Date: Sunday 14th October 2012
Walk Leaders: Martin and Jenny Jarred (Phone: 01904
636639)
Start: 10:00am. Meet in Fairburn Ings RSPB car park, Newton Road, near Ledston,
Castleford, West Yorkshire (parking costs £2.50. Tickets available in visitor
centre. Note the car park closes at 4pm in October)
Distance: Approx 8 miles (about 4 hours)
Level of difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Toilets: In RSPB visitor centre at start/end of walk
Refreshments: Sandwiches, ice creams, sweets etc available at The RSPB visitor centre.
Hot and cold drinks from dispensing machine. There is indoor and outdoor
seating. Horseshoe pub in Fairburn village.
The walk: This walk starts
from the RSPB reserve, heads around its southern perimeter alongside the River
Aire to Ledston Ings and back through the reserve, passing on a path near reed
beds and across fields. We should see plenty of birdlife, so binoculars would
be useful. After crossing a minor road we head along a track to Newton Lane
where we briefly drop down along the road before turning into Newfield Lane.
This is a track which takes us along the edge of a wood and across fields to
the picturesque village of Ledsham (not be be confused with near-by Ledston).
From Ledsham we take a path across meadows and fields along Lambkin Hill
down to Fairburn where we take the two-mile Riverbank Trail back to the RSPB
visitor centre.
To get to Fairburn Ings from York take the A64 and join the A1(M). Take
exit 42 and briefly pick up the A63 before joining the A1246. There should be
brown direction signs to Fairburn Ings. At a roundabout on the edge of Fairburn
village turn right, then left down Gauk Street and right at the next junction.
Go along Caudle Hill and out through the village towards Newton. There is a
large lake on the left and at the end of the lake is the entrance to the RSPB
car park and reserve.
The walk is generally flat, particularly around the RSPB reserve. For
keen twitchers there should be an opportunity to explore more of the reserve
after the walk.
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