Despite the travelling, we were at the starting line for just after 9.00am. The weather forecast was for a cloudy start, clearing later in the morning and that certainly was how it started off. Our route took us past the Paull Home Strays Nature Reserve. consisting of a number of different habitats including inter-tidal clay flats, saltmarshes and nearby open fields, the reserve is known for the huge flocks of waders that gather here in Spring and Autumn and later in the year for the large numbers of golden plovers that visit the reserve. The reserve is also known for the raptors that visit including peregrin, merlin, hen and marsh harriers.
Much of the land here has been reclaimed from the estuary and there are were a number of very nice housing developments overlooking the water. Just after the Victoria Dock Village we reached the outfall of the River Hull in to the estuary. Right at the tip of the river is the location for the local aquarium called The Deep, where we stopped for a bit of lunch.
The barrier is a 212 tonne (215,000 kg), 98 ft. (30m) wide gate across the River Hull that is supported between two towers that house the operating machinery. It protects about 17,000 houses on both sides of the river. On average, it is used about twelve times a year. The barrier works very simply by lowering a gate in to the river to prevent the tidal surges going up the river. Another water feature, the Beverley & Barmston Drain, lies just to the west of the River Hull and feeds in to it before emptying in to the estuary. Lying in front of the tidal barrier is the Millenium Bridge (with the bright yellow counter weight).
It was only when we got home Joanna realised she had missed a wonderful opportunity when we passed some cannon to claim the insurance money on the basis of an unexpected serious head injury! Joanna may yet come to regret it.
For the last part of the walk we were walking through khaki coloured reed beds with verdant green grass verges and with trees and hedgerow by the roadside. Despite the noise of the traffic, we were able to discern the singing of songbirds as they basked in the late afternoon sunshine. The views up and across the river continued to provide extravagant panoramas and to offer us intriguing glimpses of our route for tomorrow. Just before the bridge we turned in to the residential area to our accommodation.
Today was our last full day walking in Yorkshire and when we cross the Humber Bridge tomorrow, we enter the county of Lincolnshire and look forward to its miles of dikes and flatlands.