The Castle Inn

The Wolsey Walk, Cawood

A five-mile circuit of the village and its rivers taking in the Ouse bank, the confluence with the Wharfe and the western boundary of the twelve-acre Castle Garth, from which the gatehouse and banqueting hall of Cawood Castle show through the trees; two to two and a half hours and not strenuous, though the going includes two stiles and four footbridges. Start on Old Road beside the Ouse near Cawood swing bridge, where there is roadside parking, and the number 42 bus from York and Selby stops in the village. The riverbank offers dogs plenty of water, the quiet lanes and arable tracks take a loose dog well, but the two stiles will need a lift for a big one and stock is grazed on some of the riverside fields; parts of the route go properly muddy after rain, so boots rather than trainers.