Get Lost Mountaineering

Walk 6 Old Wood W & SW including weaving path

Start/Finish

The end of Wood Bank, a minor road. From Skellingthorpe Co-Op, take the road towards Saxilby but soon turn left, on a right hand bend, onto Woodbank and follow it to its end near a pillar box where there is space for a few cars.

Distance/Time

4 km/2.5 miles      About an hour

Introduction

Skellingthorpe Old Wood is one of the largest woodlands in the area and is relatively quiet to walk around. It contains a mixture of good tracks, boggy tracks and many footpaths. Boots are needed and gaiters after wet weather. The wood is very natural and, in March, white wood anemones abound. There is much to explore in this wood. The weaving path used on this walk is on eof the most attractive paths in the wood but can be boggy.

Route

(1) Fork right at the pillar box and walk up the rough road past some houses, including one called Blenheim, to reach a five way junction of mainly bridleways where there is a signpost. Go left, not the reverse left fork, and head towards Wood House on a decent track. Continue past the house. Ignore the two paths going off and stay with the track to reach a T junction. Go straight on, on another track, to reach a crossroads where there is a picnic site under the trees on the right. Left and right are major tracks but go across to take the grassy path. Just to the left of the start of this path is a fence post with a carving of a bird of prey on it. Follow the footpath to soon reach a junction where a sign says go left. Continue on left path, sometimes muddy, to reach the edge of the wood on its western side.

(2) Turn left and follow a path close to the edge of the wood. Soon reach a wooden bridge on the right which is for a path to Carr Farm. Do not cross the bridge but continue along the path close to the edge of the wood. About 200 m further is an obvious path going back into the wood but continue past it. Further on, the path bends to the left with another bridge on the right and a diagonal path forks left from the corner. Take this diagonal path, muddy in places, and follow it until it meets a major track. Turn right and follow the major track to a crossroads. The major track goes left, there is a footpath ahead and the right turn is where the other path from the bridge corner comes out. Stay with the major track (left). Follow it to where it bends left and a minor track goes straight ahead. Take the minor track. Reach a crossroads where the minor track continues ahead and back to the start, a path goes right to meet the sustrans track at the arch but this route goes left on a delightful weaving path into the wood. Follow this through the wood to emerge on a major track which is the one from Old Wood House used earlier. Turn right and follow the track past Old Wood House back to the five way junction.

(3) Take the reverse right fork from the five way junction. Follow the path, muddy in places, to rejoin the minor track left earlier to join the weaving path. Turn left and soon reach a vehicle access track. Pass some houses and soon reach the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place in April, 2020.