I walked the Cawood to Escrick section last August and the Escrick to Wheldrake section today (early April). There's a narrow footbridge and a kissing gate on the Cawood to Escrick section, sadly excluding some users....

Yorkie Christine

It takes the obvious route between Cawood and Tadcaster so would be hard to improve upon, and I would walk it again in the right weather conditions. To avoid this you can use the alternative suggested by the previous reviewer, which is slightly longer; if walking from Cawood, you can find it either by taking an earlier turning to the left off the B1223 into Chestnut Road then a right into Fostergate, or follow the original route to GR567380 where you can bear left instead of right to reach Fostergate Lane just as the tarmac runs out. Here I found the river Wharfe had burst its banks and flooded the footpath due to persistent heavy rain, so I re-crossed the stile and continued on the road to reach Ulleskelf, where I decided to end my walk for the day. Despite the map showing the route going straight on here, it’s necessary at this point to turn either left or right on the road then double back to climb the road behind the pub and cross the second railway line of the day (York to Leeds). Thirdly, just before Kirkby Wharfe it’s pointless following the zigzag marked on the route map to try to reach the river bank as there’s no gap, gate or stile in the fence at the end of the "zig"....

Yorkie Christine

I did this route in 2 parts, walking Cawood to Escrick at the end of August and Escrick to Wheldrake in early October. On reaching the site of the former Escrick station the route leaves the old railway line to join a road for about half a mile. At my speed it was about an hour of road walking like this, so it was a relief to get to the footpath sign and leave the road for the last section taking me over farmland to approach Wheldrake by its back lane. Added March 2024: I revisited Escrick last week to see if I could identify a better route between Escrick and Wheldrake which would avoid the road walking....

Yorkie Christine

I had difficulty finding route on the outskirts of Selby near a new housing development so ended up detouring via roads to rejoin path before crossing very muddy field. This was a good route but not so great when it's wet...

Philip Le Marquand

Some stretches alongside a road, but felt OK, road not too busy and a verge to jump on when cars do come by....

Andrew Gray

The section from Tadcaster to Ulleskelf is easy to follow along the bank of the Wharfe. Leaving Ulleskelf by the river, it would be easy to follow the well-walked flood bank rather than follow the public footpath, which is shorter and ends at a gate on the road, which was locked....

maryrat

This is a well thought out route that is easy to follow using a walking app....

Holly

The right of way between New House Farm and Wistow is not maintained and runs right across a field that is either planted right across with crops leaving no path or is a muddy rutted hellscape, depending on the time of year. Some other sections of the route between New House Farm and Selby are not well maintained and are in a poor state. The route between Wistow and Cawood is a good quality path....

Stephen Down

These include Cawood swing bridge which dates from 1872, Kelfield village with its Viking boat bench, the delightful village green at Stillingfleet, the York-Selby cycle track (formerly railway line) with its scale-model solar system, Bishopthorpe Palace (home of the Archbishops of York), York racecourse, the former Terry's chocolate factory and York's Millennium Bridge. There is also a path closure in York along Terry Avenue for flood defence works, so (walking north) you'll need to leave the route at the Millennium Bridge and make your way to York railway station along Bishopthorpe Road and Nunnery Lane, a less pleasant if slightly shorter way than staying by the riverside....

Yorkie Christine

Overall a good route - the footpath going out of Wistow off the road towards Selby goes straight over a field and has not been left marked by the farmer but following the farm track works fine....

TinaG

Other parts of the route didn’t seem to exist as accessible public rights of way or were visible but not passable....

erussell42

A bit difficult to navigate in some places because of wheat planted over the public right of way leaving quite a narrow path, and quite poor waymarking at other points. However, it is manageable, and it would be difficult to find a substantially better route between Cawood and York....

erussell42