A walk through history to journey to the site of not one, but two medieval villages, Cowlam and Cottam, near Driffield.
Table of Contents
The Route
- what3words for start point: ///trailing.airship.toads
- Start Point: Off-street parking along road from Cowlam, YO25 3AE
- Finish Point: YO25 3AE
- Distance: 6 Miles
GPX Route Map
Download file for GPSWalk Description
From where you’ve parked, walk away from the main road along the sideroad signed a public footpath towards St Mary’s Church. Keep left at the split and look left to take in the field which was the site of the medieval village of Cowlam. After the tree on the left, turn right and walk along the track, taking the right hand fork to walk to the right of the line of trees. Keep the trees on your left and follow the path to reach the end of the trees. Carry straight on, then turn right to walk around to the left along the single line of trees. Just as the trees turn right, turn left to follow a clear path on the ground which does a double bend to reach a broken hedgerow. Go through, but don’t follow the clearer marked path to the left, carry straight on to the edge of the woodland on the left.
Make your way to the right around the hedgerow in front of you, and then head towards the corner of the woodland half right in the distance. Once there, you are standing in the medieval village of Cottam. Follow the clear path on the ground on the left, then turn right, then left, to walk along a hedgerow on the right. After crossing a track, carry on between the next two fields to reach Cottam Grange.
Head through the yard and onto the lane, turning left onto a footpath after the end of the field on the left. Ignore the clear bend to the left at the end of the field, and carry straight on. Cross the stile, and head straight on to meet the line of trees, turning left to walk alongside them. This bends around to the left, then almost a right angle to the right, still following the intermittent line of trees.
After what seems to be a distinct field, turn right, to pick up the way you came, keeping the trees to your right this time. Retrace your steps back to where you’ve parked.
