River Derwent walk

River Derwent

Route: River Derwent from Hackness

Area: North Yorkshire

Date of walk: 25th May 2019

Walkers: Andrew 

Distance: 3.6 miles

Ascent: 200 feet

Weather: Sunny

We were staying at Derwent View Hackness and on the last day of our short break in North Yorkshire there was just enough time for an early morning walk. I was up with the lark and left the cottage at 5am. Anyone not staying here could start this walk from the nearby village hall. Just beyond Hackness I left the road to cross over the River Derwent via a wooden footbridge. The river would be my constant companion to the furthest point of the walk at Little Hilla Green

I passed by the cottage again, this time on the opposite bank, and continued along the valley. As the sun rose there was some good light on the old stone barns in the fields to my left. A little further along I had a sighting of a young roe deer buck. I carried on along the riverside path, which becomes a little slippery and awkward towards the end. I stopped every so often in the hope of spotting a kingfisher – these birds frequent this stretch of the river – but I was out of luck today

When I reached Little Hilla Green I realised that I’d taken longer than planned to get to this point, and so returned to Hackness via Estell Lane and Broxa Lane. These are quiet lanes and carry little traffic, especially at this time of the day. It was a very pleasant stroll and a good ending to our short stay in North Yorkshire

There are two possible extensions to this walk, both of which avoid returning via the road. For the continuation to Broxa and back click here, and for a return via Wrench Green click here

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

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