Thixen Dale Loop: Hidden Valleys and Big Wold Views

The Yorkshire Wolds Way is famous for its sweeping dry valleys, yet the central area of the route is surrounded by equally fine scenery that the National Trail never reaches. In the spirit of Alfred Wainwright, all it takes is an OS map and a little imagination to create a circular day walk that blends the best sections of the trail with the surrounding landscapes it misses.

Key Facts Summary

  • Distance: 12 miles
  • Elevation: 518m
  • Start/Finish Options: Wayrham Picnic Area, Thixendale, Kirby Underdale
  • Pub Stop: Cross Keys Inn, Thixendale (reopened June 2026)
  • National Trail Sections: Includes Thixen Dale, one of my Top 10 Highlights
  • Maps Required: OS Explorer 294 (Yorkshire Wolds)
  • Suitable For: Confident walkers comfortable with dry‑valley navigation and chalk escarpments

Thixen Dale Loop OS Map Extract

OS map extract of the Thixen Dale Loop, highlighting the light‑blue Yorkshire Wolds Way and the dark‑blue circular route, which overlaps the National Trail along the dry‑valley section.
Map extract showing the Thixen Dale Loop, with the Yorkshire Wolds Way in light blue and my circular route in dark blue, overlapping where the loop follows the National Trail through one of the Wolds’ most scenic dry‑valley sections. ©Crown copyright 2026 Ordnance Survey. Media 003/26. 

Thixen Dale Loop Elevation Profile

Elevation profile of the Thixen Dale Loop showing dips into the dry valley, the steep Chalkland Way climb to Milham Dale, and the escarpment descent after Open Dale, displayed in feet and miles for a more dramatic appearance.
Elevation profile for the Thixen Dale Loop, showing the initial dip into Thixen Dale, the sharp rise on the Chalkland Way from Thixendale to Milham Dale, and the later descent after Open Dale and the chalk escarpment — all plotted in feet and miles, making the dry‑valley gradients appear steeper than they feel on the ground.

Watch The Thixen Dale Loop: Hidden Valleys and Big Wold Views

Parking Options

This 12‑mile circular includes one of my Top 10 Highlights of the Yorkshire Wolds Way — Thixen Dale — and remains one of my favourite places to walk and explore. Parking is available at Thixendale, Kirby Underdale or Wayrham Picnic Area, giving you flexibility in choosing where to begin and end the loop. Starting at Kirby Underdale or Wayrham Picnic Area also allows a break at the Cross Keys Inn, Thixendale, reopened under new ownership in June 2026. With a picnic mat or a grassy bank, there are multiple attractive places to pause in good weather.

Choosing Your Direction: Clockwise or Anticlockwise

I have no strong preference for walking the loop clockwise or anticlockwise — having completed it both ways, it’s remarkable how different the valleys feel in reverse. The description below begins at Wayrham Picnic Area and follows an anticlockwise circuit, offering long, flowing views down Wayrham Dale and the sweeping curves of Thixen Dale under open skies.

Wayrham Dale → Bradeham Dale

The walk begins with a gentle descent into Wayrham Dale, a narrow dry valley framed by a dark conifer plantation at its southern end. It’s a tributary of Bradeham Dale, a wide grassy valley where navigation is straightforward, though you should take care not to wander into one of the side‑valleys branching away from the main line.

Early descent into Wayrham Dale towards Bradeham Dale, showing the narrow dry valley and distant conifer plantation at the southern end.
Descending the first mile into Wayrham Dale, a narrow dry valley leading towards Bradeham Dale, with the dark conifer plantation visible at the southern end where the tributary meets the wider valley.

After half a mile of enjoyable walking, the dale opens out and leads naturally into Thixen Dale.

Thixen Dale → Thixendale Village

Trail junctions appear frequently here, but if you’re following this route, simply join the Wolds Way and stay on the lower path, heading north towards Thixendale.

Trail junction in Thixen Dale showing the lower Yorkshire Wolds Way path heading north to Thixendale and the steeper right‑hand track rising east to Fridaythorpe.
Trail junction in Thixen Dale where the lower path continues north on the Yorkshire Wolds Way towards Thixendale, while the right‑hand track climbs east towards Fridaythorpe.

In fine weather the dry valleys look magnificent — long green curves under bright skies, with tall trees offering pockets of shade and sheep grazing quietly on the slopes.

Optional Detour to the Robert Fuller Gallery

Thixen Dale continues for miles, all the way to the village and then west beyond it. At the road, follow it northeast. There’s a short detour to the Robert Fuller Gallery (¼ mile west), and the road walking itself is quick and quiet.

Wide farmland views in Thixen Dale as the valley broadens before the road, marking the quiet northeast turn towards Thixendale and the optional detour to the Robert Fuller Gallery.
The widening curves of Thixen Dale as the dry valley opens into surrounding farmland on the final approach to the road, where walkers turn northeast towards Thixendale or take the short detour to the Robert Fuller Gallery.

For opening times, exhibitions and wildlife art, see the Robert Fuller Gallery website.

Break at the Cross Keys Inn, Thixendale

Thixendale is a small, attractive village. With the Cross Keys now open again, we received a warm welcome, stopping for a drink and admiring the framed Wolds Way poster on the wall — though as the landlord agreed, the landscape looks more like the Yorkshire Dales in that particular illustration.

Framed Yorkshire Wolds Way poster on the wall of the Cross Keys Inn in Thixendale, showing an illustration that resembles the Yorkshire Dales more than the surrounding Wolds.
Framed Yorkshire Wolds Way poster inside the Cross Keys Inn at Thixendale.

For current menus, room availability and seasonal opening hours, visit the Cross Keys Inn, Thixendale page.

Thixendale → Milham Dale via The Chalkland Way

Heading west out of Thixendale, follow the Wolds Way briefly before leaving it as it climbs towards Valley Pasture Dale and the highest point on the entire 79‑mile trail. If you want to explore that section, it’s covered in both my Top 10 Highlights of the Wolds Way and my Wharram Percy Circular Walk.

Instead, continue west along Thixen Dale via the Chalkland Way, an enjoyable 1.75‑mile stretch through Milham Dale and Thixen Dale. To the west, the Chalkland Way exits Milham Dale at a quiet Roman road.

Sheep ahead on the westward continuation of Thixen Dale, where the path leaves the Yorkshire Wolds Way and follows the Chalkland Way through Milham Dale towards the Roman road.
Sheep on the track as Thixen Dale continues west beyond the village, where the route leaves the Yorkshire Wolds Way to join the Chalkland Way towards Milham Dale and the quiet Roman road to the west.

Down Open Dale and the Chalk Escarpment

Turn south and follow the road along a wide grassy verge for 0.4 miles before leaving any traffic behind, taking a poorly signposted trail southwest down the chalk escarpment towards Kirby Underdale. The views here are far‑reaching and varied — rolling farmland, deep valleys and long horizons — and we’ve seen some glorious sunsets from this barely trodden section across Open Dale.

Winter sunset across Open Dale on the chalk escarpment approach to Kirby Underdale, showing the rolling farmland and far‑reaching views typical of this quiet Chalkland Way section.
Winter sunset over Open Dale from the quiet chalk escarpment descent towards Kirby Underdale.

Passing the Slopes of Cheesecake Wold

From Kirby Underdale, the easiest route is to continue south past the gloriously named Cheesecake Wold, ascending around 130m.

Cheesecake Wold → Worsen Dale

If you can resist the temptation to shortcut along the A166, cross the road and follow Worsendale Road briefly southwards before taking a parallel trail above Worsen Dale. The view into the dale and the descent towards Bishop Wilton are memorable — a classic chalk‑land panorama of sweeping slopes and quiet farmland.

Turn east after a third of a mile, regaining some of the height you’ve just lost, before crossing the road and following a gravel lane down into Deep Dale.

Deep Dale → Wayrham Picnic Area

Deep Dale is a rarely frequented yet beautiful dry valley — one I only discovered by creating my own route, and have since walked five or six times. The final spike on the elevation profile comes here: the trail descends to the valley floor before a steep ascent with no switchbacks. If you’re unlucky, there may be cows in the field — dodge them, then follow the trail past another conifer plantation to a second quiet Roman road.

Curving dry‑valley scenery in Deep Dale showing the drop to the valley floor and the steep, switchback‑free ascent east on my Thixen Dale Loop, with farmland, cows and a conifer plantation on the approach to the Roman road.
The tight, sweeping curves of Deep Dale after the steep descent and immediate ascent east out of the dry valley, a quiet section of my own Thixen Dale Loop where the trail climbs sharply with no switchbacks before passing a conifer plantation towards the second Roman road.

The road walking northwards is painless, and soon enough there’s a right turn leading across sheep fields to complete the loop back to Wayrham Picnic Area.

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