Walking in East Yorkshire - Skidby Windmill

(These walk instructions were written in April. We've since done the walk again in September, so I've added more photos and updated the description slightly.)

The other half is currently on a 16-mile charity walk. I've had one update so far saying he got to a mile. That was about an hour ago. Hopefully he's not keeled over. If you are wondering why I, the keener walker out of the two of us, am not doing the walk, it's a question of car space. The walk isn't a circular one, it's a straight 16-mile of old railway track from Hornsea to Hull. Other half is doing it on behalf of his work charity with a few others from there. They've got a work car to drop them off at Hornsea and to collect them at the other end. So the car space was at a premium.

Skidby Mill

While I'm awaiting for the next update from him, this is another one of the walks that we did to prepare him for today's walk - Skidby Mill and Risby circular walk -

Skidby Mill from the courtyard

I knew about Skidby Mill because we drive by the turning to it quite often, and you can see it in the distance from the A164. When I was looking for circular walks to do I came across a 6-mile one that started at the mill, so that seemed a good chance to go and see what was up there. The mill is lovely. It's a working mill that was originally built in 1821. It's just how you'd expect a mill to look, you'd expect the miller to walk out looking like Windy Miller, if you know what I mean. Anyway, we parked up in the mill car park (signposted) and headed out on the walk (visiting the mill is actually at the end of the walk). The walk was mostly using farm field boundaries for the first section. We had a map of the route that we'd printed off from the Walking the East Riding website. I have to say the written instructions on this walk on the website are a bit sparse, so from here I'll write the blog as walking instructions to go with the WTER downloadable map, and pointing out points of interest and things we saw on our walk.

The first field path on the walk

When you turn into the Mill car park from the main road you park in the mill's car park on the left. On the right is the entrance to the car park of the Millhouse Restaurant. Straight in front of you is a kissing gate, with a wooden fenced path leading up to the mill and then turns left to go alongside the mill buildings. That's the start of the walk. Follow the fenced walk and it'll turn into a path along a field boundary (loads of red admiral, peacock, and large white butterflies basking on the path here in April).


Keep to this path and you'll reach a prominent clump of trees on your left on a slight hill. This is Gallows Hill, site of a 16th century gallows. Just past this slight hill you'll get to a hedgeline T-junction. Turn right towards the houses and head downhill to Skidby village. You'll enter the village alongside the cemetery on your right.

It was in Skidby village that I came across a house selling plants with the proceeds going to charity. It was all done on the honesty box system. I love that people still use honesty boxes. There's still an element of trust out there. I couldn't pick up the plants the first time I passed them because I'd have had to carry them all round the walk, so we made a small detour in the car on the way home and I picked up a couple of fair size aquilegias for 50p each. Bargain! One week later and one of them is in flower and the other is thinking about it. Perfect for my new bee and butterfly border that I've got planned.

Field near Risby, full of sprouts in September

When you pass the cemetery you'll reach a road, turn right and walk past the houses until you come to a main road (Little Weighton Road). Turn left up the hill, and at the top of the hill, at the bend, you'll see two footpath signs on the right. Take the second, furthest, path. The fieldside track will bend  left and right, and at one stage you have to pass through a hedgeline into a seperate field. In this field keep the hedgeline on your left, making a right angle turn at one field edge, and you'll drop down to the minor road at Risby (the remains of a late 17th century garden can be seen from the road here, with an information board telling you what you are looking at).

Turn left on the road and keep on it until about 1/4 mile down where you'll see a marked footpath with a gate on your right, go through this and follow the track that skirts the edge of Risby Park.













Risby Park Farm from the bridleway

 There is quite a hill here and at the top you can spot Risby Park Farm coming up. The path drops down to a dip and at the bottom, on your right, you'll see a bridleway going straight to a wooded area. Follow this.

Bluebells in wood in April

When you reach the wood, you'll see a marked path, follow this keeping the wood to your left. Following the wood around, and then keeping the field boundary on your left (this is where we saw a roe deer crossing between woods using the field) you'll get to a gate and stile at a road. Turn right and walk along the righthand side of the road until you get to a sharp bend. There's a footpath sign on the right at the bend that heads off across a field bringing you to the edge of Fishpond Wood. Keeping the wood on your right the path bends around the edge of it, and slightly into it near the end, until you reach Risby Road.

Fishpond Wood in April

This is Fishpond Wood. When we were there it was full of bluebells.



Elderberries in September

Cross over Risby Road and follow the bridleway track opposite. This takes you around field boundaries and as you get higher you can see Skidby mill and village. (I'm pretty sure this is where you get a nice view of Beverley Minster in the distance too). Follow the path, making a right/left turn on the way, the when you get to a wooded area on your left, drop down onto a gully path. That'll take you to a grassy area in front of you. (We had to climb a gate to get into this grassy area). Keep to the footpath along the bank to the right, avoiding the herd of cows if needed like we had to. This path leads to a gate (another one to climb over). Follow the road straight on and you'll hit Main Street in Skidby, opposite the church. Turn left and walk through the village, past the Halfmoon Inn (which does a great line in giant filled Yorkshire puddings, according to the other half). You'll reach a road junction, turn right (it's marked with a brown sign for the mill) and that'll take you back to the mill.

I would recommend stopping off in the mill's very atmospheric courtyard's, quite posh (carrot and corriander soup was the day's special), cafe for a cuppa and maybe a slice of cake as a reward. And if you are feeling super flush, you could always fork out the grand total of £1.75 to watch how a real Windy Miller makes flour, and there's a shop that you can buy the flour and souveniers from too. A nice way to spend a few hours out.