Yorkshire long-distance walk celebrates 40th anniversary

The Minster Walk, which was created by Ray Wallis, now a Vice-President of the East Yorkshire and Derwent Ramblers, has given pleasure to countless walkers of all ages and abilities.

Starting from from the north door of Beverley Minster, it takes in the rounded chalk hills and enigmatic dry valleys of the Wolds, before finishing under the wonderful rose window of York Minster.

The route passes delightful Yorkshire villages and towns such as Lockington, North Dalton, Millington, Bishop Wilton, Fulford, and Stamford Bridge.

It can be walked in three full-day stretches, or four less strenuous ones - some walkers have taken years to complete it.

People may even dare repeat the feat of three stalwart Ramblers, Glen Hood, Roy Hughes and Alan Killick, who did the inaugural walk on June 14 1980.

Having left Beverley at 5am in the rain, they reached York at 9.30pm that night.

Mr Wallis, who last walked the route around five years ago, has a collection of over a thousand letters from walkers, some of whom have travelled from far afield to complete The Minster Way.

"I used to get letters - now it's emails.Most say how much they enjoy it and they never realised how beautiful East Yorkshire was."

He added: “In those days in the 1970s long-distance walking was starting to become popular and we had walks like the Lyke Wake Walk and the Dales Way and nothing in the area at the time.

“The Wolds Way was trying to get itself established and when it looked like it never would, I thought I would try and put one together for people in the area.

“It was just a case of joining up existing rights of way that were already there, whereas with the Wolds Way a lot of the paths had to be altered.”

There is no special celebration because of the pandemic, but Mr Wallis, who wrote an authoritative guide book that has sold thousands of copies, said he sold his first one since lockdown this week.

“People are starting to come back to life,” he added.

Guides and badges are available from him on 01482 341596 or email [email protected].