Welton Loop Walk

Michael Palmer
Apr 9, 2023
6 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Welton Loop Walk – 6.2 Easy Miles Through the Yorkshire Wolds

Our 6.2-mile Welton Loop Walk is one of our longer easy walks, taking us from the attractive East Yorkshire village of Welton into the rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Lyn and I personally walked, photographed and GPS recorded this route for The White Shire.

We rate the walk as easy.

Although 6.2 miles is a decent distance, we didn't find the overall route particularly demanding. It's a good example of why mileage alone doesn't determine how difficult we rate a walk.

What we particularly enjoy about Welton is the mixture of village, woodland, valleys and open Wolds countryside.

There's also a rather unexpected connection with one of Britain's most notorious highwaymen.

Explore more East Yorkshire Walks on The White Shire

Welton Loop Walk at a Glance

Distance: 6.2 miles

Route type: Loop

Difficulty: Easy – based on our experience

Location: Welton

County: East Riding of Yorkshire

Area: Yorkshire Wolds

Nearby: Brough, Elloughton, South Cave and the Humber

Terrain: Village paths, countryside tracks, woodland and Wolds paths

Highlights: Welton village, Yorkshire Wolds scenery, wooded valleys and local history

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

Our 6.2-Mile Welton Walk

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

At 6.2 miles, it's longer than many of the easy routes we've featured on The White Shire, but we didn't find the terrain particularly strenuous.

That makes it a good choice when we want to increase the mileage without taking on a genuinely difficult route.

The landscape also changes enough to keep things interesting.

We've got an attractive village at the beginning and end, with countryside and the distinctive valleys of the Yorkshire Wolds in between.

Starting in Welton

Welton sits at the southern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, close to Brough and the Humber.

It's a particularly attractive village, with a green, beck and historic church at its centre.

The village has been here for a very long time.

Welton appears in the Domesday Book, and the history of St Helen's Church suggests the community's story stretches back around a thousand years. (Welton Memorial Hall)

That's something we increasingly enjoy about starting walks in Yorkshire villages.

Before we've even left for the countryside, there's usually a story waiting for us.

Into the Yorkshire Wolds

Leaving Welton takes us into a landscape quite different from many of our Yorkshire walks.

The Yorkshire Wolds are rolling chalk hills cut by distinctive valleys.

They don't have the rugged mountains of the Dales, but that's part of their attraction.

The official Yorkshire Wolds Way describes this as tranquil, gentle countryside with wooded slopes, dry valleys and open hilltops. The National Trail itself has very few serious hills. (National Trail)

We think that's a good description of why this area works so well for easier countryside walking.

We still get hills and views, but without needing to tackle anything extreme.

Discover the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail

Welton Dale and the Wooded Valleys

One of the things that makes walking around Welton particularly enjoyable is the combination of open countryside and more sheltered valleys.

The official National Trails Welton walk heads from the village through a wooded valley on the Yorkshire Wolds Way before returning through another parallel valley. (National Trail)

Our White Shire loop is our own longer GPS-recorded route, but we're enjoying the same characteristic landscape.

Woodland changes the atmosphere completely.

One minute we've got the openness of the Wolds, and the next we're walking beneath the trees.

In spring, these wooded areas can be particularly attractive when the wildflowers appear. (National Trail)

Why We Rate the Welton Loop Easy

Our difficulty ratings are based on how Lyn and I personally experienced each route.

We rate Welton as easy.

The main thing to consider is the distance.

At 6.2 miles, this is obviously a longer outing than one of our three or four-mile easy walks.

But we didn't find the overall terrain particularly demanding.

The wider Wolds landscape is gently rolling rather than mountainous, and the official National Trails information similarly describes the area around Welton as suitable for relatively accessible walking. (National Trail)

We'd still wear decent walking footwear.

National Trails specifically warns that wooded sections around Welton can become muddy in wet weather. (National Trail)

St Helen's Church

Back in Welton, one of the village's main landmarks is St Helen's Church.

Historic England lists the church at Grade II* and records 15th-century fabric with earlier origins. Much of the building was reconstructed by the celebrated Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1862–63, incorporating surviving older material. (Historic England)

The church's own history suggests a church may have stood here for around 900 years, with medieval features surviving despite the substantial Victorian rebuilding. (St. Helen's Church)

It's another reminder that we're walking through a community with a much longer history than we might initially realise.

Historic England – St Helen's Church, Welton

Dick Turpin and the Green Dragon

Welton also has a much more colourful historical connection.

The Green Dragon Inn is associated with the capture of notorious highwayman Dick Turpin.

Turpin had been living under the assumed name John Palmer. According to the National Trails account, his true identity was revealed after his former schoolmaster recognised his handwriting. (National Trail)

Turpin was subsequently executed at York in 1739.

It's a great Yorkshire story, and certainly not something we'd necessarily expect to discover when setting off for a quiet walk through the Wolds.

That's exactly why we enjoy looking into the places surrounding our routes.

Walking Through a Working Landscape

Once we're out of the village, much of the countryside we're crossing is working agricultural land.

The fields, tracks and boundaries aren't simply there for walkers to enjoy.

They're part of people's livelihoods.

We stick to recognised paths, respect crops and livestock and leave gates as we find them.

We think that's particularly important as The White Shire encourages more people to explore Yorkshire on foot.

Finding the real Yorkshire also means respecting the people who live and work within it.

Is the Welton Loop Suitable for Beginners?

Based on our experience, we'd consider the terrain approachable, but the 6.2-mile distance needs taking into account.

If you're already comfortable walking five or six miles, we think this is a good easy route.

If you're completely new to countryside walking, you might prefer to start with something shorter.

There is actually an official 3.2-mile National Trails walk from Welton which is designed to be accessible for most people and could provide an alternative introduction to the area. (National Trail)

Our White Shire route gives us a longer day out while retaining the generally easy character of the landscape.

How Long is the Welton Loop Walk?

Our GPS-recorded Welton Loop measures 6.2 miles.

I've checked this against The White Shire's East Yorkshire Walks collection, where the same 6.2-mile distance is shown. (The White Shire)

How long you'll need depends on your pace.

Lyn and I aren't racing around our routes.

We're taking photographs, looking at the landscape and stopping when something catches our attention.

At just over six miles, we'd allow ourselves plenty of time and enjoy the walk rather than treating the mileage as a target to beat.

More East Yorkshire Walks

Welton is becoming particularly interesting for The White Shire because we've now got more than one route in the area.

Our shorter 4.23-mile Welton Wold Circular explores another part of the surrounding Wolds landscape, while this 6.2-mile loop gives us a longer option. (The White Shire)

That's exactly how we want the website to develop.

If somebody enjoys this walk, we want them to find another nearby route without needing to leave The White Shire and start searching again.

Explore our East Yorkshire Walks

And we've got plenty more routes across West, North, East and South Yorkshire.

Browse The White Shire's Yorkshire Walks

Discovering the Real Yorkshire

Welton is exactly the sort of place that fits the direction we're taking The White Shire.

It's picturesque, but it isn't one of Yorkshire's massively promoted tourist destinations.

Instead, we find an old village, a historic church, wooded valleys and rolling Wolds countryside.

Then we discover a connection with Dick Turpin.

That's what we enjoy.

We set off for a walk and end up finding stories we didn't expect.

The Yorkshire Wolds themselves are becoming one of our favourite examples of this quieter Yorkshire.

They don't shout for attention.

But once we start walking through the valleys and over the rolling countryside, we realise just how much there is to explore.

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, discovering interesting places and learning more about Yorkshire as we go.

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