Route M 02 - Walk from Millington to Bishop Wilton This walk is about 3½ miles long, with an optional 5¼ mile return route to make a circular walk of almost 9 miles. Details are given for the full circular walk, both anticlockwise and clockwise. A shorter (5½ mile) circular walk, from Millington to Givendale and back, is Route M 01. There are extensive distant views west towards York and beyond from several points on the walk, one of these having a copse of beech trees for foreground interest. Given Dale is an interesting valley with a small church nestling at one end. Millington is a pleasant village and Bishop Wilton has a stream running through its centre. There may be a little mud after wet weather. Start outside Millington village, opposite the church (YO42 1TX), and park on the roadside verge gravel area (Explorer Map 294 Market Weighton etc. reference SE 830519). Detailed directions for the walk (anticlockwise, preferred route) 1. From the parking place by Millington Church (ref. 830519), continue along the road (north-east towards Huggate) then turn left at a cross-roads up a hill. After just over ¼ mile, cross a road onto a farm track by a copse of large trees. [650 metres] There are good views westward through trees towards York 2. (827524). Continue along the farm track for half a mile, passing a farm and where the track seems to turn right, follow a waymark left through a gate. [900m] Good views of Given Dale appear beyond this point. 3. (823533) Continue downhill and follow the field boundary beside a wood down to a bridge over a stream and continue along this track through Given Dale for just over half a mile to Givendale Church. [1300m] Givendale Church is a small picturesque church in a pleasant valley with lakes. 4. (813539) On reaching the road at a road junction, cross the road and take the road ahead for 300m through the hamlet of Great Givendale and turn right through a gate onto a path that is part of Chalkland Way and Minster Way. Follow the waymarked path around the edge of a steep slope on the left to the point where the path turns left down the hill. [total 1750m] There are extensive distant views to the west from this path. 5. (804549) Turn left and follow the waymarked path for 500m downhill to a stile (gate?) onto a road and turn right along the road to Bishop Wilton village, with The Fleece Inn on the left near the village centre. [total 900m] Bishop Wilton is a pleasant village with a stream running through its centre. 1 Return to Millington from Bishop Wilton (797550) From Bishop Wilton, return initially along the outward route along the road towards Pocklington for 400m and turn right uphill on Chalkland and Minster Way. [900m] 6. (804549) At the top of the steep part of the hill, follow the path to the right and for almost a mile to a road. Turn left onto the road through Great Givendale to a road junction. [total 1750m] 7. (813538) Turn right onto the road to Pocklington and climb a hill (distance 300m) to a footpath sign at the end of a wood to the right of the road (ref 813535). Turn right onto this path initially just inside the wood, then into a field, continuing along the other side of the fence to where the path bends left away from the wood. [650m] 8. (810535) Continue to follow the field-edge path gradually downhill with extensive views to the south-west. About 550m from the wood, ignore a waymarked path through a gateway to the right and continue, following the field boundary to the left for 100m and then for 450m to the far end of the field to another boundary hedge. [total 1150m] 9. (808528) Turn left towards a farm house and, after a short distance, turn right through a gap in a hedge and follow the path between two fences and over a footbridge. [400m] 10. (811527) At the far side, cross the field boundary and turn right, then left alongside the edge of a wood. Follow the path along the outside edge of Grimthorpe wood for 500m until the path disappears into the wood to the right. [total 650m] 11. (813523) Follow the path to the right through the wood, downhill to a stile into a field Cross the field as indicated by a waymark, passing close to a power line pole. At the end of the field, go over a stile onto a road. [750m] 12. (810515) Turn left for 200m to a road junction by Ousethorpe Farm. Turn right at this junction for 250m, to a footpath sign. [450m] 13. (811512) Turn left over a stile and cross to the corner of a field towards a farm, avoiding a route to the left, parallel to the road. Go through a gate and follow a fenced-off path curving slightly to the left, until it comes out onto the drive to Mill Farm. Turn right onto the drive for about 70m. [450m] 14. (816513) Before reaching the farm, turn left through a gap in the hedge and then right to the corner of a field and round to the left on a path along the outside edge of a wood. Follow the path alongside 2 the wood, then slightly right along field edges and, beside large gates, continue along an access road until it meets the public road to Millington. [750m] 15. (823515) Turn right onto the road and continue for half a mile to the parking place. [700m] The walk route (alternative clockwise route) 1. Leaving the church at Millington (map reference 830519), set off south-west along the road towards Pocklington for about half a mile to a bend to the right where a compacted gravel track is on the left. [700 metres] 15. (823515) Turn left onto the gravel track which bends to the right towards a large pair of gates. At the gates, continue to follow the field edge path just on their right. Entering another field, follow the left-hand edge and continue alongside a wood and round a bend to the right until the path goes through a gap in the hedge on the left. [750m] 14. (815513) Go through the gap and turn right onto a farm drive. Just beyond the farm buildings, turn left through a wooden gate, continue across a field and through a wooden gate then between two fences towards a gate. Go through the wooden gate then cross a footbridge and follow the waymark across a field to a stile. [450m] 13. (811512) Go over the stile, turn right onto a road and left at the next road junction. Continue for about 200 yards to a point where footpaths are signed on opposite sides. [450m] 12. (810515) Turn right over a stile and cross to the far left corner of a field (if crossing is difficult, follow the field edge to the left). At the far end of the field, cross a small area of grass to a stile leading into a wood. Over the stile, follow a path gradually uphill through a wood to its far end. [750m] 11. (813523) At the end of the wood, turn left on to a field edge alongside the wood to beyond its end. Continue along the path to the right alongside a wire fence, then to the left beside the fence to a footbridge. [650m] 10. (811527) Over the bridge, follow the path between fences and then through a gap in the hedgerow and left onto a field edge path to the corner of the field. [400m] 9. (810535) Follow the field edge where it turns right and eventually round to the right again and uphill. Continue uphill, ignoring a footpath on the left, until the path bends to the right alongside a wood. [total 1150m] 8. (811535) Continue beside the wood then follow the path left and right into the wood and uphill until it reaches a road (813535). Turn left onto the road downhill into Givendale. Continue to a road junction on the left. [650m] 3 7. (813539) On reaching the road junction, turn left for 300m through the hamlet of Great Givendale and turn right through a gate onto a path that is part of Chalkland Way and Minster Way. Follow the waymarked path around the edge of a steep slope on the left to the point where the path turns left down the hill. [total 1750m] There are extensive distant views to the west from this path. 6. (804549) Turn left and follow the waymarked path for 500m downhill to a stile (gate?) onto a road and turn right along the road to Bishop Wilton village, with The Fleece Inn on the left near the village centre. [total 900m] Bishop Wilton is a pleasant village with a stream running through its centre. Return to Millington from Bishop Wilton (797550) From Bishop Wilton, return initially along the outward route along the road towards Pocklington for 400m and turn left uphill on Chalkland and Minster Way. [900m] 5. (804549) At the top of the steep part of the hill, follow the path to the right and for almost a mile to a road. Turn left onto the road through Great Givendale to a road junction. (total 1750m) 4. (813539) Cross the road to churchyard railings, turn left and then right (signed Minster Way) then keep right where other tracks join and through a gate where a grassy track continues through a field to a double set of gates.