Yorhax two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 91.67% of reviewers

Walked Haxby to York, warm dry summer day.
Very enjoyable walk, mostly alongside the river Foss. The path was dry and for the most part clear.
As I approached York the river became more canalised, and for one section the path becomes extremely narrow, with a steep drop to one side and vegetation crowding in on the other side. I didn’t think this was very safe, maybe the ‘fairy trail’ on the other bank would be a better choice?
Sadly the Foss was very low with a lot of bright green weed, I hope it can get its health back.
The approach into York centre through Monk bar and past the Minster is magnificent.

Some steps and narrow paths. Possible cows in the river meadows, although they were somewhere else when I went through.

Enjoyed refreshments at the Hound Lounge, about half way. Plenty of drop out options at bus stops on both the New Earswick and Huntington sides of the river.

Dropped a star for the narrow path section, but otherwise a superb walk.

A very pleasant, flat walk from the centre of York, taking in some of the sights of the city (e.g. the Minster) before heading into lovely English countryside following the River Foss out to the village of Haxby. The paths and trails along the walk are typically well defined, though not always fully accessible for all due to steps, gates and tight paths.

We took a slight detour from the route by not crossing to the west bank at Earswick village but continuing the path along the east bank, taking us through a picturesque field (with gently grazing cattle for company) before following the field perimeter to rejoin the route at Landing Lane.

The walk back into York was simply via the footpaths and signs along the main road back which was very direct and therefore quicker but whenever you have the time to enjoy York’s beautiful riverside scenery then Yorhax Two is definitely recommended.

I'd arrived in Haxby by following Shihax One from Shipton, and after a quick lunch I was ready to continue to York. The roadside greens in Haxby were covered in pink cherry blossom as I walked out of the village. After crossing a railway I turned right along Landing Lane, then left it at the first opportunity to follow paths alongside the River Foss. I know this river from many visits to York, where it's quite substantial, but I was surprised at how small it was out in the countryside.

The riverside path has every type of surface... gravel, tarmac, grass, paved, concrete, and of course some stretches will be muddy after a lot of rain, but that wasn't a problem when I was there. Throughout this walk, you'll always be close to built-up areas, but on the plus side there are always green spaces and trees in abundance. When I saw how busy the Ring Road was as I passed beneath it, I was glad I hadn't chosen Yorhax One.

You need to be aware which bridges you need to cross over the river, and which bridges to avoid, so keep an eye on the map as you walk. Some paths are very tightly fenced, while other paths pass through huge riverside meadows. Roads are only rarely followed on this walk, notably at New Earswick, and later at a bridge that you can't go under, where you have to cross the busy Huntingdon Road on top instead. However, it's wonderful how this walk is able to avoid so many roads in such a built-up area.

In the end, you have to leave the riverside and walk straight through the centre of York. This involves going through Monk Bar and passing York Minster. By all means get distracted and go exploring the sights. I'd already made a circuit of the city walls the previous day, so I kept on course. The fine detail of the Slow Way showed it following Station Road to the railway station, and instead I hopped onto the city wall to get there, avoiding all the traffic.

A lovely walk, suitable for walkers, with only a few short stretches available to cyclists.

A lovely route. I walked it from York to Haxby. An easy route to follow. The roads in the city are all paved. After passing the Minster you are soon on the the path on the west side of the Foss.I stayed on the west bank almost all the way until there is a short section where you cross a footbridge at Earswick and then recross a little further north and on to Landing Lane which takes you to Station Road (also paved) where you turn left in Haxby. Much of the route along the Foss is on a grassed and worn path, which may be muddy after wet weather. There was also a section in York, which required steps to cross the road.

Walked this route starting in Haxby and it was a lovely route back into York. A large part of the path was paved or well used and very easy to navigate. There was a boggy section which proved a little slippery but this was probably due to rainy weather the day before.

There were a couple of small bridges to cross which would be unsuitable for pushchairs or those with mobility issues. A small part of the route was on a small path very close to the river which could be a safety problem, had to be careful of your step.

On the whole this was a great route and I would recommend.

An enjoyable walk from York city centre, easy to follow.
It mostly tracks the river Foss to Haxby, passing through New Earswick and Huntington. The route was on a clear path, this may get muddy in parts in bad weather. The paths are well kept and along the walk we met people who were litter picking and another group who were clearing overgrown nettles/weeds.
Please note that just before and after Huntington church there were livestock in the fields (cows and sheep), these may potentially block the path at times!
Overall, this is a good walk for all ages and abilities and buses run regularly from Haxby back into York for the return journey.

A very similar route to Yorhax one but with the exclusion of the busy road crossing, it makes for a much safer walk. It is an enjoyable route that brings you through nice fields and stretches of the river. A bit overgrown in places but nothing too major.

A very nice walk and a great improvement on YorHax One through skipping the busy road. Some areas of overgrown nettles, but easy to avoid with a bit of attention. Well trod paths that were easy to follow, with great scenery including along the riverside.

This was mostly a very nice route through the centre of York and along the Foss to Haxby. There was one short section that was very overgrown which meant the path narrowed a lot right next to the river bank (potentially treacherous on a wet day)

From Huntington onwards the route was plenty wide enough with a nice section through a field just after New Earswick.

Route map was easy to follow. I downloaded the GPX file and loaded it into Samsung Health on my phone (as the SlowWays app wasn't available on Android). I found this was less draining on my battery than my colleague who used the SlowWays app on an iPhone.

A very nice walk at dry time of year.

A lot of the route runs alongside the Foss, much of which is very pleasant.

Some stretches a little overgrown, resulting in some nettle stings and bramble scratches.

I can imagine that at a rainy time of year, the riverside track might be muddy, and thus rather difficult to traverse- possibly even dangerous.

This route preferrable to Yorhax one as it avoids the busy road crossing.

One of my favourite local Slow Ways, and worthy of a summer review to complement my spring walk last year. Once again I walked south to north. This time I found early parts of the riverside section bordered by tall vegetation which narrowed the path somewhat, and had to watch my step here as the ground is uneven underfoot and the drop-off into the water quite close! This was the only difficulty I encountered, however, and further on it was clear that some vegetation clearance had been done to make the path more accessible.

As it was a hot day I was glad of the benches to be found in various shady spots along the way. The birdsong was delightful and it was encouraging to see the efforts of the River Foss Society to enhance this lovely stretch of river.

For a welcome halfway rest I patronised the Hound Lounge in New Earswick. The final destination Haxby is well served by frequent buses back into York.

I'm giving this route 5 stars as it has all the good things about Yorhax one but without the unsafe road crossing. Walking through the historic centre of York is always awe-inspiring, and meandering alongside the River Foss is delightful as it is a lovely wildlife corridor. The route passes through the Quaker village of New Earswick (where there are shops and bus stops) and then past Huntington church with its peaceful churchyard. I'd definitely walk this route again and recommend it to others.

Its only downside (but not enough to drop a star in my opinion) is that the riverside footpaths can be muddy/slippy in places, and the lowest parts of the route are subject to flooding when the river is high. After heavy or prolonged rain it will be worth checking river levels before setting out.

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