START this riverside walk from the centre of the village of Naburn.

From the slipway near the Blacksmiths Arms head north along Front Street to the York Road at the end.

Cross to the footway and resume north, crossing Howden Lane and passing the marina to quickly arrive at a rail bridge on the village edge.

Immediately under it a surfaced path doubles back right up onto the line at the old station.

Your later route will be to the left here after the loop west of the river, but for now double back right along the tarmac way.

Within a couple of minutes you reach Naburn Bridge over the Ouse, dominated by a steel sculpture ‘Fisher of Dreams’.

A minute further comes a fork.

Take the right branch down onto the road at Acaster Bridge.

Go left under it, and just beyond a farm take a stile/gate on the left: a grass track crosses the field to a stile/gate onto the riverbank.

Turn downstream, quickly crossing a stile to join a cart track.

Advance on past moored boats, a lovely stroll that becomes more enclosed as it gives access for boaters.

Joining a road at Acaster Malbis, cross to the footway and turn left between caravan sites to the Ship Inn.

Opposite the pub on the left a path heads off along the front of houses, becoming enclosed to resume downstream.

The path soon turns inland between gardens onto a suburban street.

Turn right to a T-junction alongside a pinfold.

Turn right for two minutes, and just before the pub take a kissing-gate left into a caravan site.

Bear left and follow the broad grassy way between caravans along the left edge of the site, soon reaching a gate at the end onto a road.

Go right, passing another site to a junction with a cul-de-sac road at some houses.

As the through road turns left, take an enclosed path right after the last house.

This quickly runs to a footbridge.

Go left between ditch and fence to emerge into a field.

Advance straight on the field edge path with the ditch, and initially a hedge, to your left.

This course is maintained through two fields, then a field centre.

A hedge re-forms near the end to usher you to a corner to meet the rail path on the edge of Bishopthorpe.

Turn right to Acaster Bridge, with Naburn Bridge just beyond.

Advance back to the station site, and this time keep straight on the leafy course.

After only a minute you reach a kink at a seating area.

Resuming over the road bridge you soon reach a shelter from where keep straight on for a delightful rural stroll as far as Moor Lane Bridge overhead.

A surfaced path runs right before it to emerge onto Moor Lane. Turn right to rejoin the B1222, then right on the footway for the short stroll back into the centre.

This walk is found in Paul’s book ‘Walking in Yorkshire – Howardian Hills & Vale of York’ (£5.99)