Nun Monkton

Nun Monkton makes for a festive family walk near York. The first thing to catch the eye is the mega maypole on the village green, but that's for the spring.

A flight of ducks homed in on the village pond as we set off on a rapid mile or so with nothing to challenge us navigationally, plus - no quagmires, no barbed wire and on the flat.

There were ponies, sprouts, sheep, a sparrow hawk watched from a wood, a stoat nipped across the track and blackbirds did their dipping flight from berried hedge to berried hedge.

Sloes, as in gin, hung heavy on the bushes. Willows have aspirin in their bark. Free-range hens speckled a pasture and emitted a diffused and pleasant soft clucking.

By now childhood attention spans might have stretched to boredom point, and your ability to field natural history questions might be exhausted. Help is at hand; the walk takes a diverting boost at the River Ouse with boats and the spectacular weir.

The weir was sound and fury, the steps next to it that the water ricochets down is a fish ladder, not as in a Guinness advert. Tide marks show how potent this river can be and the floodbank is not high, more a ripple in the pasture There's a good chance you'll see water birds; a grey heron lifted on lazy wings, ducks pottered.

We came round a curve to see a flock of Canada geese cruising peacefully in mid river. Like the great white hunter I readied to approach with camera. My navigator said: "won't you frighten them?", "No," I hissed. "They are very calm birds," - which they normally are.

Perhaps it was seasonal nerves but after one snap they freaked and blasted off, a dozen upstream a dozen down. I felt guilty, but it's not the season for that.

In fact the variously spiritual might enjoy this walk. Christians will be encouraged by the elegant flying buttressed spire of All Saints at Newton-on-Ouse. Eastern mystics will draw energy from walking as we do with the flow of the great river. Pagans have all the nature and the aforementioned maypole.

Later on, there were inquisitive mute swans out for a family float, mum and similar dad and two full-sized mottled youngsters.

Across the other side of the river is the parkland of Beningbrough Hall where squirrels leapt from top to top in the specimen trees. And we'd got back to Nun Monkton.

Whatever your persuasion, do have a look in St Mary's for, according to Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the finest stained glass in the West Riding'.

It's by William Morris, all chiselled chins, lovely loose locks and energising foliage.

Directions

When in doubt look at the map.

Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. From pub, left to road, pass pond. Cattlegrid/white gate on right to drive between houses (signed), 50 yards, fenced path on left (waymark), stile, footbridge, left across field to stile/fieldgate (waymark), left to farm road.

2. Right at road junction, becomes track after farm.

3. Right at T-junction (fingerpost), 100 yards, track on left (signed Marina).

4. Track on right before house (arrow), gate to floodbank then riverside path.

5. Gate to path at trees behind houses, gate to path by fence, gate/cattlegrid on left to drive.

6. At T-junction, left for church and confluence of rivers or right to village.

Fact file

Distance: Four and a half miles.

Time: Two or three hours.

General location: York.

Start: Nun Monkton.

Right of way: Public and permissive.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorers 290 and 299.

Dogs: Legal.

Date walked: December 2006.

Road route: From York outer ring road, A59, 5 miles, right turn just after garage, signed, 2 miles.

Car parking: Roadside in Nun Monkton.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: The Alice Hawthorn pub.

Tourist and public transport information: York TIC 01904 621756.

Terrain: Riverside and tracks.

Points of interest: The weeping beech tree at St Mary's Church.

Difficulty: Easy.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Map of the walk>>