Walk 1760 - printer friendly version

Pocklington Canal, Melbourne & East Cottingwith Walk

Author - Andy Chaplin

Length - 11.0 miles / 17.9 km

Ascent - 150 feet / 45 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference SE752440
Lat 53.8867430 + Long -0.8573752
Postcode YO42 4QW (approx. location only)

This East Yorkshire walk starts in the village of Melbourne parking on Main Street at SE752440 just south of the Melbourne arm of the Pocklington Canal. It is a "there and back" walk as the alternative seems to be either a very long loop to find paths coming back across country and/or a fair amount of road walking. The canal is navigable from Melbourne to the Derwent so there are working locks and swing bridges en route which adds the interest, particularly to those who like canals. The walk is easy to follow - mostly along the canal, so how difficult can that be then? The East Yorkshire countryside may be flat, but you do get a sense of wide open spaces and any point where you gain some height allows you to see for some distance.

Take the track just to the left of the Melbourne Arms car park down to the canal. On the way you pass the Melbourne basin. Cross the canal on the bridge then for the first 3 miles the path is on the north side of the canal and is part of the Wilberforce Way. At the Hagg Lane/Common Lane bridge you stay on the north side of the canal, but the path is now between the canal and the Beck. At Hall Hills to the south of Storwood the path crosses over the canal and continues on the south/east bank towards East Cottingwith. Whilst the tow path doesn't show up on the Ordnance Survey maps it does exist.

Carry on to Cottingwith Lock and on to the River Derwent. When you follow the river southwards it is then possible to turn off back towards East Cottingwith on Ings Lane, walk through the village on Main Street, Langrickgate Lane and then Canal Road to the path just before the cemetery that heads back to the canal after crossing Langrickgate fields. From here it is the same route back again. At Melbourne Ings it is possible to take the path over the bridge and come out further along Main Street to have a better look at the village.

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