I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been living in Yorkshire for 4 years now, and I had only been hiking in the Yorkshire Wolds this summer!! The Yorkshire Wolds is an area of low hills, predominately in East Riding of Yorkshire and a bit of North Yorkshire. I thought it was mainly farmland and fields, but there is a quiet drama to the landscape!

The Yorkshire Wolds Way is one of the long-distance national trails in England, and takes in a lot of the best places in the area. I did a fantastic circular hike from Thixendale and loved it! Best of all, on this entire hike we only saw about 4 or 5 other people, even though it was a beautiful, warm, sunny Saturday. This is a great option to escape the crowds and enjoy some peace and quiet! Here’s everything you need to know about hiking in this part of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Starting the Thixendale Wolds Hike

The starting point for this Yorkshire Wolds hike is the small, quiet village of Thixendale. There is free parking on the main street in the village (outside the church or the village hall). There isn’t much here—there is a pub at one end and a small shop (run out of the back of someone’s house!) at the other end.

I used a fantastic route with directions from National Trails for this Wolds hike, which was excellent! At times the directions could have been a bit more descriptive, but in general I managed without needing the OS map. However if you do have an OS map or are doing a different hike, you’ll need OS Map OL 300: Howardian Hills & Malton for this area. I always recommend having sturdy hiking boots, and make sure you have plenty of water and snacks. I did this hike on a glorious sunny day, however you should always be prepared for the weather and bring a waterproof rain jacket! You can check out my outdoor gear guide for all my recommendations.

Hiking From Thixendale to Kirby Underdale

This hike starts from Thixendale. Keeping the church on your left, head out along the main road out of town. Follow the public bridleway sign through a gate and turn left, following Thixen Dale and Millham Dale. There were lots of sheep in these fields when I did the hike, so be aware of your surroundings and always give animals plenty of space!

You make a right turn through a gate to go through Millham Dale and up to the farm. Once you get to the farm buildings, go through the gate and turn left on the farm track and follow this all the way out to the road. There were some really beautiful fields here—I think they were wheat, but they were golden and moving in the breeze which was so picturesque!

Eventually you’ll come to a road—it took me just under 1 hour from leaving Thixendale to get here. There are excellent views over Yorkshire from this point! You can even see the big power plants of Drax and Ferrybridge on a clear day. I wasn’t expecting views like this from the Yorkshire Wolds, but this really is a beautiful area and I loved getting this view over Yorkshire.

Turn left on the road and follow it for about 10 minutes, until you see a public footpath sign on your right. Turn right and follow the public footpath down through the field. You’ll cross a stile, and then carry on heading down with the tree line on your left until you come to another gate. We actually got a bit lost and did a big loop of the field here, so make sure you follow the trees to the next gate! Head through another field and through another gate, where you’ll reach a track. Turn right, and follow this as it turns into a road and goes to Kirby Underdale.

Kirby Underdale, Fields, and Farms

Kirby Underdale is a really small village. There’s a village hall, a post box, a phone box, and a church—and that’s about it! Don’t plan on being able to buy anything here. It’s a cute little place, and it gives the walk a nice variety! Follow the road out of the village (passing the church on your left) and eventually you’ll come to a public footpath sign and a gate in a large hedge on the right. Follow the public footpath up through the field, and after you come to the gate turn left to follow the track up past Beech Farm. There is a really well-located bench near the farm if you want to have a rest! It took me about 2 hours and 15 minutes from leaving Thixendale to get here—we had a break for lunch!

Walking on, you’ll hit the road (Painsthorpe Lane) and turn right. The road is a bit steep—this is the last main uphill section of the walk! There are beautiful views to your left of Painsthorpe Dale—definitely worth a photo stop. Eventually you’ll reach a T-junction crossing with another road—turn left and then a few minutes later turn right off the road, following the public footpath sign. Follow the track through Painsthorpe Wold Farm. As the track veers sharply to the right, there is a small footpath arrow pointing straight. The path then veers to the right, with the hedge on your right. Follow this path through down to Worm Dale.

The Yorkshire Wolds Way Back to Thixendale

The views really are beautiful here! Worm Dale leads you to a gate at the far end, where you then enter Thixen Dale and continue on along the Yorkshire Wolds Way! The scenery here is all rolling hills, fields, and there were lots of sheep too. There is a signpost in Thixen Dale (designating that this path is part of the Yorkshire Wolds Way), and you just follow the path through the valley. Once you reach the road, turn right and follow the road back to Thixendale!

This hike is approximately 8 miles (according to the National Trails route), and it took almost exactly 4 hours to complete. This included getting lost in a field, and a nice lunch stop! I just loved exploring these dales and getting to see such a beautiful part of the Wolds in one hike.

Planning Your Trip

Unfortunately, there is no public transportation to Thixendale. You’ll need your own car to do this hike. I did this Wolds hike as a daytrip from York—it’s only about half an hour from my house! However, you could easily stay somewhere in the Wolds (either Driffield or Malton would be a good choice) and make a getaway of it. You can stay at the Cross Keys, the pub in Thixendale which is also a B&B. Otherwise you can search for hostels nearby here, or hotels and B&Bs here! You can also sign up to and search accommodation on Airbnb here. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

The Yorkshire Wolds is such an underrated part of Yorkshire, and I’m so glad I’ve finally had a chance to explore it! There are so many great walks in the area and I definitely know that I’ll be back again. Best of yet, it’s off the beaten path and a great choice if you’re wanting a quiet walk with very few people. I hope this post helps planning a hike around Thixendale!

Have you been to the Yorkshire Wolds before? What was your experience like?

You might also like my posts:

55 Incredible Places To Visit In Yorkshire

Flamborough Head: Hiking Along The Yorkshire Coast

16 Of The BEST Places To Visit In The North York Moors

My Outdoor Gear Guide For Hiking And Camping In The UK

The Best Walks In And Around York, England

All of my Yorkshire posts!

All of my hiking posts!

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