Pocklington Canal from Allerthorpe Wood

East Yorkshire Walk

Walk Route Description

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This is a relatively easy 11-mile stroll through a flat part of East Yorkshire. The only difficulty may arise when some of the countryside north of the canal becomes waterlogged. Overall, there is a pleasant combination of woodland, cross country and canal walking.

The start is the Forestry Commission car park at the Allerthorpe Wood car park (grid ref. SE752473) on Common Lane. It can get busy as it seems to be a popular place for dog walkers. Cross the road and take the path eastwards through the southern edge of Peg Wood. After a mile and a half, it comes out of the wood, picks up a track across fields and then becomes a road as it enters Allerthorpe.

Continue eastwards on Back Lane which becomes the main road out of Allerthorpe. At York Road, there is a new roundabout and a new road leading to Hodsow road. The good news is that the new section of road has pavements and cycle track - the bad news is that as you go right around the new services and the amount of Costa and Subway rubbish that has been thrown from cars is quite depressing.

Keep heading up Hodsow Road until you reach Canal Road. Turn right and follow it down to the York Road again. Thus, ends the boring road walking. Cross over the road and on your left is the entrance to the Pocklington canal head. There is a short section of canal, some of the old canal buildings, information boards about the canal and a plaque about crashed WW2 planes.

The canal path passes several locks under restoration and officially swaps from the west to the east bank at Oak Bridge Farm - although a path does continue on the other side too. Assuming that you take the eastern side then you will detour slightly down the Beilby branch before continuing on what is part of the Wilberforce Way. The path crosses a swing bridge then continues on the north bank past the Melbourne branch to Melbourne Ings.

Turn off northwards on the footpath away from the footbridge over the canal that crosses fields and The Beck and the Black Drain (some indication that it could get boggy around here) and continue northwards across Field lane to Thornton Grange. The paths here are largely farm tracks and shortly after Thornton Grange the path turns right towards Common Lane from where it is a short walk back up the road to the car park.

Walk GradingMore East Yorkshire Walks

Other walks nearby

Walk 2739	Melbourne & Thornton Circular	easy/mod	7.2 miles
Walk 1760	Pocklington Canal, Melbourne & East Cottingwith	easy/mod	11.0 miles
Walk 3127	Bishop Wilton & Millington Circular	moderate	13.4 miles
Walk 3775	Aughton & East Cottingwith from Ellerton	easy/mod	8.0 miles
Walk 1842	Buttercrambe & Youlthorpe from Stamford Bridge	moderate	11.8 miles