Today we made the most of the better weather following recent storms (and an unfortunate sickness bug for some of the kids), and had a lovely walk in the afternoon sun over in Sledmere – it brought much needed fresh air, exercise and stunning views of the wolds.
Sledmere is a lovely spot her in East Yorkshire, nestled in the beautiful Yorkshire wolds north west of Driffield. It is known for its stately home (which is a great day out), but also has a smallish circular walk that takes you through the estate and past the deer enclosures (and is of course free!). This walk has been on my radar for quite sometime now; both to become better acquainted with the area, and also because apparently the deer park is exceptional. We found it to be pretty easy terrain for everyone, and just right for the kids at 2.5 miles. They have been known to walk much further, but with recently being unwell, we didn’t want to push our luck.
The walk begins just off the B1253 in sledmere and there is sufficient parking off the side of the road opposite residential housing. I suppose if you wanted to make the walk longer, you could park further out of the village and walk in. The terrain is pretty easy with only a slight incline in places, and it was very muddy following recent torrential rains (but we were prepared with our wellies for a muddy walk!). There are 3 large stiles (around 7ft) which the kids absolutely loved, but that would potentially be a big issue for anyone with mobility issues. It also passes through and around the deer enclosures, so I don’t believe dogs are allowed (especially roaming free). Overall though its a great little walk that I am glad we finally went on together.
We had a great afternoon walk and with the time of year there were so many pretty snowdrops out and the deer were leaping and running right in front of us – it was spectacular and all rather exciting too. I would love to do this walk again, as we all enjoyed everything about it (and it wasn’t too far either). The simple map downloaded on my phone, offered the kids the opportunity to direct us too and the feeling of responsibility for them was wonderful to see and an exciting element to the afternoon for them.
So, if you’re looking for a relatively easy walk with the kids this half term, or one weekend soon, especially where they can spot loads of deer and master some map reading skills too (as well as “look for the yellow signs” for the little ones) then the Sledmere circular walk ticks all the boxes!
Another beauty spot here in East Yorkshire!