Route: The River Derwent from Hackness
Area: North Yorkshire
Date of walk: 1st June 2017
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 5.6 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny
We were staying at Derwent View Hackness and, having heard local reports of kingfisher activity, I decided to go for a walk along the bank of the River Derwent, which runs past the cottage, in the hope of a sighting. The public footpath is on the far bank and in order to reach it I walked out of the village and crossed the wooden footbridge near Wrench Green
I then joined the riverbank path which took me past the cottage and followed the meandering course of the river. The path is used by the local angler’s association, and so keeps close to the river for most of the way. I kept a sharp lookout for kingfishers as I went along, especially near Hilla Green, where there was a nest last year, but my luck was out although there were plenty of dippers and wagtails about. The path is an easy one for the most part but there is a horribly slippery and muddy section near Wood House, so it’s best to wear proper walking boots
I’d been planning a circular walk but as I approached The Carr I decided to retrace my steps in the hope (a vain one as it turned out) of spotting a kingfisher – I did so without any reluctance as the scenery is beautiful throughout (note that the Maps Page links to the same riverside route, but is a circular walk, returning via quiet country lanes)
Having seen no kingfishers during the course of a 5 mile walk it was bound to happen that I’d see one opposite the cottage, which I did next morning
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Derwent View at the start of today's walk
For anyone not staying at the cottage, the walk may be started from the nearby village hall, where there is a car park
Walking out of Hackness
I pass by Mill Farm
The footbridge over the River Derwent
Start of the riverside walk
Coomb Hill and the first of three old stone barns along the way
I pass by Derwent View on the other side of the river
A field of barley and the second of the old barns
I follow the narrow path with the river to my right
The third and last old barn
The River Derwent
I pass by a wild flower meadow
Looking back over the meadow
Looking along the Derwent...
The path leaves the riverbank here, and I decide to retrace my steps
Bridge near Little Hilla Green
On the way back I pass by the wild flower meadow again...
...and the field of barley
Back to Hackness, and the end of the walk
Next day, a great tit and a baby siskin in the cottage garden
And across the road a dipper in the river
On the way home, Birdwatcher's car park in nearby Forge Valley
It's a good idea to take some bird food along, and within seconds you will be rewarded by numerous sightings of woodland birds
This blue tit was taking food from the table and taking it back to youngsters inside the box
Nuthatch
Notice the ring - this is a nature reserve, and the birds are monitored for research purposes
Jay, normally shy birds, but here they have become accustomed to humans bearing gifts
and lastly wood pigeon
