Walking the Wolds

The Yorkshire Wolds are little known to outsiders and yet the whole of the Wolds is ideal walking country, a cornucopia of hidden delights. The hills are gentle, the dales tranquil, picturesque villages and attractive farmsteads abound, and there is a freshness about this uncluttered, open, sometimes windswept land that cheers, uplifts and makes you feel good just to be there. The strength of the Wolds lies in the underlying chalk, for from this bedrock stems its gentleness and boundless charm. Severe contrasts are rare in this peaceful landscape, where the great appeal is the subtleness of the harmonies. Most of the 38 walks presented here are circular, and collectively they total 353 miles. Each is complete within itself and has much to offer; but when the walks are used as a link in a captivating chain that weaves over wold and dale, joining spectacular coastal scenery to the gentle, rolling inland chalk downs, the whole evolves into something special.