It’s a warm summer’s day and you’re exploring the tranquil, rolling chalk valleys of the Wolds in East Yorkshire. It’s a place harbouring hidden gems, often overlooked in our hurry to reach the coast.

Dominated by hawthorne and ash, on a sunny day the still air shimmers in the heat and grasshoppers chirrup. Yellowhammers sing their quick and distinctive line of ‘a little bit of bread and no cheeeeese’ or call out in sharp chips.

Delve a little deeper though and you’ll find a rich historical landscape; the underlying chalk supports a unique array of flowers, grasses, butterflies and birds.

About four miles outside Market Weighton is Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit nature reserve. Chalk was quarried here for the embankment of the adjacent railway line, which opened in 1865. The rail link between Beverley and Market Weighton was closed by the Beeching Plan 100 years later and is now a peaceful bridleway popular with walkers, and the occasional bike and horse.

A short walk down this path leads you into the long, oval-shaped reserve that then opens out before you; an incredibly peaceful place reclaimed by nature and far removed from what must have been the once noisy and dusty chalk quarry.

These features are made by a very busy network of yellow meadow ants and indicate untouched, long-established grassland, which has lain undisturbed since the quarrying finished. Green woodpeckers are attracted by the ant mounts, which they visit and probe with their long tongues. You might hear their yaffling call.

It’s a straightforward stroll through to the end of the reserve but if you’re able to make the short, steep climb to the top of the reserve on the left, you’ll be rewarded with fine views back down the valley towards Market Weighton. This could be one of the few places to catch a breeze on a hot day. There is only one access point up onto the bank, so you can do a loop – once you have carefully picked your way up the steps before heading back into the valley bottom. The route along the bank top is about 400 metres and winds through the flower-rich grassland. Watch your step as it’s quite a steep drop in places.

As the name suggests, the marbled white's wings have an unmistakable marbled, or chequered, black-and-white pattern.

Compared to some of our familiar butterflies, marbled whites are larger than an orange tip, a similar size to a small tortoiseshell, but smaller than large whites and peacocks. They’re mainly a butterfly of southern England and south Wales but are expanding their range north and east.

The grassland of the reserve’s south-facing bank is without a doubt one of the best places in Yorkshire to see these delightful, distinctive, monochrome beauties, frequenters of rich flower meadows.

Now is a great time to see them, both here and at two other  Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserves, Brockadale, near Pontefract, and Hetchell Woods, near Leeds.

At Kiplingcotes these delightful creatures are joined by other butterflies including the tiny dingy skipper, and two orange-and-brown species, the wall and gatekeeper. They are especially attracted by the stunning chalk grassland flowers including pyramidal orchids, harebells, bladder campion and bird’s-foot trefoil, which grow in abundance here.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust grazes grassland reserves with Hebridean sheep over winter and this conservation grazing helps to keep the plant species thriving, which in turn support the abundance of butterflies and other insects on the reserve.

Top tips for your visit

• It’s about a five-mile round trip to Market Weighton along the old railway track of the Hudson Way. Our tiny Rifle Butts reserve makes a sheltered stopping point to marvel at the geological feature where chalk meets clay.
• Visit during dawn or dusk to increase chances of spotting a barn owl.
• There’s a welcoming bench at the top of the bank nearest to the entrance, with fine views.
• Explore further - Enjoy long walks along the Hudson Way or nearby Wolds Way National Trail.  The entrance point in Market Weighton that takes you onto the Hudson Way is on the north edge of the town and known locally as the monkey run. It can be found via the playing fields near Aspen Close and Hall Road.