Things To Do
There is a great deal to do in and around Howden. Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of your stay. At Straw Bale Cabin there is great deal of additional information on many of these suggestions but please contact us if you require further information prior to arrival.
On site
- Relax within the cosy straw bale walls, on the south facing verandah or in the private grounds. Shower with water warmed by the sun!
- Read books and magazines from the “green” library
- Watch, photograph or paint the birds and the wild flowers
- Cook with the seasonal herbs and salads growing by the cabin or the local produce delivered on arrival
- Listen to the wind up digital radio
- Watch the solar/wind powered TV and DVD
- Play the assorted traditional games provided
- Pick brambles on the miles of hedgerows at Village Farm
- Fish in the well stocked pond adjacent to the cabin
Within walking or cycling distance
North Howden (1 mile)
Fishing at Brickyard Pond
The Barnes Wallis pub (real ale, beer garden and home cooked food lunchtime & evenings, quiz nights www.barneswallisinn.com)
Spaldington (1 mile)
Boothferry Golf club (18 hole championship golf course, café & bar 01430 430364 www.boothferrygolfclub.co.uk)
The Eagles (9 hole pay & play golf course, floodlit driving range, equipment hire and golf shop)
Wressle (2 miles)
Loftsome Bridge Coaching House
Formal restaurant for Sunday lunch and evening meals (although weekends are often booked a year in advance 01757 630070 www.loftsomebridge-hotel.co.uk)
Portington (2 miles off road)
Royal Oak pub and restaurant (excellent home cooked food every day, Sunday carvery 01430 430563)
Howden (3 miles or 2 miles off road)
Historic interest (Minster, Bishop’s manor, Georgian architecture
Howden Marsh (nature reserve)
Sculpture sequence on Churchside
Full range of traditional local shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants
Shire Hall (full programme of entertainment www.howden-live.com, www.howdenfestival.com (September))
Tennis
Ashes playing field
Asselby (4 miles off road)
Minster Falconry Centre at Asselby Nurseries (courses, refreshments, gift shop 07913 470283,
The Black Swan (01757 630409)
Eastrington (4 miles off road)
Nature reserve (fishing, bird watching, picnic areas)
Greaves End fishing (01430 410619)
Asselby Grange riding stables (lessons and hire 01430 410661)
Bubwith (5 miles)
Post office, convenience store, butchers, fish and chips, delicatessen (www.jugandbottle.co.uk 01757 289707)
Bird watching at River Derwent
Tennis
Playing field
Dingle Dell
The Real Aeroplane Museum (open April – October www.realaero.com)
Walks
With its flat topography and abundant quiet lanes, tracks and footpaths, the Howden area is perfect for walking. A copy of Ordnance Survey Explorer 291 is provided for use by guests. There are also full details of a number of local walks of varying length including;
The Howden 20 (20 miles)
A circular route, normally starting and finishing in Howden, but as the route passes Village Farm, it can be easily started and finished from here. Alternatively it can be split into 2 shorter walks;
- The Northern section (13 miles)
- The Southern section (13 miles)
Brind – Wressle – Breighton – Bubwith – Willitoft – Spaldington - Brind
Brind – Howden – Howdendyke – Boothferry – Asselby - Wressle - Brind
Smaller circular options take in
Asselby (8 miles)
Turn right out of Village Farm. After 200 yards, go straight ahead towards the railway crossing. Over the crossing the path heads towards the village of Newsholme. Cross the A63 with care and follow the path to Asselby, returning via the Howden 20 route to Wressle and the quiet back roads to Brind.
Along the way – Minster Falconry, refreshments at Asselby Nursery or the Black Swan
Wressle (5 miles)
Turn right out of Village Farm. After 200 yards, turn the right bend and follow the road north. At the next T junction turn left and then right to Wressle. Return via cross common gate.
Howden (4 miles)
The footpath directly opposite Village Farm crosses fields to reach the tarmac path alongside the B1228 to Howden. Just before reaching the speed limit signs on the approach to Howden, turn right and return via the Howden 20 route, via Park Farm.
Along the way – refreshments at Sweet Thoughts, The Cheese Shop, Rusty Jack’s, The Wellington, The Bowmans or a sandwich or fish and chips in the park.
Featherbed Lane (3 miles)
Turn left out of Village Farm and walk to the end of the road. Cross straight over the B1228 into the green lane (Featherbed). After approximately 1 mile turn left over the footbridge and follow the path directly to the road. Turn left along the road. Walk along to the T junction, turn left on the B1228 for 200 yards. Turn right back into Brind.
Along the way – Refreshments at Boothferry golf club.
Bike rides
Bicycles and helmets are provided for the use of guests.
Village Farm is situated close to the Trans Pennine cycle route (www.sustrans.org.uk)
Full details of a number of bike rides of varying length are provided for guests including, maps, distances, places of interest and refreshments along the way. For example;
Howden & Back (6 miles)
Turn left out of Village Farm and left at the end of the road, using the cycle path for the last 2 miles of the trip.
Spaldington circular (7 miles)
Turn right out of Village Farm, bear right at the corner and right at the next T junction. Cross straight over the B1228, turning right at the next cross roads. Past Spaldington and right at the junction, passing the golf course. Turn left on the B1228 for 200 yards and right back into Brind.
Bubwith (east of the Derwent) (12 miles)
Via Wressle and Breighton and returning via Willitoft.
Bubwith (west of the Derwent) (17 miles)
Via Loftsome Bridge, Menthorpe and South Duffield. Returning via Wressle and Breighton.
Blacktoft (24 miles)
Via Portington, Eastrington, Green Oak, Bellasize and Staddlethorpe. Returning along the River Ouse on the Trans Pennine route via Saltmarshe, Laxton, Kilpin and Howden.
Day trips by train
Comprehensive train timetables are provided for the use of visitors. There are many options for days out by train from North Howden station. The following examples use the weekday train timetables;
Selby (10 - 15 minutes)
Seven choices of morning train from 6.26am onwards, two early afternoon trains and five later trains travel between Howden and Selby daily. They return to Howden with the same regularity until 9.45pm.
Visit Selby Abbey, swim at the leisure centre (www.selbyleisureservices.co.uk/abbey) or browse the market stalls on Mondays.
There is a full programme of entertainment at the Town Hall (www.selbytownhall.co.uk). For more information about Selby visit www.selby.gov.uk
Leeds (30 minutes)
There are 2 direct early morning trains to Leeds. Later it is necessary to change at Selby from where trains run hourly. For the return journey, the train leaving Leeds at 5.38pm stops at Howden, otherwise change at Selby.
The Royal Armouries (www.royalarmouries.org 0113 220 1916), City Variety (www.cityvarieties.co.uk). Find out more about visiting Leeds at www.leeds.gov.uk.
York (35 - 45 minutes)
Through trains leave Howden at 7.35am, 9.28am, 1.40pm and 4.36pm and 5.54pm and leave York for the return journey at 11.53am, 4.12pm, 5.27pm and 6.14pm.
Walk the walls, cruise the Ouse, visit York Minster (01904 557216 www.yorkminster.org), the National Railway Museum (also home to the Yorkshire Wheel 01904 621261 www.nrm.org.uk), York Dungeon (01904 632599 www.thedungeons.com) or the Yorvik Viking Centre (01904 543402)
www.vikingyorvik.com). For other ideas see www.york.gov.uk/visiting or www.visityork.org .
Hull (30 minutes)
Trains leave North Howden at least hourly from 7.52 am onwards until late into the evening. The last train back leaves Hull at 7.10 pm.
The route into Hull passes under the Humber Bridge (www.humberbridge.co.uk).
Visit The Deep (01482 381000 www.thedeep.co.uk), Feren’s Art Gallery, Hull’s historic old town or choose from seven city centre museums (many with free admission) (www.hullcc.gov.uk). Hull Truck Theatre (www.hulltruck.co.uk) and the New Theatre have a full programme of events. Also take a look at www.hull.co.uk.
From Hull station, trains run north to (timetable provided);
Beverley (30 minutes to Hull, plus 15 minutes)
At least two trains per hour throughout the day. Visit the Minster (www.beverleyminster.co.uk), excellent shopping, racing or the folk festival (www.beverleyfestival.com) in May.
Driffield (30 minutes to Hull, plus 25 minutes)
Mostly two trains per hour throughout the day from Hull.
Bridlington (30 minutes to Hull, plus 40 minutes)
Mostly two trains per hour throughout the day from Hull.
Scarborough (30 minutes to Hull, plus 90 minutes)
With waiting times the total journey time is approximately 3 hours. Stop off at Bempton (for Bempton Cliffs or Flamborough Head), Filey or Seamer along the way.
Doncaster (30 minutes)
All Hull Trains inter city services to London, Kings Cross stop at Doncaster. The six outward trains leave Howden at 6.49 am, 8.36 am, 10.35 am, 1.09 pm, 3.57 pm and 5.30pm. The trains returning from Doncaster arrive at Howden at 3.36pm, 6.22 pm and 9.56 pm.
www.visitdoncaster.co.uk has more information about the town including its famous race course, home of the St.Leger, museums and art galleries, the fish market and the Dome where swimming, ice skating and a climbing wall are on offer.
Day trips by car (within 20 minutes)
Aughton (10 minutes)
The Oaks 18 hole golf course, driving range, cafe and shop (01757 288577 www.theoaksgolfclub.co.uk)
The Spa (sauna, swimming, fitness, treatments 01757 288465 www.spaattheoaks.co.uk )
Holme on Spalding Moor (10 minutes)
Ye Olde Red Lion (Bar meals and hand pulled ale)
Goole (15 minutes)
Yorkshire Waterways museum (www.waterwaysmuseum.org.uk)
Goole museum (above the library 01405 722251)
Swimming, gym, squash and badminton at the leisure centre (01405 769005 www.gooleleisurecentre.co.uk)
Tennis (Westfield Banks 01405 766721)
Shopping
The Gate Theatre – theatre, comedy, music & dance (01405 763652, www.thegategoole.com)
Skipwith (15 minutes)
Yorkshire paintball centre (01757 289322, www.ypc.co.uk)
Pocklington (20 minutes)
Cinema, live music and exhibitions (www.pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk)
Burnby Hall Gardens (01759 307125 www.burnbyhallgardens.com)
Local shops, boutiques, café’s and restaurants
Blacktoft (20 minutes)
The Hope & Anchor (Bar meals and hand pulled ale by the river)
North Cave (20 minutes)
Diving Centre
Blacktoft sands (20 minutes)
RSPB reserve (www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/blacktoftsands/index.asp)
Elvington (20 minutes)
Yorkshire Air Museum (01904 608595 www.yorksairmuseum.co.uk)
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