Millington Dale

A quintessential Yorkshire Wolds dry valley, a green serpentine trough of chalk grassland winding below Millington Pastures east of Pocklington, exactly the sculpted, hedgeless landscape David Hockney made famous. From the air the sinuous curves of the valley floor, the ribbon of lane and the mosaic of arable and pasture make endlessly satisfying abstract compositions, especially with low raking light. Launch from the roadside pull-ins in the dale or from the open access grassland of Millington Pastures above, both give clear ground and huge views. This is farmed and grazed private and open-access land, so a courteous approach and awareness of livestock and the narrow single-track lanes is essential, park sensibly without blocking gateways. It is quiet and rarely busy, one of the least-known good flying areas in the region. No FRZ, nearest airport Humberside around 40km southeast, and the former RAF Linton and Leeming zones lie well to the west. Skylarks and other ground-nesting birds use the grassland in spring, so fly considerately April to July. Best in early morning or the golden hour of a summer evening when shadows model the folds of the chalk and the valley glows.