Millington Pastures
Start / End: Millington Wood Car Park
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Map: OS 294
The first section, along the top of Millington Dale, is a bit of an off-roader with lovely views into the valley. After a short on (quiet) road part, the walk follows the Yorkshire Wolds Way with glimses down into the Vale of York.
The Walk
Starting From: YO42 1TZ /// wheels.remaking.gasp
1. Park up in Millington Wood Car Park, which also has picnic tables and bins for maybe a picnic at the end, and head back to the road, turning left, and almost immediately left again off the road, up a steepish bridleway to a gate at the top. DO NOT go through the gate but turn right before it. You might have to fight your way through some long grass for this section or follow someone else's efforts as you walk along the top edge of Millington Dale until you get to Allison Nab.
2. Keep to the fence line on your left as much as you can, (it'll go up and down a bit) and follow it around until you meet a fence running from the top where you are down into the dale bottom. This is the start of Scoar Dale. When we walked this section there were lots of game birds here that Bill disturbed and 'crackers' going off to scare crows in the fields (which you could mistake for gun-fire!). Walk down to the valley bottom.
3. At the bottom of the Dale don't be tempted to turn right and walk all the way along this back to the road where you are heading, as there is a locked gate the other end. Instead go up the other side of the Dale, find a pathway which runs right from here and walk back along the top as much as you can. At the end of this stretch, when the road comes into sight, you can head down via a pathway and back onto the road.
4. Turn left at the road (which is very quiet but I would suggest keeping dogs on leads). At the first corner you will see a Yorkshire Wolds Way signpost on your right. Follow the path off the road and up to the first gate. (past a strange round agricultural thing - see photos below!)
5. Turn right BEFORE the gate into Nettle Dale, and follow the wide and fairly steep stony path up to the right. Just before the top of the path (before you come to a gate with no public right of way) you will see a small path heading up to a gate on your left. Take the path and go through the gate. Turn right here following the Yorkshire Wolds Way / Chalkland Way/ Minster Way all the way along this stretch. If you fancy a quick rest there is a wooden bench half way along from where you can enjoy the views over the Vale of York.
Along this part of the walk are some more of the ancient earthworks seen around Horse Dale on the various Secret Poetry Bench walks described here.
6. You will emerge eventually in Sylvan Dale and the path winds downwards towards the valley bottom. Follow the path down to the bottom and turn right heading back toward the road, crossing a footbridge over a small stream just before you get there. Turn left at the road and head back to the car park.
There are great places to eat and drink in Millington if you now would like to head there (The Gait Inn & The Ramblers Rest).
Photo Gallery
Start of the walk at Millington Pastures (2.)
Bill striding through Millington Pasture (2.)
Millington Dale (2.)
Millington Dale (2.)
Keeping to the fence line (2.)
Approaching Allison Nab (2.)
Photo Gallery
Bill enjoying lying on his back (3.)
In the valley bottom (3.)
Mushrooms (3.)
Strange agricultural round thing (4.)
Path up to gate in order to re-join the Yorkshire Wolds Way (5.)
Pointing the way (5.)
Photo Gallery
Down to Sylvan Dale (6.)
Bill heading down to Sylvan Dale (6.)
Looking back (6.)