Climb up steep hills to enjoy fine views of popular Millington Dale

Details

Circular Walk Yes
Distance8 Miles
Grade Challenging
OS Map 294
Car Parking Millington Wood
Refreshments The Gait Inn
WCs Pocklington
  • Millington village is one of the most attractive villages on the Wolds as it contains picturesque old cottages and farms sheltering under the steep slope of the Wolds. You can enjoy a wide range of real ales at the unspoilt village pub, the Gate Inn (see ‘Features of Interest’ below).
  • The route is easy to follow from the map, as all paths are signed and waymarked.
  • For an excellent short stroll, try the walk from Millington past College Farm and up the hill to Warren Farm. From this point, you’ll obtain fine views of the Vale of York. On a clear night the distant Pennine Chain is silhouetted by the setting sun. Return to Millington along the Wolds Way and then the minor road.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF MAP OF THE ROUTEFile size: [438.02 KB]

Features of Interest

  • The Gate Inn is named after the area of land each farmer once had in the nearby Millington Pastures.  The number of gates awarded to each farmer during the Inclosure Act was proportionate to the extent of the land which they had before the Act in various parts of the parish.  A gate was pasture to 6 sheep, or 4 sheep plus 2 lambs; beasts under 2 years old; or 1 beast over 2 years old.  Many people assume that the pasture was public and that the dale sides were accessible to all before the erection of fences.  It was in fact awarded to 108 local people for grazing and is private (although several public footpaths and bridleways give legal access over the pasture).
  • In the village street note the ‘wheel’ set in the pavement.  This was the hooping iron used by the local smithy to shape the iron rims of cart wheels.  A visit to the tiny church with its squint window is also interesting.  The lepers in the parish could stand outside and watch the parson through the window without ‘offending’ the congregation.
  • Millington Wood was owned by the Forestry Commission before being purchased by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.  The wood contains an ancient ash wood and is both botanically interesting and valuable to wildlife.  The Council manages the site for both nature conservation and recreation.
  • In Millington Dale itself, the pasture and the dale side vegetation looks essentially the same as the whole of the Wolds looked before enclosure. At one time it was possible to walk from Driffield to Malton, or Driffield to York, across the open sheep-walk landscape without fields or fences.

Information kindly supplied by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.