Cross Keys @ THIXENDALE
This 8.5 mile walk from Thixendale takes you back in time to the lost village of Wharram Percy over a few hills and through scenic valleys.
Highlights
- Abandoned village of Wharram Percy
Sunday 18th August 2024
Nestled in the middle of the Yorkshire Wolds, the quaint village of Thixendale has a teeny tiny pub that pulls a beautiful pint of Osset Brewery Yorkshire Blonde. It’s also the start and end point for our walk to the abandoned village of Wharram Percy.
The walk takes in a few hills and valleys but once you edge past the field full of cows you end up in the abandoned village.
Brief (maybe not) history lesson – early settlers came in 50 B.C., stayed for 500 years and left. Then a couple of viking families came in 900 A.D. and built the place up to be a proper village. I imagine there would have been a pub with a roaring fire with roast suckling pig and a few geezers strumming on lutes in the background. Anyway, in 1086 after William the Conqueror had invaded he decided to take this village off the Vikings and give it to his mate Percy (hence the name). The Percy family were big in the north and also owned Alnwick and Warkworth castles.
The village changed hands from the Percy’s to Baron Hilton in 1400 (got to be the same guy who set up the hotel chain). Then the price of wool shot through the roof and from 1458 that lovely fella Baron Hilton started evicting the arable land farmers until the last of them were gone in 1527. Bring in the sheep, install a couple of shepherds, job done 💰
The shepherd’s farm got converted to labourers cottages and the last people living here moved out in 1976.
Anyway, an interesting place to visit on a Sunday afternoon and a beautiful walk too.
After 8.5 miles our legs had had enough and the beer garden at the Cross Keys was the perfect place to rest. Roxy was fine, didn’t know why we were stopping.
See the route on komoot https://tinyurl.com/Cross-keys-at-thixendale
What looks like a converted house this little pub is a god send, especially after an 8 mile walk. If you have a dog you’ll need to make use of the beer garden at the back. Inside you will receive a warm welcome from the Landlord and they do meals on an evening. We are going to have to go back and sample them.Â
The pub also has rooms and is a handy stop off if you are doing the Wolds Way, an 80 mile hike from Hessle to Filey through these amazing hills and valleys.
They serve a lovely pint of Yorkshire Blonde from the Ossett Brewery. This boozer is highly recommended.
