Route: Warter
Area: East Yorkshire
Date of walk: 24th December 2014
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 8.7 miles
Ascent: 750 feet
Weather: Sunny with a few clouds later on. Cold wind
I parked by the village shop in the small unspoilt village of Warter and walked out of the village along the roadside for about half a mile before heading into Townend Wood above Great Dug Dale
As I walked along the top of the dale, hundreds of pheasants and partridges flew up. This was to be a feature of the walk – they were all over the place, and their presence is explained by the fact that Warter Priory is a world class game shoot and the birds are bred for this purpose
At the end of the dale I headed along a quiet lane to the spot at Dalton Gate Cottage where David Hockney painted ‘Bigger Trees Near Warter‘
There then followed a long tramp through chalk farmland – typical rolling Wolds countryside, before I descended to walk along delightful Lavender Dale. Towards the end of the dale I watched for a while as 9 or 10 red kits and buzzards soared overhead
After climbing up from Lavender Dale there followed an easy walk back into the village
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The spire of St James’ Church catches the rising sun as I walk out of Warter
After about half a mile I leave the road to climb up through Townend Wood
Looking back to St James’ Church at the end of the climb
Another view back to the church, with Great Dug Dale below
Taken from the far end of Great Dug Dale
Walking along the quiet lane towards Dalton Gate Cottage
‘Bigger Trees Near Warter’ - the subject of David Hockney's painting
Middleton Road Plantation, just beyond Dalton Gate Cottage
Leaving the lane to join a path across the fields
Typical Wolds countryside
Looking across to Warter
Near Blanch Farm
Entering Lavender Dale
Lavender Dale
Looking back along the dale
Red Kite
Looking down on Lavender Dale as I climb uphill to leave the valley
Game cover
On Warter Wold
Descending from the Wold back towards Warter
Great Dug Dale in the background
Arriving back in Warter
St James’ Church again behind the village pond
Back to the start - the WW1 memorial in the village centre
