What is this 6-day itinerary?
The Yorkshire Wolds Way in six days suits most walkers, and it is the usual pace. The first days climb gently off the Humber onto the chalk, and the middle threads the steep dry dales. The hard part comes last: two long days back to back along the escarpment to the sea at Filey Brigg.
Read the Yorkshire Wolds Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 6-day split work for you?
- Most walkers. The usual pace, from the Humber to the sea.
- Long finish. The two longest days come last, back to back.
- Book early. Millington and Thixendale have very few beds.
Fitness & effort
Fine for a first long walk if you can manage 16 to 17 miles two days running. There is no high ground. The dales between Millington and Wintringham, though, are a string of short climbs on grass that add up. Day three is short, a good chance to rest before them.
The 6-day route on the map
Toward Filey
Hessle to Filey in 6 days
Hessle to Filey, from under the Humber Bridge across the chalk dales of the Wolds to the sea at Filey Brigg.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hessle → South Cave | 12.5 mi (20.2 km) | Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | South Cave → Market Weighton | 10.5 mi (16.9 km) | Towthorpe Grange |
| Day 3 | Market Weighton → Millington | 8.8 mi (14.2 km) | Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast |
| Day 4 | Millington → Thixendale | 11.7 mi (18.8 km) | The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Thixendale → East Heslerton | 16.1 mi (26.0 km) | Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 Longest | East Heslerton → Filey | 17.6 mi (28.2 km) | Yorkshire Wolds Way Finish |
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Day 1
Hessle to South Cave
12.5 mi (20.2 km) ↑ 370 m (1,200 ft) ↓ 330 m (1,100 ft)
The Humber sets the scene: the start sculpture sits under the bridge, and the first miles follow the estuary shore. Ellerker North Wold gives the first big view, back over the water you have just walked beside. South Cave's beds are a short walk off the path, so leave something in the legs.
Example stay Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
South Cave to Market Weighton
10.5 mi (16.9 km) ↑ 310 m (1,000 ft) ↓ 300 m (1,000 ft)
Goodmanham is the day's story: in Bede's account, the high priest Coifi rode out in 627 and burnt the pagan temple here. The village church is said to stand on its site. Before it come the lanes over High Hunsley Beacon and the grassy floor of Swin Dale. The pub and tearoom make a good late stop before Market Weighton.
Example stay Towthorpe Grange
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Day 3
Market Weighton to Millington
8.8 mi (14.2 km) ↑ 330 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 210 m (700 ft)
A short day to rest the legs, mostly through parkland. Londesborough Park lies close to the course of the Kiplingcotes Derby, reputedly England's oldest horse race. Red kites are often overhead. Millington has no shop and no bus, so arrange supper with your bed.
Example stay Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast
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Day 4
Millington to Thixendale
11.7 mi (18.8 km) ↑ 420 m (1,400 ft) ↓ 480 m (1,550 ft)
Valley after valley, the core of the walk: of grass over chalk, each with a short climb out. The WANDER shelter at Fridaythorpe makes a lunch spot beside the café. The last dale is Thixen Dale, whose steep yellow banks have never been ploughed, with the Cross Keys at the bottom.
Example stay The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Thixendale to East Heslerton
16.1 mi (26.0 km) ↑ 550 m (1,800 ft) ↓ 520 m (1,700 ft)
Wharram Percy is the day's reason: a village lived in for six centuries, cleared around 1500 so its fields could go to sheep. Only the church still stands. Before it, the path crosses the Way's highest ground and plunges into Deep Dale. Nothing is for sale all day, so pack lunch and water in Thixendale.
Example stay Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6 Longest
East Heslerton to Filey
17.6 mi (28.2 km) ↑ 490 m (1,600 ft) ↓ 610 m (2,000 ft)
The walk ends at the sea, after the longest day of the six. Sherburn's shop and Ganton's Greyhound come in the first hours, and Filey is the next place to eat. The climb back onto the Wolds at Staxton Brow leads to the last dry valleys. The acorn sculpture by Filey Brigg is shared with the Cleveland Way.
Finish Yorkshire Wolds Way Finish
Cross-check: Yorkshire Wolds Way route description . The National Trail route page gives six sections, Hessle to Filey, with a fork at Spring Dale to Market Weighton or Goodmanham. These plans follow the Goodmanham branch. Card distances are measured along the trail between the towns. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.
Toward Hessle
Filey to Hessle in 6 days
The same beds, starting by the sea at Filey Brigg. The long days come first, and the walk ends on the Humber shore under the bridge.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 Longest | Filey → East Heslerton | 17.6 mi (28.2 km) | Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | East Heslerton → Thixendale | 16.1 mi (26.0 km) | The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Thixendale → Millington | 11.7 mi (18.8 km) | Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast |
| Day 4 | Millington → Market Weighton | 8.8 mi (14.2 km) | Towthorpe Grange |
| Day 5 | Market Weighton → South Cave | 10.5 mi (16.9 km) | Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | South Cave → Hessle | 12.5 mi (20.2 km) | Hessle |
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Day 1 Longest
Filey to East Heslerton
17.6 mi (28.2 km) ↑ 610 m (2,000 ft) ↓ 490 m (1,600 ft)
From Filey Brigg the path turns its back on the sea and heads inland across fields to Muston. The climb onto the Wolds is long but gentle. Ganton's pub and Sherburn's shop come near the end of a long first day.
Example stay Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
East Heslerton to Thixendale
16.1 mi (26.0 km) ↑ 520 m (1,700 ft) ↓ 550 m (1,800 ft)
The escarpment lifts you above the Vale of Pickering, and Wharram Percy's church comes late in the day. A short, sharp climb out of Deep Dale leads over to Thixendale. Bring lunch, as there is none on the way.
Example stay The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Thixendale to Millington
11.7 mi (18.8 km) ↑ 480 m (1,550 ft) ↓ 420 m (1,400 ft)
The dales come in the same rhythm this way, down one grassy side and up the next. Fridaythorpe is the place to eat, because Huggate is a detour. Millington lies at the bottom of the last dale.
Example stay Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast
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Day 4
Millington to Market Weighton
8.8 mi (14.2 km) ↑ 210 m (700 ft) ↓ 330 m (1,100 ft)
An easy morning leaving the dales behind. The path drops past Kilnwick Percy and its café and crosses Londesborough Park, where cattle sometimes graze. Market Weighton's shops are a short walk off the line from Goodmanham.
Example stay Towthorpe Grange
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Day 5
Market Weighton to South Cave
10.5 mi (16.9 km) ↑ 300 m (1,000 ft) ↓ 310 m (1,000 ft)
Goodmanham's pub is the last before South Cave, so eat there or carry food. Swin Dale is the quiet heart of the day, and the lanes over High Hunsley Beacon end with a steep drop into the village.
Example stay Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
South Cave to Hessle
12.5 mi (20.2 km) ↑ 330 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 370 m (1,200 ft)
Ellerker North Wold is the last high ground of the walk, and the wooded drop to Welton's pub comes at lunchtime. The afternoon is flat but slow, on stones and shingle along the estuary to the bridge.
Finish Hessle
6-day itinerary FAQ
Is 6 days a good length for the Yorkshire Wolds Way?
Yes. It is the usual pace and suits a first long walk. The catch is the end: the last two days are 16.1 mi (26.0 km) and 17.6 mi (28.2 km), back to back.
Where do I sleep on the 6-day?
South Cave, Market Weighton, Millington, Thixendale and East Heslerton, then Filey at the finish. Book Millington and Thixendale first.
Why East Heslerton and not Sherburn?
Sherburn is the official end of section five, but its only beds are campsites. East Heslerton, a little before it, has a farm B&B as well.
Is there food on every day of the 6-day?
Not on day five. Thixendale to East Heslerton has nothing for sale on the path, so carry lunch and water. Day six has Sherburn and Ganton early, then nothing until Filey.
Can I walk the 6-day from Filey to Hessle?
Yes, with the same nights. Starting from Filey can make beds easier to find in busy months, and the long days come first.
Can I download a GPX for the 6-day Yorkshire Wolds Way?
Yes. Open this itinerary in the planner (free, no account). Download a full-route GPX or per-day files for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. You can export the preset unchanged or edit overnight stops first.
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This 6-day itinerary is ready as it stands. Open it in the planner to keep these stops, or change where you sleep, then download the GPX for your watch or phone.
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