Route: Millington Dale
Area: East Yorkshire
Date of walk: 2nd June 2024
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.7 miles
Ascent: 500 feet
Weather: Sunny and warm
Millington Pasture is an area of special scientific interest and is a system of dry chalk valleys in the East Yorkshire Wolds. The grassland slopes are grazed by sheep and highland cattle and are crossed by sheep tracks, ancient Roman roads and long distance paths
We were last here 2 years ago and as on that occasion we parked in the free car park at Millington Wood Nature Reserve. Millington Wood is one of the few remaining wooded dales in the Wolds and is worth a visit in its own right. Time permitting, this walk could be extended to include a loop of the ancient wood, home to some rare wildlife and plants. Our route lay the other way and so we walked out of the car park and turned left onto the road. We then went through a gate on the left and climbed up the bridleway to the second gate. Instead of going through the gate, we turned right and followed the fence line along the edge of Millington Pasture to Allison Nab. The path is not shown on the OS maps as a public footpath. It’s faint and little used but, once located, navigation is straightforward and consists of keeping the fence on the left. The path, which disappeared at times, was lined with wildflowers and there were lovely views down into Millington Dale as we followed the contour line around the top of the dale
We followed the path beside the fence down into Scoar Dale, turning right at the bottom and from there walked along the valley floor to join the quiet road along Millington Dale. There were several buzzards and red kites in the skies above, circling the dales in search of prey. We followed the quiet road for a short distance before turning off to join a chalk track which is part of three long distance walks – the Yorkshire Wolds Way, the Chalkland Way and the Minster Way
The path took us gently uphill, with more big views across the Wolds, heading briefly into Sylvan Dale before descending back into Millington Dale. At the foot of the dale we joined the road and this took us back to the start of an excellent short walk through Millington Pasture
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
Earlier in the week, wildflowers in our meadow - yellow rattle, ox-eye daisy, red clover and meadow buttercup
The car park at Millington Wood Nature Reserve
We leave the car park and turn left to follow a track uphill
Looking back - we'll return to the start via the road below
Millington Dale below on our right
Looking across to Sylvan Dale, one of the side valleys which radiates out of Millington Dale
The path is a vague one, but there are no fears of getting lost, with a fence on our left and Millington Dale below on our right
Looking back
The single track road through Millington Dale below
Looking down to Allison Nab in Scoar Dale
We start to descend into Scoar Dale...
We turn right and head along Scoar Dale
Birds of prey frequent the valley, and we had good sightings of buzzards and red kites along the way
At the end of Scoar Dale we join Millington Dale and follow the quiet road along the valley floor
One of eleven carved oak posts - a single letter is carved into each which, when read in sequence, spells GAIT IN WOLDS. This one is 'O
After a short walk along the road we arrive at Nettle Dale. We don't enter the valley, but instead we turn right at the sign
We're now on the Yorkshire Wolds Way and follow the track as it rises above Millington Dale
Millington Dale below, and the road which we'd walked along a few minutes earlier
This section of the walk combines three long distance walking routes - the Chalkland Way, the Minster Way and the Yorkshire Wolds Way
Wonderful retrospective views as we gain height...
The end of the climb out of Millington Dale as we follow an elevated path, with farmland on our left and Millington Dale on our right...
We pass through this gate and continue along the Yorkshire Wolds Way
We continue to follow the signs for the Wolds Way
The start of the descent into well named Sylvan Dale...
A change of direction takes the sting out of the gradient...
Sylvan Dale in its Sunday best
We turn right on reaching the valley floor and head back into Millington Dale
Looking back as we cross a bridge beside a ford
We pass by a small pond looking into Millington Dale
We arrive at the valley road and from here it's a short stroll back to the end of the walk
