Millington In Field
Start / End: Millington Wood car park
Distance: 5.25miles
Time: 2.5 hours
Map: OS 294
This walk does go up and down a couple of times as you circle Millington In Field, but it’s really worth the effort as you can enjoy some fabulous views and your dog gets a watery treat at the end.
The Walk
Starting from: YO42 1TZ ///archive. pram.goofy
1. Park at the car park in Millington Woods. Instead of going into the woods, head back up to the road and turn left. You’ll immediately see a gate up a slope on you left and a footpath sign that points the way up the hill.
2. Follow the footpath up the steady slope with fields either side, whilst not forgetting to look back at the glorious views behind you.
3. The path comes up to a farm, with a wire fence on your right and there may be sheep in a fenced off field, which you walk past and carry on up to the road found at the top of this path.
4. At the road turn left. The road is a little bit busy but on the right of it is a fairly wide grass verge so it’s easy to get off the road if you encounter traffic, and there did seem to be a fair number of lorries using it.
5. After just over 1/2 mile look out for a hidden way-piont in the hedge and a wooden swing gate on your right. Go through the gate - the latch is a bit stiff and you have to pick the gate up a bit in order to release and then close it!
6. Follow the path along the edge of the field with the hedge on your left. This will bring you to a gap in the hedge. Straight on is the gorgeous Whitekeld Dale, but we are not going that way on this walk. Instead turn left as you reach the hedge to follow the path which heads through Little Givendale Farm.
7. The route continues along a stony wide path that ends up on the road, so just watch for putting dogs back on leads as you approach the road. Cross straight over here and head down The Balk towards Millington with the allotments on your left.
8. At the crossroads, you do have the choice of turning left on the road and heading back to the car park if you just want a shorter walk, or, like us, you can go straight over and down into Millington to the second uphill bit of the route.
9. As you enter Millington you will see a cream cottage and in front of it a signpost pointing left to the Minster Way. Take the Minster Way path that heads down towards another small group of houses with a stream on your right.
10. At the houses you will see a fantastic Minster Way caved sign that points you to a wooden walk way that heads back out into the fields.
11. Go through the wooden swing gate at the end of the walkway in Millington Bottom, and just head straight ahead, up the continuing wooden walk way and when you reach the end turn up right and head up the hill. Do not just carrying on straight ahead even though the path looks like it goes this way. You are heading for the fence at the top of the hill. The dogs had a fantastic romp here but just watch for any sheep before letting them off lead.
12. At the top of this first bit and as you reach the corner of the fence, keep heading up hill with the fence on your left.
13. There are such fantastic views back over Millington from this section of the path in Wan Dale, so take time to enjoy them - plus, if like me you get out of puff, then taking a few rests is very welcome.
14. Part way up the path there is a wooden kissing gate, which you go through and continue on uphill. There may be horses in this next bit.
15. At the top of the hill you will come to another wooden kissing gate and a signpost pointing left and right along the Yorkshire Wolds Way. Turn left.
16. Follow the path past the outside of Warren Farm, where Bill became very interested in chickens and had to go back on his lead for a while. The path, continues straight ahead at the hedges and muck pile, with the fields and views over the Becks to your left and hedge on your right.
17. Keep wandering along the path and as it bends downhill to the left enjoy the views over Sylvan Dale which in the spring is full of bright yellow gorse.
18. As you get to the bottom of this section there is a wooden kissing gate with a Wolds Way way-marker, which is the entrance to the bottom of Sylvan Dale.
19. Go through the gate and head down (quite steeply) to the valley floor. You will see a signpost that points right and also back the way you have come, but you need to turn left towards the wooden kissing gate and take the public footpath. (Bill and I are going to explore right one day, but for now we did not want another uphill section!)
20. Walk to the end of this path where you will come to a wooden bridge over a spring, and on the other side just before the road here's your watery treat for your dog, if they like to go for a paddle or even a swim. Bill, Ollie and Dottie loved it when we were there and had a great time cooling off.
Then, just head onto the road, turn left (and not right as I did, adding another mile to our walk - oops!!) and walk back to the car park at Millington Woods.
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