Yorkshire Walks

The entrance to the Askham Bar Park & Ride site where our walk began

The City of York Council has published various walks in and around York on its web site.
The home page of these walks is at https://www.itravelyork.info/walking-maps.
Today's walk is from a collection of walks listed at https://www.itravelyork.info/downloads/download/21/exploring-york-maps and
the details of this particular walk can be found at https://www.itravelyork.info/downloads/file/53/002-askham-bar-to-askham-bog-and-copmanthorpe

Leaving the car park for the traffic lights on the A1036

We turned right at the traffic lights and continued along the footway next to the A1036. We were too late in the season for all the spring flowers in the road side verges here but there were Teesle plants and Knapweed with yellow Ragwort everywhere.

My friend, Jim, and I drove to the large free car park at the Askham Bar 'Park & Ride' site at map ref. SE 579 483. We parked near the entrance to the site and followed the footway beside the road to the traffic lights near the entrance.

Teesle plant above the ragwort on the road side verge

Footway next to the A1036 heading towards Askham Bog

Footbridge next to the A1036 over the East Coast main railway line

Nearing the car park at the Askham Bog Nature Reserve

Path from the car park into the nature reserve

Path around the golf club to the nature reserve

We followed the footpath from the entrance to the reserve going around the edge of the Pike Hills Golf Club for almost 200m to the start of the board walk into the nature reserve.

About 450m from the traffic lights we crossed the East Coast railway line on a sturdy footbridge and continued for another 200m to the entrance to the car park at the Askham Bog nature reserve managed by the Yorkshire Wild Life Trust.

Car Park at the Askham Bog Nature Reserve

Path around the golf club to the nature reserve

Part of Pike Hills Golf Club seen from the nature reserve path

Start of the boardwalk around Askham Bog Nature Reserve

Boardwalk around the nature reserve

Part of the pond but no dragon flies today

This is purple loosestrife, but it looks pink to me

At the end of each boardwalk spur from the side of the main circuit there was usually a stile leading into the open marsh land. There were the tracks of wellington boots leading into the marsh from these stiles but we decided we were not equipped to navigate a walk through the marsh and it would be all too easy to get completely lost. We retraced our steps to the main boardwalk and turned right to continue our walk around the circuit.

We followed the board walk for a total of around 800m in a rough square with a few spurs off to the side. We found it very easy to loose track of where we were around this circuit. About 150m from the start of the board walk there was a spur off to our right that after almost 100m, led us to a pool. The weather was cool and overcast today but on a sunny day I expect this pool would have many dragon flies and damsel flies, but not today.

Spur to the right from the boardwalk to a pond

I think this is yellow loosestrife

Stile near the pond into the open marsh land

Returning from the pond to resuming our walk along the main boardwalk

Continuing our circuit of the boardwalk

One of the seats around the boardwalk circuit

We turned right here to complete our circuit of the boardwalk

After about an hour we completed the circuit of the boardwalk and followed the path back around the edge of the golf course and into the car park.

Around the main boardwalk there were seats for a rest or to see what wildlife would emerge if we had the patience to wait a while. There were many plants that I did not recognise including the huge Royal Fern.

Continuing our circuit of the boardwalk

Royal Fern with Jim for scale

Path back around the golf course to the car park

Gate back into the nature reserve car park

Turning right along the A1036 from the car park

Crossing the A1036 heading towards Copmanthorpe

Path between the A64 embankment and a reed filled pond

We passed under the by-pass and then turned right off the footway by the road to follow a narrow footpath below the by-pass embankment on our right and a reed-filled pond on our left. This area is full of wild flowers but I think the best display will be in the spring.

From the Askham Bog car park we turned right and walked along the footway to the crossing point at the traffic lights on the A1036. We crossed the A1036 and walked along the road opposite towards Copmanthorpe and the York Southern By-pass (A64).

Heading for the traffic lights to cross the A1036

About to pass under the A64 York by-pass

Path between the A64 embankment and a reed filled pond

About to double back along the road side footway

Doubling back along the road side footway

About to cross back under the A64 by-pass

Heading back to the Askham Bar park & Ride site

We continued on the A1036 to the Askham Bar Park & Ride and the end of our walk. The whole route had been about 3.3km and it had taken me around two hours to walk it, but there was lots of interesting stuff around the Askham Bog boardwalk.

After about 300m the footpath rejoined the footway next to the road at the Copmanthorpe boundary markers. Here we doubled back along the road under the York By-pass, past the Askham Bog car park and along the A1036.

Footbridge back over the East Coast main line railway

Returning to the Park & Ride site

The end of our walk back at the Askham Bar Park & Ride site