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National Trail Guides UK
Contents : WOLDS WAY
THE WOLDS WAY TURNS BEFORE THE NORTH YORKS MOORS
Day 3 :: On My Own :: Wharram Le Street to Sherburne:: 13 miles I was sad when I awoke today, knowing that I would be running on my own. Carol and Ron had now returned home. Tanya was still with me and was very good company in the evenings, but she was not running.
My run today began in Wharram le Street, at a bend in the road just outside of the village where the Wolds Way continues along a footpath known as Broad Bulk. Next to my footpath was a field of blue flowers, something I had never seen before, although I saw many today.
Broad Bulk is an uphill crawl to the B1253. After reaching and crossing the road I then proceeded along a hedgerow at the side of a tilled field, turning sharp left at the field edge. This took me steeply downhill along a grassy track to cross the Whitestone Beck, which issues out of Nine Spring Dale further to my north. The beck was not in any way interesting and was little more than a streamlet with a short wooden plank across it. The trickling of the water, however, was pleasant to listen to.
The path led steeply uphill (actually there was no visible path, but the direction was well signed). After a short distance I joined a farm track which led me upwards around Wood House where I was set upon by two very sweet, very enthusiastic labradors licking my hands; one was black and the other light gold. The farmer apologised but there was no need.
I could also see vast fields of blue flowering crops in the distance, which gave the impression, at first, of large lakes. I ran down my grassy path until reaching the bottom, where I was confronted with a densely nettled path. Fortunately I was wearing tracksters rather than shorts, although I still felt a few nettle stings. There was no other way around and had I been wearing shorts I would have been in difficulty. I must say, however, that the nettle patches, lethal though they were, were comely in appearance and provided an interesting contrast to the field and woodscapes I had so far run upon today.
I then came to a road and looked back uphill to see how close the other runner was. I could see him in the distance but he was about half a mile away, now descending the steep grassy path of Beacon Wold. He was wearing shorts – I wonder what he would make of the nettle path?
My way became very easy for I ran along a gently descending road with very little traffic. Each side of it were crops of wheat stretching as far as I could see. The gradient of my road permitted me to accelerate my pace until reaching a sign directing me off the road and to my right near to a structure which was described as, but did not look like, a small reservoir.
My path now consisted of two parallel tracks through a crop of wheat to the village of Wintringham that I could see ahead of me in the distance. I left the field at a footbridge beside a ford over the Wintringham Beck, and I entered the attractive village.
Upon reaching the main road I turned right, as directed in my guide book, but as I did so I noticed a Wolds Way sign pointing me to my left. I puzzled over this for a while, as I was expected to run along the main road through the village, but by turning left I would be running in the opposite direction and away from the village. I stopped a local and asked him. He stopped two others. Between them they were sure the footpath had been diverted and recommended following the signs, which I did, and which led me around the back of the village on an attractive path beside fields, with views of Deep Dale.
My path followed a flowering hedgerow on my right. The fields to my left were yellow with golden wheat and the wood ahead of me, Deep Dale Plantation, carpeted the hillside with various shades of green.
Opposite Wintringham Church my path turned to the north, uphill and within Deep Dale. On each side of my path were fields of golden wheat and directly ahead of me the deep green of Deepdale Plantation. My path was a broad swathe of grass, having a fence for a border to my right but no border to my left. Dotted in patches along my path was an attractive display of cow parsley.
Where the path joined the wood I found a Forestry Commission road which I followed to my left. After a short while the path was signed to my right, and ahead of me lay one of the steepest climbs I have yet experienced on this run (walked it – just!). It was not a short climb and it tired me considerably.
At the top of the climb I turned left, grateful to have finished the uphill struggle. The vast openness of the crop fields in front of me and the emptiness to my left were stunning. I had a clear view to the vale far below.
After crossing a stile I ran along a field of pigs that seemed to be most content in their environment. The field was extensive and the pigs were completely free to roam within it. My path took me around two sides of the field, until passing West Farm along a stony road. The going was easy and my running, although weary, not too laboured. The sounds of tractors roared in my ears. The path continued in the distance. I saw more pigs in a field close by, with many piglets and as I stopped to take their photograph they all scampered.
Where the good path finished, my route continued to my left opposite South Farm, across a grassy field alongside a hedge. The path took me to Knapton Plantation and I ran along its side on a narrow track for some time, and then alongside Abbey Plantation.
The narrow path on the field side was very awkward to run on because the ground contained numerous deep rabbit or fox holes, and I was obliged to do some walking.
The path took me close to a minor road running parallel to my route and took me south alongside it, uphill, and after several hundred metres I then crossed the road at a stile and ran around two sides of a plantation of coniferous trees. I then continued running east along West Heslerton Brow. I was running on a narrow rut at the side of a field of wheat and I eventually turned downhill for a short while before continuing east at a stile and sign.
The slope to my left was now quite steep but the view was splendid, overlooking fields of pasture and rape seed and far below could be seen the traffic on the busy A64. I was amazed at the appearance of the field I was running in. It was thickly clustered with daisies and buttercups and dazzling to behold. As my path turned to the right it wended its way between small globular islands of nettles, in a sea of daisies and buttercups and the woods surrounding Manor Wold Farm could be seen ahead of me.
Looking north there was a considerably attractive panorama over Pickering Vale, the sun illuminating it as though it were a fairytale land under a spotlight, whilst my immediate surroundings, at that moment, were held within the shadow of a large cumulous cloud that had appeared.
As I reached the trees around Manor Wold Farm and crossed a stile a goose and its goslings barred my path. I walked so as not to disturb them but the goose craned its neck low to the floor and ran at me, hissing. I was so startled that at first I just stood there looking at the goose, not knowing what to do. I soon decided to take a small detour! Reaching the other side of the path in safety I found the stile from the field and exited to a field of young cabbages beside a fence, away from Manor Wold Farm and mother goose and towards Sherburne.
I was now very tired, very thirsty and very hot. After what seemed a very long time I reached a young plantation of conifers and rang alongside them, keeping to their right and then entered onto a path that was very difficult to run upon because of the gradient running across it. My ankles were stretched to the side, fully. The path at last evened out but then ran between very low hawthorn bushes so that I was forced to stoop as I ran.
I could see Crowsdale Wood and the long plantation from it leading to the A64. At Crowsdale Wood I turned uphill along a hedge and the side of a tilled field to reach a minor road where I turned left to take me along the road, downhill, into Sherburne where Tanya waited for me.
