Crossing the Humber

There have been several ferry crossings at the Humber at least since Roman times (including Winteringham to Brough, North to South Ferriby, Barton to Hessle, Hull to Grimsby, New Holland to Hull). Despite this, all ferry crossings stopped across the Humber when the Humber Bridge was opened in 1981. Today we cross the Humber Bridge and back. We start at Humber Bridge Country park, where there is a large free car park. It is a beautiful day, a light mist and light NE breeze but mainly sunny. The tide is almost low. The path is well signed from the country park and we join the west path for the crossing.

 You climb some stairs (or take a ramp) to join the bridge. Soon the views are stunning over the wooded country park and the across the estuary.

The chalk mill and foreshore of the Humber Bridge Country park.

 The Humber is quite flat, slowly ebbing. The Humber Bridge is 2,220 m long. It doesn't take long to cross, and on a day like this is a wonderful walk.

Buoy indicating the location of the navigable channel.

There is a fair number of walkers and cyclists doing the crossing today. As we approach the south bank there are great views of Far Ings and we walk high over a pasture where cows are feeding almost like an aerial view.

Looking SW towards N Ferriby.

Young Great Black-backed gull.

Far Ings foreshore.

We take the stairs down, walk under the bridge and follow a right of way path by a mature hedgerow and some clay pits. A Hairy Dragonfly patrols over one of the pools, covered in patches of flowering water crowfoot.

Roadside daisies.

The weevil, Liophloeus tessulatus. Thanks to Richard Comont on Twitter for the identification.

Another view of the weevil.

Water Crowfoot

 After a short walk on the foreshore of Far Ings we go for lunch at the Old Tile Works, which has great views of the bridge.

Far Ings reedbed. A male Marsh Harrier had just flown across.

After lunch is time to the back crossing, this time on the east side of the bridge. The tide is almost completely low now, exposing a very wide mudflats and the salt marsh by Water's Edge Country park.

Some sand banks are exposed in the middle of the Humber. It is quite warm now and the breeze quite welcome. We point at salient features of the city of Hull: the P&O Ferries, the Hospital, Reckitt's chimney, the KC stadium and Arco.
We descent the steps onto the country park and go down to Hessle foreshore for coffee and ice cream. A great family day out, and the first time all of us walk the Humber Bridge.

Sand banks.

The M62 crossing Hessle.