Our February walk is a trek though a rolling South Yorkshire landscape with some interesting encounters along the way. Woolley for instance is a quiet community with Doomsday book roots and a collection of up market homes, which would grace any stockbroker belt. Its calm and serenity is in total contrast to the chaos created by the belligerent M1 motorway as it rips across our path. Thankfully we can restore sanity and equilibrium with a reflective finish through the silent acres of Bullcliff Wood and Bretton Country Park. The walk is more or less two equal half’s starting and finishing at the Eastern car park of Bretton Country Park. Our circular route us over gently rolling hills, across green fields and pastures and through very pretty woodlands. If the weathers kind we will get to see good long distance views back to Ferry Bridge Power station and the Emley Moor TV Mast can been seen very clearly from various points of the walk. The walk is sprinkled with very short sections of road walking that allow us to pass from one section to another but as these are so short they are never a drudge. If time allows near the end we will be able to stroll around the Yorkshire sculpture park. Some of these sculptures are amazing. I stood for five minutes looking at one by Henry Moore and if I’d stood there for two weeks I still could not tell you what it’s supposed to be! I’ve obviously got no imagination! There is also an ultra modern visitor centre here that’s free to enter. There will be a coffee stop at a café two miles from the start of the walk and the bus will be waiting for us at the Station pub Dennington at dinnertime. PICK UP TIME 7.30 am from Peter Halls, Murham Ave and Vikings Hotel Goole. Bookings to Jean Franks, 7 Coniston Way, Goole, DN14 6JL, (Tel.01405 764876) by Sunday 31st January, 2010.

Walk leader Jack Harman - The walk will commence from Lastingham, a pretty village with a very old church. Before setting off over Spaunton Moor to Rosedale Abbey we will allow time for anyone interested to view the church and its unique crypt which was built in 1278. The church itself dates back to the year 654. Notice the stone cross, part of the original Ainhowe or Ana cross in the crypt. The walk over the moor is on very good paths starting with a long gradual (hardly noticeable) gradient. Levelling out we make for Ana Cross ( Originally marking a burial ground) from where we head east, eventually descending sharply onto another good path to Rosedale Abbey. It is not known why it is so called as there has never been an abbey there although there was once a Cistercian Priory run by nuns. The path terminates at the White Horse Farm Inn which does excellent meals and where the coach will be waiting. After the dinner time stop we then have the most difficult part of the walk, a steep ascent up a tarmac road which will take us to a car park from where the afternoon section begins. We pass defunct kilns from the late 1800 from when the area was industrious with iron ore mining. We proceed along what was once the railway track from the kilns and from where we will have splendid views of Rosedale. This section, about 3.5 miles is very level. If the weather is good, who will be the first to spot the early warning station on Fylingdales? Leaving the track we have a descent into Rosedale, which will most likely be wet and slippery at this time of year. After crossing the River Seven via a wooded foot bridge it will be very muddy and the wearing of walking boots is essential if you don’t want wet feet. A steady climb brings us to a tarmac road, at Craven Garth Farm, on which the bus will be waiting not more than one mile away. There will be a coffee and toilet stop at Pickering. PICK UP TIME 7.30 am from Peter Halls, Murham Ave, Vikings Hotel Goole and Howden. Bookings to Jean Franks, 7 Coniston Way, Goole, DN14 6JL, (Tel.01405 764876) by Sunday 28th February 2010

Walk Leader Claire Sparks As spring approaches and the days become longer our April walk takes us to the northern Dales. Starting at Healaugh, a small village in Swaledale we follow the bank of the River Swale for the majority of the morning, culminating at Gunnerside, another pretty Dales village where we stop for lunch. Toilet facilities, a pub and tea shops available as well as the coach (hopefully). This morning section is approx 5 miles, the paths are good but care should be taken on some sections due to rabbit damage! After lunch we have a steepish climb, but we will have plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the wonderful views over Swaledale (weather permitting). Once at the top we continue over moorland along well defined tracks. After two miles we join the upper reaches of Mill Gill Beck also known as Old Gang Beck, so named after the lead mine which flourished in this area during the 19th century. The ruins of two smelting mills can be found as we descend Gill Beck which will give us an insight into the history of tin and lead mining in this area and how it shaped the countryside. We continue to descend gently following the route of the beck leaving the moorland behind as we enter in ancient cultivated fields leading us back to the starting point. The afternoon section is approximately 7 miles long but after the initial uphill pull the going is very steady. There will be a coffee and toilet stop at Leyburn. PICK UP TIME 7.30 am from Peter Halls, Murham Ave and Vikings Hotel Goole. Bookings to Jean Franks, 7 Coniston Way, Goole, DN14 6JL, (Tel.01405 764876) by Sunday 4th April 2010.

Walk Leader Don Sweeting. Our walk starts after the coffee stop in Helmsley. The morning section takes us through Rievaulx, past the well known 12th C Abbey and alongside the River Rye which we follow as far as Bow Bridge. The area was the scene of flash floods during June 2005 and many of the nearby bridges were destroyed, though most have now been rebuilt. From here we climb out of the dale up to Old Byland and Cold Kirby along narrow country roads and fieldside tracks to our lunch stop at Sutton Bank top. Coach, toilets and refreshments are available at the National Park Info Centre and also the Hambleton Hotel is just 10 minutes walk away. Morning section Distance 7 miles. After the lunch break we have just a short walk along the escarpment with views (on a clear day!) across the Vale of Mowbray to the Yorkshire Dales about 30 miles away. From this point the route is virtually all downhill to Oldstead via Scotch Corner and along field paths to finish at Coxwold. Distance approx 5 miles. There will be a coffee and toilet stop at Helmsley. PICK UP TIME 7.30 am from Peter Halls, Murham Ave and Vikings Hotel Goole.