February Lockdown Walks

Looks like we're in for another month of lockdown, so here's February's paltry efforts.

 03/02/2021 - Henry Boot Way Circuit (1.7 miles)
Had to go into work today so decided to try a new circuit.  All industrial/business park/urban. Not really that inspiring but it was a lunchtime leg stretch. And the rain held off.

The not so leafy lane next to work

04/02/2021 - Walk to the shops (1.5 miles)

Sun's out and I needed the shops - perfect excuse for a lunch break mooch. Saw a couple of robins, great tits and squirrels.  And my first patch of snowdrops. It was nice to get out and I wish it could have been for longer.  Very muddy after all the recent rain.

Snowdrops

05/02/2021 - Another walk to the shops (2.8 miles)

After all the rain and flood alerts I thought I'd head to the drain bank and have a looksee at the water level:

High water levels in the drain,
with flooded fields just visible beyond

08/02/2021 - Hessle Foreshore (2 miles)

First proper bit of snow so I had to get out in it.  Had to go into work so made the most of my lunch break. Got blasted by the blizzard in the pic - loved it!:

Blizzard incoming across the Humber Bridge

11/02/2021 - Shops again (2.8 miles)

Home again today so I enjoyed a scenic walk to the shops in the sunshine. Wish I could be out for a bit longer though:

Snowy track
normally a mud bath but beautifully frozen today

12/02/2021 - Beverley Westwood (0.8 miles)

Took my Mum to get jabbed today at the Racecourse on Beverley Westwood (currently a Covid Vaccination Centre) so had a 20 minute mooch in the sunshine and snow whilst I waited.  Ohhh how I wish this walk could have been longer!  First "hill" I've been near since before Christmas. It was great to see everyone sledging down the opposite hill and great to see some different scenery, albeit briefly:

Looking towards Black Mill on the Westwood

13/02/2021 - Hedon to Burstwick (5.8 miles)

Lovely sunny, blustery and bitterly cold day.  Snow still around and the ground is frozen solid.  Perfect conditions for walking the bank top alongside Burstwick Drain (normally a mudbath).  A walk I've not done for probably about 7 years, maybe even longer.  Not the most exciting walk but it was a good way to waste 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon:

Heading towards Burswick
along Burstwick Drain bank top

Two swans in residence on the flooded field

Not marked on the map - a small (inaccessible) lake
with over-wintering ducks and geese

Returning to Hedon on the old rail track

21/02/2021 - Shops again (1.5 miles)

Everywhere's a swamp-fest with all the melting snow/ice from last week so I've been making do with boring, functional pavement plods. Today's boring, functional plod had me spotting a new addition to the side of the pub:

Sir Captain Tom (RIP)
a new addition to the side of the King's Head Pub

25/02/2021 - Shops again (3.5 miles)

What an absolutely gorgeous, sunny day.  Lovely walk to the shops.  The mud's nearly dry.  The birds were in full springtime birdsong. I saw robins, great tits, blackbirds, dunnocks, magpies and squirrels. Winter aconites, snowdrops and daffodils all dancing about in the sunshine too.  Yes, absolutely lovely walk - really lifted my spirits.  

Winter Aconites in the orchard

St. Augustine's Church
with a moody sky behind
(and annoying street sign in front!)

26/02/2021 - Mattocks Lane Circuit (3 miles)

Lovely walk after work in the late evening sunshine. There was a huge almost full moon tonight but the new phone didn't pick it up.  Still a nice pic though:

Looking across to Burstwick
from Mattocks Lane

28/02/2021 - Hedon to Kelsey Gardens (7.9 miles)

Glorious day so I decided to do the last of my walks from my door that I would normally drive to the start of.  I did a full write up of this separately, but this was my fave pic of the day:

South Lake
at Kelsey Gardens

The "stay at home/local" restrictions are being eased a little as from 29th March according to the recently announced Covid RouteMap out of this hellhole so it's looking like another month of local walks until then.  

I'm feeling like I'm on first name terms with every twig and blade of grass on my walks now 😃😄

East Yorkshire: Hedon to Kelsey Gardens (7.9 miles)

 Sunday, 28th February 2021

Final walk of the month.  It's a beautiful day.  So I decided to do my Kelsey Gardens walk. 

I knew it would be about 8 miles in total and that I would be out for 3 or 4 hours so I took a snack and a drink - after all, you wouldn't exercise in a gym for 3 to 4 hours without a break and this is no different in my mind.

My original plan was to plodge up the rail track to Kelsey Gardens, stop and have a break then plodge back along Burstwick Drain.  Buuut, with it being such a glorious day, the world and his wife was also plodging up the rail track, cyclists, families, dog walkers, joggers.  It really was very busy and I was lucky to get this shot of the track with nobody on it:

Hull to Winestead rail track

After a while though, it became tiresome doing the apologetic skirting round the edge of the path whilst whoever you was passing did the same in the opposite direction whilst saying cheery hellos, thank yous and commenting on the madness that is the new normal of late.  

Last time I walked up this way I spotted a tractor tyre track leading off the RoW and made a mental note to explore it when it wasn't flooded.  As I walked past it today, I decided now was that time:

A little trespass

This turned out to be an excellent choice.  Not only because I managed to avoid at least 20 people on the main rail track whilst I walked in blissful solitude but because I was very sheltered from the breeze which, despite the warmth of the sun, was a bit nippy.  There was also lots of birds flitting in and out of the bushes and scrubland and I heard my first skylark of the year.

Eventually I reached a set of sturdy gates.  Locked.  Oh no!  Luckily, the patch of scrubland to my left was familiar from my last walk here and I soon realised I could blaze a trail across it to get onto Pinfold Lane in Burstwick:

Scrubland leading to Pinfold Lane
(still getting used to my new phone/camera
- apologies for the finger!)

A short walk through the village in the sunshine had me thinking, if I was in an unfamiliar area, this would be one of those sleepy hollows - cute but you just pass through as you head to to hills.  

I eventually got onto Newbridge Road which peters out into a single track lane at the bottom, but I turn off before then:

Single track lane 
on Newbridge Road

I turned off the lane and onto the drain bank:

On East Carr Drain bank

Considering all the rain/snow we've had recently, I'm surprised the water level is so low.

A right turn, and up the gentle slope of Kelsey Hill.  Long views towards Keyingham from the top:

Looking towards Keyingham
from Kelsey Hill

Dropping down off the hill and I avoided "Brian's Walk" - the pedestrian route to Kelsey Gardens as there was a group of yoofs coming down it and it's only about 5ft wide (plus, it was really muddy).  Instead, I followed the rough road to the small car park which most folks use if they're coming here to kayak or wild swim (or just walk their dogs the 200 metres to the butty van).

The butty van was open!  Sod the snack and drink I'd brought with me.  I was having me a bacon sarnie and coffee!  I accidentally paid for a slice of lemon drizzle cake too (shame that).  The seating area outside the butty van is cordoned off at the moment and there was a one way system in place for ordering your food.  I thought it only right that I tested out the procedure and took my feast to a conveniently placed log on the edge of the woodland near the van.  What a lovely view:

South Lake
at Kelsey Gardens

After my feast I headed off down the rail track - this is the part of the track I usually walk when I'm doing this circuit and normally my car is parked at the end of it.  Not today though.  It was still incredibly rutted and muddy and I did ponder for too long on the lone pebble in the middle of this semi-permanent pond on the track - was it supposed to be a stepping stone?  Not a very useful stepping stone if so!:

Random stone in the mud

As I navigated my way round the rutted muddiness I heard hooves behind me.  I also heard them slow right down to allow me to navigate my way round the ruts, rather than them just splishing through and no doubt coating me in a layer of said mud!  We had a bit of a natter (yep you guessed it... how being on the back of an 'oss is an excellent way to maintain social distancing!).  They tarried on their way:

Two riders on the old rail track

I reached the road where my car is usually parked, but this time, I crossed the road for, oh, more railtrack.  To be fair, I've not walked this particular bit for years, and years and years:

Rail track between Camerton and Burstwick

I did have to chuckle as I neared the end where the old station has been turned into little cottages:

Amusing sign

Across the next road and all that remained was the 2 mile plodge down.... wait for it.... yep, you guessed it.....the rail track!  Once again, this bit of it was chokka full of people so I decided to explore the field edges instead:

Rail track avoidance hay meadow 

...AAaaaaand back on the track again:

Rail Track ... again!

As I got near to Hedon again I decided to explore another field edge as I was pretty sure it would bring me out "round the back of" the water storage pond thing.  Glad I did as I spotted these on the side of the field drain:

Coltsfoot

I also discovered a little path through some woodland with a very dodgy looking tree branch bridge crossing another field drain.  I didn't cross it as the mud down the bank was too slippery - but it's earmarked for a very VERY dry day.

All in all, seeing as I wasn't relishing the thought of the dull plodge along the rail track, I really enjoyed this walk and wouldn't object to doing it again now I've found a way of reducing the monotony of said rail track.

My legs ache pleasantly too, which is always a sign of a good walk.

Thanks for reading 😊