Riverbank in a blizzard (4 miles)

Saturday, 17th March 2018

A few years ago, some work colleagues clubbed together and got me a Trapper hat as a semi-joke one Christmas.  (A) They knew I'm not really a hat wearer. (B) We hardly have the climate for this kind of headwear. (C) I don't intentionally "do" bad weather walks.

Well, today, it got an outing.  

Where I live, the fields are waterlogged and doing a fine impression of the Lake District just at the moment.  Walking along the edge of them is nigh-on impossible due to the slick clay and chalk mud and finding walks that aren't pounding the pavements is almost impossible.

I had Cabin Fever again 

The Met Office had issued an Amber weather warning for my area and, after I'd inwardly finished rolling my eyes (Oooh, it's going to snow.  In winter.  Imagine that) and, having seen the squally snow flurries, I got wrapped up warm and headed to Paull for a "bracing" walk along the river.

Now, I do know, at this time of year the wind is fierce, harsh, bitter and strong as it barrels in from the coast, bringing with it all that Arctic air.  It bounces off Cleethorpes and buffets it's way inland, up the Humber, occasionally creating little water-spouts as it goes.  Yes, this time of year, the unwary get caught out.  The landscape is flat (though not featureless) and there's simply nothing to stop it, or protect you from it, once you're up on the river bank.

So the Trapper Hat got an outing.  

Imagine, if you will, donning thermal leggings, trousers, waterproof trousers, thermal long sleeved t-shirt, fleece, windshirt, a "winter duvet" jacket... and a trapper hat.  Oh, and some gloves.  As always, on my tootsies I wore my walking shoes.  

So, anyway, I set off and almost straight away got a blizzard in my face.  It eased off as I rounded the corner of some houses and I was a little bit sheltered.  However, as I headed up the back road to Thorngumbald (protected by houses and trees) I could see ahead I was in for some grim weather:

Paull Church about to receive a weather-y battering

Once out into the open, a side-wind buffeted me and as I turned down the farm track to head towards the river I looked over towards Hedon for a normally rather good view of Hedon Church.  It had been obliterated by a blizzard, and it was heading my way:

Hedon Church - it's over there somewhere

No sooner as I turned back round and the blizzard started:

Bye bye sunshine (on the right).  Hello snowstorm (incoming left)

A few yards later:

Time to put the camera away me thinks

This snow was those tiny little polystyrene pellets that sting like mad when they hit your face and I started to question my sanity.  But no!  It was quite invigorating.  I was wrapped up cozy and warm.  So I carried on.

Under the gate I went, taking shelter by the hedge to get this shot of Paull Holme Strays - a salt marsh and haven for wading birds:

Paull Holme Strays

I decided to turn left for a change and walk around the inland edge of the marsh along the flood embankment.  In a blizzard.... am I mad?  I could be sat at home in the warm!

Along the embankment I walked, passing a couple out walking their dog.  They also questioned my/their sanity as we passed.

One of the sea cuts snaking it's way into oblivion
- the Humber Estuary is out there somewhere

Further along I passed a chap, also walking his dog, and he asked how far I was heading.  When I mentioned the bird hide (about a mile further along) he said he'd just turned back from there as the wind was almost knocking him off his feet and advised caution.  Duly noted, I said I'd carry on and see how far I got.

On reaching the seat near Outstray mudflats and getting views like this:

Waders on the mudflats

...I decided not to carry on any further.  The wind was, indeed, much stronger along here and, although the photograph doesn't show it, it's a steep drop down the embankment into the mudflats - a soft landing maybe but not a place you want to end up in.

Reluctantly, I turned back and enjoyed the other side of my face getting shotblasted by the blizzard.  Made a nice change 

My view for the return leg:

I think it's brightening up!

You have no other option than to return the way you came - as you can see, you have about a 10 foot wide "top" to walk on.  On one side, the mudflats, on the other a drainage ditch.  But it is a lovely, peaceful stretch to walk along, even in bad weather.

A final glance behind me and, wait! What's that?:

Sunshine highlighting the snow covered embankment

... Was I in for some sunshine?:

A fleeting bit of sunshine

Lovely.  This brief reprieve from the blizzard lifted my spirits immeasurably and I stood a while just taking in the surroundings and watching the wading birds on the mud.  It was still fiercely windy though and I could see more snow coming in.  

And in it came, bringing with it gusty winds that had me staggering in a drunken-like fashion.  Aye.  It was time to head home alright.

I turned left at the gate and headed to another bird hide for a bit of a reprieve from the weather.  Then my phone buzzed low battery and, not wanting to lose my track recording, I reluctantly set back off again, up and over the "off piste" part of my walk at Paull Holme Strays.

I chose the low, riverside route which provided some shelter from the horizontal snow flying overhead and, in no time at all, was back at my car, feeling invigorated and ready for a cuppa.

It goes to show though how the cold weather affects battery life.  My phone was fully charged before I set off and I was only out 2 hours.  My car said it was minus one and a snowflake.  The windchill made it feel like about minus ten.  My face looks like I've got sunburn.  The wind and snow did that.

My trapper hat kept my head and ears toasty warm and I don't care one jot if I looked a right bonny bugga.  I was warm and dry and that's what counts.

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