Broomfleet from Faxfleet.
Distance: 7¾ miles
Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Grade: Easy
Map: OS Explorer 291 - Goole & Gilberdyke
Walk summary
This is an easy unchallenging picturesque 7.5 mile walk with a variety of flora, birds and insects that inhabit the waterways and arable farmland of this Howdenshire landscape. The pathways are a well defined mix of grassy footpaths and very quiet tarmac roads, some with no vehicle access.
The walk starts at the eastern edge of Faxfleet, at Trent falls (there is no actual falls to speak of) where the River Trent and the River Ouse merge to become the Humber Estuary. The trail follows the top of the defence mound and the adjacent reed bed along the mud flats, before arriving at Weighton Lock. This is a protected area for a variety of bird and insect habitats. From Weighton Lock, the trail follows part way along the Market Weight Canal, these grassy paths can be muddy when wet. The trail passes through the farmland where occasionally deer can be found roaming. The trail leaves the canal at Landing Lane, passing the private and members only Blue Lagoon fishing pond. Then cuts in to the village of Broomfleet before circling the village to the north, crossing farmland, and heads south along The Groves, then turns right to head west, passing Broomfleet Hope with views over Broomfleet Island and the Humber Estuary and on to Weighton Lock and back to the start.
Faxfleet is a remote village between Blacktoft and Broomfleet. In the 12 century it served as a community of the Knights Templar, the preceptory was one of the most important in the country. In 1290 Geoffrey Jolif was preceptor, or commander, of the Knights Templar until 1301. The preceptory was closed in 1308. In the early 19th century there were 160 inhabitants, dispersed around the main occupations of farming, brick and tile makers. Today the habitation and occupation are farms dispersed around the area.
Weighton Lock is a Grade II listed building, providing access from the Humber Estuary to the Market Weighton Canal. The canal was opened in 1782, stretching 9.5 miles, terminating 3.5 miles short of Market Weighton. With the opening of the York to Market Weighton railway line, this saw the decline of the canal which was abandoned as a navigation in 1900. The right of navigation through Weighton Lock was lost in 1971. It was later scheduled for demolition, but through local protest it was saved and listed as an ancient monument. In 1994 it was repaired and reopened, in 2002 the lock was made passable up to the junction with the River Foulness, where silt makes further passage not possible.
There has been a settlement here in Broomfleet going back to Roman times. The name Broomfleet has been represented in several different ways including Brungareflet (1150), Brunfleet and Brumfleet (1322) and Bromeflete (1543). Broomfleet today is served by a railway station which opened on the 1st of June 1840, the Red Lion Inn and the Church of St Mary, which was constructed 1857-61 as an Anglican church by John Loughborough Pearson, at the expense of Elizabeth Barnard of South Cave who took pride in this little community. The church was scheduled as a Grade II listed building in 1987. The white bricked school at the western end of the village on Main Street was opened in 1882, with master's house attached built in 1883, both now serve as private housing.
