What is this 7-day itinerary?
Seven days suits walkers who want the Yorkshire Wolds Way without a long day anywhere. The hardest walking, the run of dales from Millington to Wintringham, comes in the middle on fresh legs. Breaking the east end at Wintringham and Ganton gives a short, flat day under the escarpment before the walk to the sea.
Read the Yorkshire Wolds Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 7-day split work for you?
- Even days. Nothing over 13 miles, and a short one near the end.
- A gentler east end. Three days where the 6-day has two long ones.
- Book Wintringham first. One campsite, with a single log cabin.
Fitness & effort
Comfortable if you can walk 11 to 13 miles on most days. The chalk is easy underfoot, but the dales come as a long string of short, steep grassy climbs. The flat sixth day falls just when the legs want it, and the last day is only 12.6 miles.
The 7-day route on the map
Toward Filey
Hessle to Filey in 7 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 → Wintringham | 12.5 mi (20.1 km) | Wolds Way Caravan and Camping (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Wintringham → Ganton | 8.6 mi (13.8 km) | The Ganton Greyhound (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 Longest | Ganton → Filey | 12.6 mi (20.3 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)
From the estuary to the first hill: the shore path is stones and shingle for the first few miles. There is a high-tide route inland at North Ferriby. Lunch is the Green Dragon in Welton, where Dick Turpin was arrested, by local legend. A wooded climb lifts you onto Ellerker North Wold before the drop to Brantingham.
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)
A quiet day of lanes and dry valleys: Weedley Dale follows the bed of an old railway into the hills. Swin Dale, a green floor between grassy sides, is the prettiest part. Market Weighton was home to William Bradley, the Yorkshire Giant, and has the shops for the next two days, since Millington has none.
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 before the dales, with time to look back. On a clear day, York Minster stands on the plain to the west of Warren Dale. The White Horse of Kilburn shows far to the north. Kilnwick Percy Hall's café is a good stop on the way. Millington lies at the foot of the first deep dale.
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)
Up and down through the dales: Horse Dale, Holm Dale and their neighbours, each a grassy dip with a short pull out. From the high ground between them, Flamborough Head lighthouse can show on a clear day. Fridaythorpe has a café and a pub for lunch, and Thixendale's pub is the Cross Keys.
Example stay The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Thixendale to Wintringham
12.5 mi (20.1 km) ↑ 400 m (1,300 ft) ↓ 460 m (1,500 ft)
Over the top and down to Wintringham: the chalk track above Thixendale crosses the highest, most open ground on the Way. The descent into Deep Dale is short and extremely steep, hard on the knees. Beyond Wharram Percy, woods by Settrington Beacon lead down into the village, which has no shop, so bring supper.
Example stay Wolds Way Caravan and Camping (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Wintringham to Ganton
8.6 mi (13.8 km) ↑ 250 m (800 ft) ↓ 260 m (850 ft)
A flat day to recover: field edges run east along the foot of the escarpment. The steep wold edge is on your right, the Vale of Pickering on your left. East and West Heslerton pass close by. Sherburn has a shop and a pub, and Ganton's Greyhound is a short walk from the line.
Example stay The Ganton Greyhound (opens in a new tab)
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Day 7 Longest
Ganton to Filey
12.6 mi (20.3 km) ↑ 390 m (1,300 ft) ↓ 400 m (1,300 ft)
Back onto the Wolds for the last time: the climb from Ganton lifts you above Staxton Brow. Camp Dale is skirted round its rim, and Stocking Dale is the final dry valley. Fields lead through Muston to the acorn sculpture at Filey, where the Cleveland Way carries on north along the cliffs.
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 7 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 → Ganton | 12.6 mi (20.3 km) | The Ganton Greyhound (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Ganton → Wintringham | 8.6 mi (13.8 km) | Wolds Way Caravan and Camping (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Wintringham → Thixendale | 12.5 mi (20.1 km) | The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Thixendale → Millington | 11.7 mi (18.8 km) | Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast |
| Day 5 | Millington → Market Weighton | 8.8 mi (14.2 km) | Towthorpe Grange |
| Day 6 | Market Weighton → South Cave | 10.5 mi (16.9 km) | Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 | South Cave → Hessle | 12.5 mi (20.2 km) | Hessle |
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Day 1 Longest
Filey to Ganton
12.6 mi (20.3 km) ↑ 400 m (1,300 ft) ↓ 390 m (1,300 ft)
The first morning starts by the sea at Filey Brigg, where the Cleveland Way ends. Fields lead inland to Muston and into Stocking Dale. A long descent off the Wolds at Staxton Brow brings you to Ganton.
Example stay The Ganton Greyhound (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Ganton to Wintringham
8.6 mi (13.8 km) ↑ 260 m (850 ft) ↓ 250 m (800 ft)
Field edges run west under the steep wold edge, with the flat Vale of Pickering on your right. Buy food in Sherburn for tonight and tomorrow, because Wintringham has no shop.
Example stay Wolds Way Caravan and Camping (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Wintringham to Thixendale
12.5 mi (20.1 km) ↑ 460 m (1,500 ft) ↓ 400 m (1,300 ft)
The climb out of Wintringham is steep, into woods by Settrington Beacon. Wharram Percy sits in its valley near the end, and a short, sharp climb out of Deep Dale brings you over to Thixendale's pub.
Example stay The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
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 5
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 6
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 7
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
7-day itinerary FAQ
Is 7 days a good length for the Yorkshire Wolds Way?
Yes, especially for a first long walk. No day is over 12.6 mi (20.3 km), and the long east end becomes three days with a short, flat one in the middle.
Where do I sleep on the 7-day?
South Cave, Market Weighton, Millington, Thixendale, Wintringham and Ganton, then Filey at the finish. Book Wintringham first, then Millington and Thixendale.
Where do I stay in Wintringham?
At the campsite near the path, which also lets a log cabin. It is the only bed there, so book it first. The village has no shop or pub, so bring supper.
How hard is the dales day on the 7-day?
Millington to Thixendale is 11.7 mi (18.8 km) of short, steep climbs in and out of grassy dry valleys. It comes on day four, after the short day into Millington.
Can I download a GPX for the 7-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 7-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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