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Wild Yorkshire Way
Offa's Dyke Walk

Using the Website

Exploring the Route The Wild Yorkshire Way is a long walk, make no mistake. I can't imagine anyone doing it in one go, but if anyone does, please let me know as there will be significant quantities of beer involved.

On the Route page you can explore the entire route, which is divided up into a suggested programme of 38 days. Of course, you can change this to suit yourself and your level of fitness or the weather, or indeed if you decide to stay a night or two longer at a pub on the way. At the head of the page is a useful graphic showing an elevation map of the entire route, with national parks and trails identified, and selected landmarks/summits identified. Click/tap/hover over a landmark to see where it is and its height above sea level.

For each day, you will see a brief summary, with suggested start and finish points and distances. Click/tap on either the photo or the Details button to see a comprehensive description of the route, with an OS map, pubs, possible accommodation options, roads and public transport connections. You can also view my photo gallery for the stage, and download a GPX file for your sat nav if you're using one. You can scroll forwards and backwards through the days using the arrow buttons at the top of the Walk Stage Description

The OS Mapping System When you access the 'Map' page from the main menu, you can see the Wild Yorkshire Route plotted on a map using the wonderful Ordnance Survey Data Hub mapping facilities, which provides limited free of charge access for non-commercial use. You can zoom the map with a mouse, using click and drag to pan the map, and the mouse wheel to change the zoom level. On a touch screen, touch and drag to pan the map, and use 2 fingers to zoom in or out. At the top you can click Peaks and/or Features to show markers on the map corresponding to summits, roads, suggested over night stops and other features. You can also click anywhere on the map to show the latitude and longitude coordinates of a point together with its altitude. The main Wild Yorkshire Way route is shown in brown, and alternatives (where present) in purple.

From the main menu, you can also choose 'My Walk Maps' which will then show a list of some of my recent walks which I've mapped. If I've completed a walk, the route will be shown in cyan (light blue to you and me!), otherwise in brown. If I'm currently in the middle of a walk, the completed section will be in cyan, and the route ahead of me will be shown in brown. A green or grey marker indicates (roughly, subject to internet and satellite signals) my current position. For some walks you will see various markers identifying points of interest along the walk, including some photos.

Just a quick word on the map coverage. When you access the map from one of the Route Stages, the map will be centred at the start point of the day's walk you have selected. The main route is shown in brown on the map, but in some wilder areas I've recommended alternative routes which are shown in magenta (or purple!). The map can be zoomed in to show the OS 1:50000 and 1:25000 outdoor leisure maps, but the number of free views is limited by Ordnance Survey as these maps are a paid-for service. If you can't zoom in to the 1:50000 or 1:25000 maps, that means that you (or someone else) has used up the available free views for the current month, so you'll have to wait until the next month to get free access. For this reason, and also because the maps won't work if you don't have an internet connection, please don't rely on them for navigation out on a walk.

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2024. UK elevation data kindly provided free of charge by Sonny, thank you!

Rarely Asked Questions? I frequently get asked 'What is a Rarely Asked Question?' Well, Rarely Asked Questions are obviously far more interesting than the more usual Frequently Asked ones, so I've concentrated on them to make the site far more exciting.

Why a 10M photo upload limit? There has to be a limit, both to save your data allowance and also to avoid using up too much space on my server. If there were no limit, and you were a dodgy user, you could soon clog up my site by uploading huge files, so the limit is 10M. If you want to send me larger files, just get in touch via the feedback form and I'll get back to you.

Why enter 'Yorkshire' when sending feedback? This is to prove you're a real person, and not an automated robot trying to spam or hack my site - simply type 'Yorkshire' in this box to enable the feedback.

Why no accommodation guide? This is intentional, as accommodation changes frequently and it would be almost impossible for me to keep up. There are several good websites available these days where accommodation can be booked online, although this can sometimes be tricky if you are in weak signal areas. A word of warning - we are all aware that pubs are closing down at an alarming rate these days, and the mapmakers at Ordnance Survey have an impossible task keeping up. If you see an inviting 'PH' symbol on an OS map, either on paper or on my site, do not rely on it, unless you know for sure that it is there, or you've called them to confirm. For example, on the OS map there's still a pub marked at Fridaythorpe on my route, but it's been closed for years. Be warned!

How do I cut my pack weight? I often carry a tent and camping equipment so I can be flexible in terms of overnight stops, but wild camping is not for everyone, and camping equipment is heavy. I use many techniques for reducing weight, the most obvious one is to simply take less stuff with you. You can read some of my views on reducing pack weight here. I also often use taxis and local bus services so I can stay several nights at the same place on a walk, and sometimes pubs and B & Bs may offer lifts to you so you can leave much of your gear in your room. They benefit if you spend 2 or 3 evenings enjoying their hospitality, so don't be afraid to ask.

Why do I see stuff about Barnsley FC on here? Very simple, because I'm a fan and I have been for 50 odd years. However, other football clubs are available!

Why is my question not included here? Because you've not yet got round to using the send feedback form to send me your question. I'll try to answer it as best I can and include it on here, if it's interesting enough. Don't worry, it will be.

Legal stuff You really should read this, although I know you probably won't... but anyway, welcome to the Wild Yorkshire Way website. If you continue to browse and use this website, this means you agree with the following terms and conditions: -

General: This is a non-commercial private website and is not connected with any company, and is for your personal enjoyment and for general information only.

The content, layout and functions of the website are subject to change without notice, and no warranties whatsoever are provided or implied regarding the accuracy, completeness, usability, suitability of the content on the website.

This website may contain links to other websites, which may have their own terms and conditions, and this website accepts no responsibility for the content of any external linked websites.

If, as a result of the information on this website, you decide to take part in any outdoor activities, including walking, hiking or camping, whether on the Wild Yorkshire Way or not, you do so at your own risk and you accept responsibility for your own safety and navigation on your trip.

The Route shown on this website makes use of public rights of way and/or permissive paths as far as possible, but in some of the wilder regions the route is pathless or uses undocumented paths which may or may not be visible on the ground. No responsibility is accepted if access to you on any part of the route is barred by the landowner for whatever reason. Please note that wild camping is not legally permitted anywhere on the route, and you should obtain permission if you intend to camp.

Copyright: Except as below, the entire content of this website, including photos and any scripts or software, is Copyright © 2013 - 2024 Ian Fletcher. You are free to use any of the photos in the Gallery for any reasonable and lawful purpose, provided you acknowledge this website as the source. You may not use any software, including JavaScript functions, HTML/PHP/CSS files or any other information on the website.

The mapping on this website uses the OS Data Hub which contains a mixture of free and paid-for mapping. The availability of free mapping depends on the number of visits to the mapping by all users of this website, and may be stopped, throttled or limited once the limit is reached. The free limit is reset at the start of each month, but no guarantee of the availability of any particular map is provided. If you need permanent access to OS maps, we recommend you subscribe to their OS Maps premium service.

Mapping contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2024. UK elevation data kindly provided free of charge by Sonny, thank you!

Technical: This website uses JavaScript, which must be enabled in your browser to use some of the functions on the website. If you decide to disable JavaScript in your browser, you will not be able to use the website.

The map pages optionally make use of the Geolocation function (if available), including GPS, in your computer, laptop, tablet or phone. If you decide to turn off Geolocation, you can still use the map, but your current location will not be shown.

Privacy: This website uses cookies for authorised users (like me!), and the OS mapping system uses its own cookies over which we have no control. If you do not attempt to login as an authorised user, and you don't use the OS mapping system, no cookies will be stored on your device. Data about you may be stored as follows: -

If you use the Contact page on this website, the information you enter there, including any pictures you upload, will be stored and may be used on the website. If you upload a photo, you agree to this photo being used and you confirm that any persons who are recognisable in the photo agree with its use. If you do not wish a photo or any other information to be used, you should either not upload it, or include a message asking for it to be kept private.

Each time you visit this website, including switching from page to page within the site, your IP address and other non-personal information is recorded in a log file for analysis. This log file is stored in a location on the website server which is only accessible by me. No personal information whatsoever is stored on this file, and it will not be released to any other party under any circumstances.

Beer: Just to see if anyone actually reads this stuff, if you get this far you deserve a beer. Let me know using the feedback form when you're on the Wild Yorkshire Way and, depending on where you are, I'll try to arrange it if I'm about. You'll have to get the next one though...