Distance Covered: 7 miles Time to complete walk: 3 hours
Total Steps: approx. 13,000
Safety Tips: A very safe walk however be careful crossing any roads along the walk.
A lovely walk with no climbs and clear paths for walkers who don't like the orienteering aspect of walks. The small town of Howden is a quiet haven with a stunning minster to visit whilst on the walk. The walk passes underneath two bridges and the views of the bridges are spectacular.
The Howden Walk
Getting There
From Middlesbrough follow the A19 southbound and join the M1. Follow the M1 to junction 33 and then join the M62 and follow this to the town of Howden. Parking is ample- there is a long stay car park near the Co-op supermarket and it is around £2.50 for three hours.
Map of the Howden walk
The Walk
From the car park head for the minster. It is prominent in the skyline of the town. Make sure that you are facing the entrance. Pay a visit now or at the end of the walk.
Ornate path entrance to the minster
Howden Minster
From the Minster turn and cross the road and follow the road opposite which is St Johns Street.
Cross the road and join St Johns Street
Walk to the end of the street and take a left fork into Howden Marsh nature reserve.
Follow the left fork into the nature reserve
Follow the boardwalk and take a right turn at the pond
Pond at the nature reserve
Then take a left turn to follow a disused railway line
Follow the path of a disused railway line
Basically you are completing a short circular route of the nature reserve. By following the path round you will end up at the other entrance to the nature reserve. Turn right and pass the information plaque
Turn right
Walk past the information plaque
Follow the road round to the left and turn right at the T junction
Follow the road round to the left
Turn right at the T junction
Head towards the cross roads and you will be opposite a church. Turn right on the pavement
Church at the cross roads
Follow the pavement to the right
The road winds around but keep on it until you come to Knedlington. Cross the road and head into Knedlington
Cross the road and head into Kendlington
Just before you reach a bench look for a path to your left and head onto it.
Join the track to your left
Keep on the track ahead
Head in the same direction and the path changes to a grassy path and you can see Drax Power Station to your right. Keep on the path ahead until you come to the River Ouse.
Drax Power Station to your right
Eventually you arrive at the River Ouse. Scramble up a short climb to a stile and then turn left onto the river embankment.
Climb up to the stile
Turn left and follow the embankment
When the embankment ends follow the path down to the left passing houses.
Join the path below the embankment
To the right of a house climb up to join the embankment again.
Re join the embankment above
Follow the path under a bridge
Follow the embankment under the bridge
Walk under the bridge
Go through a stile and then onto the path beside the river
Go through the gate
Head towards another bridge
Walk beneath the spectacular M62 bridge
Walk towards the bridge
Under the M62 bridge
Head out and as the river bends the path heads towards industrial buildings
Head towards the industrial buildings
Go through a stile onto a path which emerges onto a road. Cross the road and keep on the path ahead.
Go through the stile
Cross the road ahead and keep on the path
Soon you arrive at a small brick bridge into Howdendyke
Cross the small brick bridge
Turn left and pass through Howdendyke until you come to a junction at a road abs turn left
Turn left into Howdensdyke
Turn left at the T Junction
Howden is a small historic market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies north of the M62, on the A614 road about 16 miles (26 km) south-east of York and 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Goole, which lies across the River Ouse.
William the Conqueror gave the town to the Bishops of Durham in 1080. The wapentake of Howdenshire was named after the town.
Howden is situated in the Vale of York, on the A614, although the town itself has been bypassed. Howden lies close to the M62 and the M18 motorways, nearby to Goole which lies at the opposite side of the River Ouse. The town is served by Howden railway station, which is situated in North Howden and has services to Leeds, Selby, York, Hull and London.
Howden is surrounded by largely flat land and in some places marshland. Much of the land surrounding Howden is separated by many drainage dykes.
Howden lies within the Parliamentary constituency of Haltemprice and Howden.
One of the earliest recorded parts of Howden's history describes King Edgar giving his first wife, Ethelfleda, Howden Manor in 959 AD,the beginnings of a long connection with the royal court of England. In 1080, William the Conqueror gave the town, including its church, which later became the minster, to the Bishop of Durham, who promptly conferred the church upon the monks of Durham. However, he kept Howden Manor for himself. Records show that the church was at first a rectory, but conflicting records also show that Hugh, Prior of Durham, was given a bull from Pope Gregory IX for appropriating the church towards the maintenance of 16 monks. Howden's royal connections continued when in 1191, Prince John spent Christmas in Howden. Nine years later, John, now King of England, granted Howden the right to hold an annual fair.
In 1228, work began on the current Howden Minster, though it was not finished until the 15th century when the chapter house and top of the tower was added by Bishop Walter de Skirlaw.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, Howden became a centre for pilgrims because of John of Howden's alleged miracles in the latter part of the 13th century.
The most prolific of these tales was that John of Howden, at his funeral in 1275, raised his arms from his open coffin during his requiem mass to greet the host. As such, he has become regarded as a saint, though the Catholic Church has never made this official. Through the pilgrims, Howden received the money that it needed to complete the minster, fulfilling John of Howden's prophecy that he would continue aiding the minster from beyond the grave.
Howden's Workhouse From 1665–1794, a site on Pinfold Street in Howden was used as a lodging house for the needy. A workhouse was then opened on the site which included a manufactory, stone-breaking yard, cowshed and prison. A parliamentary report of 1776 listed the parish workhouse at Howden as being able to accommodate up to 20 inmates.
After 1834 Howden Poor Law Union was formed on 4 February 1837. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 42 in number, representing its 40 constituent parishes as listed below (figures in brackets indicate numbers of Guardians if more than one):
East Riding: Asselby, Aughton, Backenholme with Woodale, Balkholme, Barmby-on-the-Marsh, Belby, Bellasize, Blacktoft, Breighton, Broomfleet, Bubwith, North Cave with Drewton Everthorpe, Cheapsides, Cotness, Eastrington, Elberton Priory, Flaxfleet, Foggathorpe Gilberdyke, Gribthorpe, Harlthorpe, Hemingbrough, Holme upon Spalding Moor, Hotham, Howden (2), Kilpin, Knedlington, Latham, Loxton, Metham, Newport Wallingfen, New Village, Newsham & Brind and Wressle & Loftsome, Portington & Cavil, Saltmarsh, Scalby, Skelton, Spaldington, Thorpe, Willitoft, Yokefleet.
The population falling within the union at the 1831 census had been 12,728 with parishes ranging in size from Cotness (population 29) to Howden itself (2,130). The average annual poor-rate expenditure for the period 1834–36 had been £6,263.
Initially, the Howden Guardians declined to build a new workhouse but made use of the existing parish workhouses in Howden, Holme and Cave. However, in 1839, following persuasion by the region's Assistant Poor Law Commsissioner John Revans, a new building was erected on the south side of Knedlington Road. It was designed by Weightman and Hadfield of Sheffield.
Follow this road and onto a path to and over a motorway bridge
Keep on the path
Head towards a busy roundabout and cross over the road onto the road back into Howden.
Head towards the busy roundabout and onto the road back into Howden
Howden
William the Conqueror gave the town to the Bishops of Durham in 1080. The wapentake of Howdenshire was named after the town.
Howden is situated in the Vale of York, on the A614, although the town itself has been bypassed. Howden lies close to the M62 and the M18 motorways, nearby to Goole which lies at the opposite side of the River Ouse. The town is served by Howden railway station, which is situated in North Howden and has services to Leeds, Selby, York, Hull and London.
Howden is surrounded by largely flat land and in some places marshland. Much of the land surrounding Howden is separated by many drainage dykes.
Howden lies within the Parliamentary constituency of Haltemprice and Howden.
One of the earliest recorded parts of Howden's history describes King Edgar giving his first wife, Ethelfleda, Howden Manor in 959 AD,the beginnings of a long connection with the royal court of England. In 1080, William the Conqueror gave the town, including its church, which later became the minster, to the Bishop of Durham, who promptly conferred the church upon the monks of Durham. However, he kept Howden Manor for himself. Records show that the church was at first a rectory, but conflicting records also show that Hugh, Prior of Durham, was given a bull from Pope Gregory IX for appropriating the church towards the maintenance of 16 monks. Howden's royal connections continued when in 1191, Prince John spent Christmas in Howden. Nine years later, John, now King of England, granted Howden the right to hold an annual fair.
In 1228, work began on the current Howden Minster, though it was not finished until the 15th century when the chapter house and top of the tower was added by Bishop Walter de Skirlaw.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, Howden became a centre for pilgrims because of John of Howden's alleged miracles in the latter part of the 13th century.
The most prolific of these tales was that John of Howden, at his funeral in 1275, raised his arms from his open coffin during his requiem mass to greet the host. As such, he has become regarded as a saint, though the Catholic Church has never made this official. Through the pilgrims, Howden received the money that it needed to complete the minster, fulfilling John of Howden's prophecy that he would continue aiding the minster from beyond the grave.
Howden's Workhouse From 1665–1794, a site on Pinfold Street in Howden was used as a lodging house for the needy. A workhouse was then opened on the site which included a manufactory, stone-breaking yard, cowshed and prison. A parliamentary report of 1776 listed the parish workhouse at Howden as being able to accommodate up to 20 inmates.
After 1834 Howden Poor Law Union was formed on 4 February 1837. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 42 in number, representing its 40 constituent parishes as listed below (figures in brackets indicate numbers of Guardians if more than one):
East Riding: Asselby, Aughton, Backenholme with Woodale, Balkholme, Barmby-on-the-Marsh, Belby, Bellasize, Blacktoft, Breighton, Broomfleet, Bubwith, North Cave with Drewton Everthorpe, Cheapsides, Cotness, Eastrington, Elberton Priory, Flaxfleet, Foggathorpe Gilberdyke, Gribthorpe, Harlthorpe, Hemingbrough, Holme upon Spalding Moor, Hotham, Howden (2), Kilpin, Knedlington, Latham, Loxton, Metham, Newport Wallingfen, New Village, Newsham & Brind and Wressle & Loftsome, Portington & Cavil, Saltmarsh, Scalby, Skelton, Spaldington, Thorpe, Willitoft, Yokefleet.
The population falling within the union at the 1831 census had been 12,728 with parishes ranging in size from Cotness (population 29) to Howden itself (2,130). The average annual poor-rate expenditure for the period 1834–36 had been £6,263.
Initially, the Howden Guardians declined to build a new workhouse but made use of the existing parish workhouses in Howden, Holme and Cave. However, in 1839, following persuasion by the region's Assistant Poor Law Commsissioner John Revans, a new building was erected on the south side of Knedlington Road. It was designed by Weightman and Hadfield of Sheffield.
