Market Weighton circular walk.

Michael Palmer
May 7, 2023
7 min read

Updated: Aug 7

Market Weighton Circular Walk – An Easy to Moderate Walk Through the Yorkshire Wolds

Sitting on the western edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, Market Weighton makes a great starting point for exploring this quieter part of East Yorkshire on foot.

Our Market Weighton Circular Walk takes us from the town into the surrounding countryside, giving Lyn and me a mixture of rural paths, Wolds scenery and local history.

We rate this walk as easy–moderate.

It's not what we'd describe as a difficult walk, but the countryside and changes in level make it a little more involved than our straightforward easy routes.

And Market Weighton itself gives us plenty to discover, from the Yorkshire Wolds Way and old railway routes to the extraordinary story of William Bradley – better known as the Yorkshire Giant.

Explore more East Yorkshire Walks on The White Shire

Market Weighton Circular Walk at a Glance

Route type: Circular

Difficulty: Easy–moderate – based on our experience

Location: Market Weighton

County: East Riding of Yorkshire

Area: Yorkshire Wolds

Nearby: Pocklington, Beverley, Goodmanham and Londesborough

Terrain: Countryside paths, tracks, field paths and sections around the Wolds

Highlights: Market Weighton, Yorkshire Wolds countryside, local history and connections with the Yorkshire Wolds Way

Walked and photographed by: Michael and Lyn Palmer, The White Shire

Our Market Weighton Circular Walk

Lyn and I found this to be a really enjoyable East Yorkshire walk.

Market Weighton sits where the flatter countryside to the west begins to meet the rolling chalk landscape of the Yorkshire Wolds.

That gives us a nice mixture.

We're not tackling anything approaching a mountain walk, but there are enough changes in the landscape to make it feel more interesting than a completely flat route.

That's why easy–moderate feels right to us.

Our ratings are based on actually walking each route rather than simply looking at distance and elevation figures afterwards.

Starting in Market Weighton

Market Weighton is a small market town with a history stretching back centuries.

It sits between York and Hull and has long acted as one of the gateways into the Yorkshire Wolds.

For walkers, its position is particularly useful.

The Yorkshire Wolds Way passes through the surrounding area, while the Hudson Way gives us another connection with the countryside and the town's transport history.

It's somewhere that works well as both a destination and a starting point.

Walking into the Yorkshire Wolds

Once we're out of Market Weighton, we begin to experience the countryside that makes this part of East Yorkshire so distinctive.

The Yorkshire Wolds are chalk hills characterised by rolling farmland, dry valleys and wide views.

They're considerably gentler than the Yorkshire Dales, but that doesn't mean every walk is completely flat.

That's one reason we think easy–moderate describes our route better than simply calling it easy.

We can enjoy the hills and changing landscape without feeling as though we're tackling a serious hike.

The Yorkshire Wolds Way

Market Weighton is closely connected with the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail.

The official National Trails route passes through this part of the Wolds, with a branch following the Hudson Way into Market Weighton before the trail continues north towards Goodmanham. (National Trail)

National Trails also publishes several shorter walks around Market Weighton, including its 7.5-mile Market Weighton Meander, which it grades as easy. (National Trail)

Our White Shire circular is our own GPS-recorded route and our difficulty rating reflects how Lyn and I personally found it.

Discover walks around Market Weighton on the Yorkshire Wolds Way

The Hudson Way

Another interesting feature of this area is the Hudson Way.

The route follows part of the former railway line between Market Weighton and Beverley and is named after George Hudson, the famous – and ultimately notorious – Victorian Railway King.

National Trails uses the old railway as part of its walking routes around Market Weighton and Goodmanham. (National Trail)

We really enjoy discovering old railway routes on our walks.

A transport corridor built for steam trains has gradually become somewhere people can walk, cycle and enjoy the countryside.

Yorkshire's industrial past keeps finding new uses.

William Bradley – The Yorkshire Giant

We can't really write about Market Weighton without mentioning its most famous resident.

William Bradley was born here in 1787 and became known as the Yorkshire Giant.

He eventually reached a reported height of 7 feet 9 inches – around 2.36 metres – making him one of the tallest recorded Englishmen. The official Yorkshire Wolds Way information also highlights Bradley as an important part of Market Weighton's story. (National Trail)

His remarkable height turned him into something of a celebrity during his lifetime.

Today, references to Bradley can still be found around the town.

It's one of those unusual Yorkshire stories we probably wouldn't have discovered without coming here to walk.

All Saints' Church

Market Weighton also has a much older landmark.

All Saints' Church is Grade I listed and contains fabric dating back to the 11th century.

Historic England records an 11th-century nave, an early 13th-century chancel and tower, and 14th-century aisles, alongside later alterations. (Historic England)

That makes the church one of the town's most important historic buildings.

For us, these are exactly the details that add something extra to a walk.

We arrive looking for a footpath and end up discovering almost a thousand years of local history.

Historic England – All Saints' Church, Market Weighton

Why We Rate Market Weighton Easy–Moderate

Our difficulty ratings are based on our own experience.

We put Market Weighton between easy and moderate.

There's nothing we found particularly challenging, but this isn't quite the same as one of our short, flat canal or woodland walks.

We're travelling through rolling countryside, using natural paths and encountering changes in level.

Weather can make a difference too.

After prolonged rain, countryside paths can become muddier and more awkward underfoot.

So we'd wear proper walking footwear even though we don't regard this as a difficult route.

Walking Through Working Countryside

The countryside surrounding Market Weighton is predominantly agricultural.

We're walking through a landscape where people live and work rather than a purpose-built visitor attraction.

We stick to public rights of way, respect crops and livestock and leave gates as we find them.

We think that's worth mentioning on The White Shire.

If we're encouraging more people to discover Yorkshire on foot, we also want to encourage everyone to look after the countryside they're exploring.

Goodmanham and the Wider Area

The countryside around Market Weighton gives us plenty of reasons to return.

Nearby Goodmanham has particularly strong connections with the Yorkshire Wolds Way.

National Trails even has an easy 3.9-mile geocaching route between Market Weighton and Goodmanham using the disused railway and surrounding paths. (National Trail)

That tells us something important about this part of East Yorkshire.

Our circular isn't an isolated walk.

There's a wider network of routes allowing us to keep exploring the Wolds from different directions.

Is the Market Weighton Walk Suitable for Beginners?

Potentially, yes.

Someone comfortable walking through normal countryside should find this an approachable route.

But our easy–moderate rating is deliberate.

If somebody is looking specifically for a very flat, straightforward first walk, we'd probably point them towards one of our easier canal or shorter countryside routes.

If you're comfortable with some changes in level and natural paths, Market Weighton is a good next step.

Exploring a Quieter Part of Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Wolds are becoming one of the landscapes we've particularly enjoyed adding to The White Shire.

They're very different from the Yorkshire Dales.

There aren't towering peaks or famous waterfalls around every corner.

Instead, we've got rolling chalk hills, farmland, hidden valleys and huge skies.

And in many places, considerably fewer people.

Market Weighton gives us a really accessible introduction to that landscape.

More East Yorkshire Walks

Our East Yorkshire collection is becoming increasingly varied.

We've explored Huggate and Welton Wold in the rolling Wolds.

We've walked the flatter countryside around Holme-on-Spalding-Moor.

We've discovered Skipsea close to the coast.

And Market Weighton gives us another gateway into the Wolds.

That's exactly what we want The White Shire to become – somewhere people can find one walk and then discover several more they hadn't previously considered.

Explore The White Shire's East Yorkshire Walks

You can also browse our growing collection from across the whole county.

Discover more Yorkshire Walks on The White Shire

Discovering the Real Yorkshire

Market Weighton fits perfectly with what we're trying to build through The White Shire.

It's not somewhere most people immediately mention when they're listing Yorkshire's biggest visitor attractions.

But go for a walk and we start discovering the stories.

There's the Yorkshire Wolds Way.

There's an old railway route.

There's an ancient Grade I listed church.

And there's William Bradley, the Yorkshire Giant, who became one of the most extraordinary characters in the town's history.

Surrounding everything are the rolling fields of the Yorkshire Wolds.

That's the real Yorkshire we're interested in.

Not simply the famous attractions, but the towns, villages, paths and stories sitting between them.

About Michael and Lyn

Michael and Lyn Palmer explore Yorkshire together on foot, personally walking, photographing and GPS recording the routes featured on The White Shire.

We're not professional hikers or historians.

We're simply a husband and wife who enjoy getting outside together, finding interesting places and learning more about Yorkshire as we go.

Our difficulty ratings are based on how we personally experienced each route.

Market Weighton Circular Walk – Our Verdict

We rate our Market Weighton Circular Walk as easy–moderate.

It's not particularly difficult, but the rolling countryside and natural paths give us a little more to think about than on our easiest routes.

For us, the real appeal is the combination of countryside and local history.

We're exploring the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, discovering connections with the Yorkshire Wolds Way and Hudson Way, and learning about characters such as William Bradley.

It's another good example of why we enjoy exploring East Yorkshire on foot.

Sometimes a place that initially looks like a straightforward market town turns out to have considerably more waiting for us once we start walking.

Another little part of the real Yorkshire discovered through The White Shire.