Where in the wolds will you go?
Sarah Turner reveals some of England’s stunningly beautiful areas of hill country
LET’S tackle the science first. To a geographer, a wold is a hill that’s on a base of limestone and chalk. To the rest of us though, wolds are the epitome of the English countryside – understated and beautifully rural, dotted with small villages and market towns surrounded by rich farmland and reedfringed streams.
The Cotswolds are one of the UK’s prime tourist attractions, but there are other, lesserknown wolds which are truly worth exploring. They all have historic towns, places offering fine food and grand houses to visit, but heading into these wolds is about diving into nature and leaving the tourist trail.
With gentle hills and wide valleys, this is wonderful walking country where you’ll want to pause to appreciate the view – and not just because you’re out of puff after a punishing climb.
WETLANDS WORTH RAMBLING THROUGH
Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire
and Rutland: The English wolds are at their wettest here as they dip in and out of three counties, with the River Soar gently meandering away from Leicester and the Trent and Wreake rivers also circling the region.
Pack binoculars for Rutland Water (anglianwaterparks.co.uk), which was made by controversially flooding villages in the 1970s but is idyllic now. This major wetland area draws birdwatchers in their droves, to see ospreys diving into the water for fish in summer, kingfishers and dragonflies. The circular walk is 38km but there are shorter strolls as well.
Visitors can stop off in gorgeous villages nearby; beamed, thatched and very well cared for. Some of the pubs are doing takeaways until they can fully reopen.
There’s also Barnsdale Gardens, the life work of the BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Geoff Hamilton. This eight-acre site has a never-ending series of different gardens, awash with roses, vegetables and fruit, along with a tea room and nursery (barnsdalegardens.co.uk).
Beauty spots don’t get much better than the Vale of Belvoir. Its name means ‘beautiful view’ and it’s dominated by the equally striking Belvoir Castle (belvoircastle. com). Also near Melton Mowbray (home to delicious pork pies and plenty of places to eat them), Stapleford Park is very nearly as grand as Belvoir Castle. A 16th Century wedding cake mansion, it’s been a luxury, family-minded hotel since the 1980s. Packed with paintings and antiques, the parkland – designed by Capability Brown – now also contains a golf course, tennis courts and bike trails. There are both rooms and cottages. B&B doubles are from £175 a night (staplefordpark.com).
WALK OFF CHEESE AND CAKES ON A 235-KM TREK
Lincolnshire: To the east of Lincoln the land begins to rise into the undulating chalk wolds, where a roaring wool trade gave the shire medieval prosperity.
The highest point of Normanby le Wold may be only 167metres above sea level, but when you look down you’ll see a series of furrows and gently folding landscape that’s been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s a favourite destination among cyclists as deserted lanes and canal paths take you past old churches, farmland and small villages.
The elegant market town of Louth has a pretty church spire and delightfully measured attitude towards modernisation.
The Eve & Ranshaw department store has dominated the market place since 1781, while The Cheese Shop on Eastgate showcases the best local cheeses (including the acclaimed Lincolnshire Poacher) alongside its chutney and cakes. The Mason’s Arms in a sturdy Victorian building is a gastropub with rooms. Doubles from £70 a night, including breakfast (the-masonsarms.com).
For walkers, the 235-km Viking Way runs through the wolds, and highlights include Somersby, birthplace of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and the pretty village of Tetford. Alford has a rare thatched manor house (alfordmanorhouse.co.uk) and a five-sailed windmill.
Thorganby Hall has beautifully converted farm buildings, from two-bedroom Little Walk Cottage to the seven-bedroom Marris Barn (thorganbyhall.co.uk).
ISOLATED GEMS THAT WILL SEND YOU BACK IN TIME
Yorkshire: In East Yorkshire, running from Hessle, near the Humber estuary, then rising to the east of York, the Yorkshire Wolds end at the cliffs at Flamborough Head. Its heart, though, is the 127km Yorkshire Wolds Way walking trail.
Dip in and out of it and you’ll uncover a series of gems. There’s the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy, Huggate, the highest village in the wolds, and Millington Wood, made up of ancient ash with carpets of bluebells, giant bellflowers and wild garlic. You’ll sense a back-in-time quality here – the village of Thixendale, in its own little dale, didn’t get television reception until 1997.
But it’s also in the avant-garde. The artist David Hockney had a home near the coastal town of Bridlington and has painted dozens of landscapes here.
A self-guided walk available on visithullandeastyorkshire.com will take you to many of the locations, including Warter, where he painted a collection of 50 canvases of trees, and Woldgate.
Sledmere House, owned by the Sykes family for more than 400 years, is surrounded by glorious gardens designed by Capability Brown (sledmerehouse.com).
The classic Wolds town of Beverley is a complete beauty. The delicate spire of the 13th Century minster looks out over meadows and there’s a medieval town centre that’s now studded with smart restaurants, boutiques and delis, plus a proper Saturday market.
The market town of Malton, home of the spectacular Castle Howard, also has a strong foodie reputation, as well as influxes of farmers for regular livestock auction.
And amid the lifestyle shops and markets, Leoni’s serves some of Yorkshire’s best coffee and cakes.