Walking The Entire Length Of the Selby Canal

The Selby Canal is only six miles long, linking the River Ouse at Selby to the River Aire at Chapel Haddlesey, and I walked along its entire length today using the towpath. I wanted a nice easy walk  - the most tiring part of the day was the travelling on the buses.

I took plenty of photographs of the abbey as soon as I got off the bus at Selby before heading off down Ousegate towards the canal.

I passed by some buildings that formed part of the first railway station in Yorkshire - I didn't know about this before and keenly read all of the information; I hope my photograph is clear enough for you to be able to read it as well.

I soon reached the canal basin and commenced my walk to towards the River Aire.

I got to the bus stop at Chapel Haddlesey forty minutes before the next bus to Doncaster was due and so was able to walk down to the church. It's an interesting building dating from early twentieth century but its setting is poor for photography; it's closed in by trees and nearby buildings.

Eggborough, Kellington, Beal, Birkin, Gateforth, and Brayton

After yesterday's problems with the trains I thought I'd better stick to the buses today. I caught the early bus to Selby and travelled to Eggborough, about six miles south of the town.

I got off the bus and paused for a few seconds before setting off to orientate my map before setting off along a dead straight track running almost parallel to the railway line, heading westwards. On the map there's a footpath shown as leading in a northerly direction across the fields but I didn't see it and so continued with the track until it too turned abruptly to the north, the direction I required.

The church at Kellington is right at the western edge of the village in an isolated location; there's only a windmill and a restaurant nearby.

The two old ladies I met inside the church were very keen to tell me all about the building; I spent a very pleasant fifteen minutes chatting with them

There's a causeway alongside the road all the way to Beal; there's nothing to see there though. The road to Birkin crosses over the River Aire; I took this photograph whilst standing on the bridge.

Unfortunately I then missed my turning, but a bit later thought I'd found another path going towards Gateford. It was clearly signposted, but very overgrown and I had to eventually turn back...especially after I got stung by a wasp on my ankle.

So I continued along the road, going north and then east until I approached Gateforth. I barely entered the village though, so no photographs. The next path took me through paddocks and a field until I needed to walk along a short section of road. It should then have been open countryside for two miles but after struggling to reach Lund Farm and then cross over the railway bridge the footpath disappeared when I reached a potato field. I checked the map and could see a road over to my left and so just walked across the stubble field, daring the farmer on his tractor a couple of fields away to come over and try it on with me...nothing happened though.

I climbed over a gate and arrived just to the west of Selby Golf Club; just beyond the clubhouse there's a path which goes to Brayton Barff, a landscape feature created by the retreating ice at the end of the last Ice Age. I climbed to the top hoping to get some good views but there's only a covered reservoir up there, and the summit is wooded anyhow.

For the last few minutes, on the approach to Brayton, it rained - something rare this summer so far.

A Lovely Day For A Walk.

It was the hottest day of the year for some parts of the country; but not here in Yorkshire. It was still a lovely day though; after a few drops of rain early in the morning it brightened up later, and although the sun rarely shone, it was still pleasant and warm...maybe a bit muggy though.

I didn't take the opportunity to visit the Peak District though. I went walking with my friend Chris from Leeds. I met him at Wakefield Westgate Railway Station and we walked along stretches of the River Calder, the Aire and Calder Navigation and the River Aire, to Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve...and then looped back to Castleford.

The route and the countryside was completely different to anywhere in the Peak District, but it was still enjoyable, especially because Chris has personal knowledge of the area.