Distance = 200 miles approximately
Start: Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire
End: Maryport, West Cumbria
RATING: A mixed drive but with no particularly difficult stretches.
Leaving the lovely seaside town of Bridlington on the east coast of Yorkshire we take the A614 towards Driffield. Just off this main road at the village of Thornholme are two drovers roads running between the fields to meet up at Woldgate the ancient roman road from Bessingby Hill to Kilham. Driving up one and back down the other returned us to tarmac and on past Harpham Grange to drive Sandy Lane and Green Lane.
These two lanes are actually just one lane. Sandy Lane leaves the A614 and becomes Green Lane when it turns to head towards Harpham Lane. Unfortunately it is regularly used by travellers and we found both lanes narrowed by caravans and Green Lane obstructed by their grazing horses.
Returning to the A614 we continued to the roundabout just outside Driffield where we headed west on the A166 towards York. At Garton-on-the-Wolds we left the A166 to drive a really lovely mixture of green lanes and unclassified minor lanes taking us to the village of Wetwang and the A166 again.
A little over 2 miles later and we're away from the metalled road again to bypass the village of Fridaythorpe via the aptly named 'Green Lane' which certainly after leaving the few houses at the junction becomes more green than lane. The lane rejoins the A166 at the far side of Fridaythorpe.
This had been an easy and relaxing drive. However the encroaching trees and shrubs had made for some tight squeezes along the route between Driffield and Wetwang.
The maps suggest that there are lots of other byways in the area waiting to be explored and we look forward to finding these at a later date.There is also a lot to explore in the area. Burton Agnes Hall is the grand Elizabethan manor house open to the public but there are many walks and beaches nearby to enjoy.
© 2011
e-mail: contact@freetalk.me.uk
