Walks From The Bar Walls – A Micklegate Bar Circular
This circular walk explores the underappreciated countryside of York’s southern fringes. With the outward and return legs almost overlapping at two points, it could be divided into three shorter walks linking Direction Points 6 and 10, and 5 and 11.
Distance: 9 1/2 miles – Time: 4 hours
Is this walk for me?
the full walk is long but almost entirely flat with lots of tarmac surfaces. There are some stiles and kissing gates south of Bishopthorpe. Riverside sections may be impassable during flooding.
Getting there
The walk starts from Micklegate Bar. Buses stop nearby at the station or Blossom Street. The closest car park is Nunnery Lane.
Refreshments
There are numerous opportunities at Bishopthorpe. But First Cafe just on Main Street is highly recommended. There’s also The Ship Inn at Acaster Malbis.
What to see
The walk visits Rowntree Park, one of the city’s finest parks and traverses its largest open space, the Knavesmire. The long riverside section has lots of interest including an assortment of moored boats. There’s also the Archbishop’s Palace and a section of the solar system model on the cycle track.
Directions
1. Inside the walls facing Micklegate Bar ascend the steps left. Walk along the wall until it ends at Baile Hill descending steps to the road.
2. Cross pedestrian traffic lights and turn right. In 20 metres go left down an alley. Continue ahead (Cherry St.). At the T junction turn left (Vine St.). After 100 metres (opposite Board St.) go right (Lovell St.). In 30 metres, go left through gates into Rowntree Park. Walk ahead then go left alongside lake. At its end, take the curving path ahead turning left in 50 metres to exit the park through a gateway.
3. Walk over grass alongside backs of gardens right to reach the tarmac riverside path. Soon go sharp right with this away from the river (Trans Pennine Trail sign) to reach a road.
4. Turn left, then cross at traffic island following Trans Pennine Trail on a fenced path. Stay with tarmac trail, going left then heading down a slope with the racecourse right. Arriving at a T junction, go left to a road (right for a shorter walk resuming at Direction Point 11).
5. Turn right on the roadside pavement crossing the A64 on the bridge. Continue, passing Bishopthorpe Palace.
6. Where the palace grounds end, turn left (Chantry Lane). For refreshment opportunities/shorter walk go right resuming at Direction Point 10. Where lane ends take path left of ruins to the river. Continue to reach riverside track at Bosun’s restaurant.
7. The walk now continues beside the river to Acaster Malbis. Stay on the riverside track with boat moorings left. Where this ends at a gate continue on a narrow path. At a divide go left passing under the bridge. After a stile, keep on to a further stile. Over this, follow track to a road at which turn left.
8. At The Ship Inn, take signed footpath left (gravel drive). This soon becomes a narrow path with the river left before swinging hard right between gardens. At road turn right keeping ahead at the next junction (Mill Lane). At next road junction turn right. Ignore two signed footpaths to follow the road through a sharp left bend. 15 metres beyond another left bend, take the signed footpath right.
9. Follow this, initially between fences then crossing a footbridge. After this, keep to field edges with a fence, then hedge, right. Continue to a metal kissing gate. Through this stay right of a hedge to another kissing gate. Here, head slightly left to the hedge corner ahead, then keep right to emerge on the cycle track.
10. Turn left. Continue under a bridge then follow Trans Pennine signposts through a residential street. Keep going until the model of the sun and A64 bridge. Immediately after this turn right still on the main Trans Pennine Trail. Stay with the trail passing under a bridge beside the road, then go right on the tarmac between fields.
11. Nearing racecourse fencing ahead, take an earth path left into trees quickly emerging alongside the course to the right (if this path is missed simply continue on tarmac until adjacent to racecourse fence then turn left alongside it). Continue on a stoned path beside the racecourse. Where this ends keep by the course over grass with houses left. Stay ahead through a parking area following a rough track. Where the track stops take the grassy path slightly left towards trees. Keep right at a divide along slope bottom. Ignore crossing paths eventually approaching a road to the left. At diagonal cross path go right heading towards a building across the tree-lined road.
12. Go over the road and take the signed cycle track. Nearing its end go up steps right, crossing the road and taking the footpath into Scarcroft Allotments. Continue ahead ignoring all side paths to a road/pedestrian crossing. Go over and take the tarmac path between trees. At school wall corner, go slightly left on a curving path. Cross the road ahead and walk through a gravelled area opposite to find a wall gap. Head up the street. At its end turn right to return to Micklegate Bar.
Add a comment