A walk on the south of Beverley

I took the bus to Beverley and started my walk at Victoria Road by Normandy Av and weaved my way along green lanes towards Willow Lane. This was a walk of the wet side of Beverley, including various springs, becks, drains, Beckside and the River Hull.

A Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes and I managed a record shot..

This is a spring at Keldmarsh, the water bubbling from the sandy bottom in various places. I follow the stream along Willow Lane, there are still several mature White Willows along it and large patches of Water Startwort. There is a lot of house building in this area, making the OS map quite obsolete. I carry on via Long Lane until the Minster, and then make a stop at Flemingate.

The Keldmarsh beck along Willow Lane.

Water Starwort.

Moorhen.

Beverley Minster.

A Jackdaw inspects under a gutter, but then moves some leaves out of the way and gets a morsel it had probably cached there before.

After a hot drink and a snack I continue along Flemingate towards Beckside. I had never walked this western end of Beckside. I continue, checking the information panels about history and heritage of Beverley Beck.

Old restored barges at Beckside.

Crane and anchor.

Mallard at Beverley Beck.

Blackbird feeding on crab apples.

I cross under the road bridge. It has been cloudy, mild and still, but now it started to drizzle. A Kestrel is flying around Figham Common calling loudly and flushing the Starlings and Goldfinches. It eventually lands atop a tree. The Beck looks more wild now (top shot), but it is straightened and embanked, it was probably very marshy in the confluence of the river Hull and the Beck before the embankment was built.

Figham Common with cows and gulls.

A posing Blackbird.

More photos from the common.

Rook

I get to the lock between Beverley Beck and the river Hull.

River Hull.

Cormorant fishing in the River Hull.

Time to turn back. I find some Water Soldier plants in Beckside. They are more plentiful near the lock, but I find another near the start of the canal. There are old records of this native species in Beverley, but it hasn't been seen for a long time. It will be interesting to see if it comes back next year. It might just be a release, as the plant is sold as a pond ornamental.

Water Soldier.

Beverley Beck.

A walk to Beverley via Mill Beck, Cottingham

I was up for a longer walk today, and I had planned to walk to Beverley via Mill Beck and Beverley Parks LNR. The day dawned sunny, still and not too cold. I walked along the avenues, St Ninians Way, Chanterlands and Bricknell Avenue with the school run crowds and then took the sedated Snuff Mill Lane.

Snuff Mill Lane.

Roe Deer does.

A snoozing Roe Deer.

Goldfinches were feeding on the buds of an Elm at the other side of the railway line.

A just fledged Woodpigeon.

The Snuff Mill house.

I crossed Cottingham, walking just by St Mary's Church and then headed towards the King George V playing fields and Mill Beck wildlife area. Large oaks became more evident along footpaths, the rich soil along paths and ground flora of verges and hedges a relict of the extensive North Wood that covered much of the area to the north of Cottingham. Place names in the area still bear the imprint of the ancient woodland: Jillywoods, Platwoods Farm, Pillwood Farm, Woodhill Farm and Norwoods. Today the only ancient wood left is Birkhill Wood and some smaller remnants. Most of the area is now arable, the land rising gently towards the Wolds, and crisscrossed by wavy becks alongside the paths and fields.

Mill Beck Wildlife Area

Mill Beck Wildlife Area meadow. The soil here is quite peaty.

Trees near Pillwood Farm. Two Skylarks were singing and squabbling on the set aside fields. A pair of Buzzards soared over the fields meowing.

Reed Bunting, Pillwood Farm.

Surprised that there is water in the ditches given how little has rained in recent months.

One of a small group of Yellowhammers at Wanlass Beck.

I follow the footpath by the railway line, crossing under the A1079, soon entering the new woodland of Beverley Parks Local Nature Reserve.

Entrance to Beverley Parks wood.

The public footpath across the young woodland. It was planted in 1990.

The fresh leaves of Arum maculatum emerging.

As I walk along the parkland, I come across this spring, and stop by the bench near it for a snack.

Another woodland relic, flowering Dog's Mercury by a spring just south of Beverley surrounded by construction sites.

Spring.

The south side of Keldmarsh a series of springs surrounded by natural vegetation, a small Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.

The end of the walk was Beverley Minster. The usual Jackdaws were sitting on ledges (top shot) and a pair of Rooks sat on an aerial nearby (below)

The day's route. I returned home via bus 23 from just by Beverley station.