Lincolnshire Wolds Way


Part 1 - Louth to Tetford

A very early start for most today saw 18 folk out on this joint walk with The Irregulars (disappointingly only 2 Vermuyden members) to walk this brand new route in Lincolnshire an 87 mile circular route taking in many of the highlights in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

7.30am coach ride took us to the official start point in Louth next to the Canal at the Navigation Warehouse. Moving Sth out of Louth found us negotiating the first virgin jungle of today (a theme today showed us this area of the Wolds is less walked than its Yorkshire cousin (no sheep about either)).

Finding Legbourne we began the route into The Wolds proper, elevenses were took on the side of our first Wold.

It is worth mentioning here we came across many many arable fields today, Wheat, Barley and Rapeseed abundant.

Lunch (of the liquid variety) was took at the Messingberd Arms in Sth Ormsby. On leaving the public house The Irregulars had a little presentation as a member received a special commemorative tee shirt as he had walked 400 Buccaneer walks (The Irregulars group Wednesday walks are Buccaneers (Saturday crew are Marauders)).

The afternoon found us visiting Lord Tennyson’s birthplace in Somersby. A gentle walk to our destination (cars) in Tetford finished this 20ml day.

 

Part 2 - Tetford to Ludford 

Another early starts saw 16 folk (3 Vermuyden members) start part 2 of the Lincolnshire Wolds Way.

Leaving Tetford at 8am pleasant field walking took us to Salmonby and into Fulletby. Onto the Viking Way we came to Belchford and a peculiar front garden, into the wolds proper (stunning they were too) we had our elevenses in a wonderful wild flower meadow on the flanks of Juice Trump Hill.

We continued the route through Scamblesby and were nettled a little on our way to lunch at the Black Horse Inn Donnington on Bain. Another fantastic Lincolnshire watering hole and another Irregular presentation. A lady member received a 100 Buccaneer walks walked tee shirt.

After lunch we found ourselves back on the Viking Way along the River Bain with the Yellow Belly Telly mast very prominent in the distance, eventually we came to Biscathorpe medieval village and its gargoyle infected church.

Walking into Prairie Farming country (the vistas here were huge) we found our next medieval village of East Wykeham showing Lincolnshire many variations of scenery, we finished this section in Ludford ready for the next instalment.

 

 

Part 3 - Ludford to Hatcliffe

7:30am on a very muggy Wednesday in Hatcliffe saw 13 (3 Vermuyden members) catch the biggest bus I’ve seen in a while to our start point (part 2 finish Ludford).

Leaving Ludford finding a disused airfield we followed the Viking Way route for a lot of today, once onto the Western edge of the Wolds we had some great views out over the escarpment on our way to our first history lesson today.

Bayons Manor. A sizable pile that boasted a gothic romantic façade built in 1835 by Rt Hon. Charles Tennyson d’Eyncourt the second son of the poet Alfred. Unfortunately only trees and scrub is left as the castle was in ruin by the 40s and blown up with dynamite in 1964.

Next stop was a house once owned by Elton John in the very picturesque village of Tealby. Another undulating route took us a little off route to find the county top of Lincolnshire. Quick stop for the first group pictureand away through Nettleton and a deer park took us to the Ramblers church at Walesby.

Next stop Normanby le Wold, and some landed gentry out for a day’s shooting took us to some disused mines and our last drop to Rothwell for lunch after a long morning stint of 14mls.

Quick refreshment took on board we continued our way now following mostly the Linsey Loop for a short while to our finish in Hatcliffe.

 

Part 4 - Hatcliffe to Louth

The last section of the Lincs Wolds Way began with another early bus ride from the Navigation Warehouse back to Hatcliffe on a nice sunny day but a very blustery day.

The route left Hatcliffe along a quiet country road towards East Ravendale and its chocolate box type houses, once out into the open and back into the Wolds we found the very pleasant church at Wold Newton for our elevenses.

We had to drop off the Wolds for Lunch, back into the valley collecting conkers. As lunch was taken at The Livesey Arms Ludborough, after refreshments were taken another couple of presentations (badges) for some of the pirates. For the members (Vermuyden & Irregular) who had completed all 4 sections of the LLW we also gained a cloth badge.

Leaving Ludborough we had to climb back onto the Wolds at some point, in fact we seemed to climb quite a few times in the afternoon (who said Lincolnshire was flat!) before we came to another (and last) deserted medieval village en route.

Finding the church at South Elkington we knew we only has another couple of miles to our destination of Louth and its mighty fine church.

 

 

In Conclusion

A very enjoyable LDP.

Some wonderful scenery including The Wolds themselves, the quiet and stunning little villages we came across, the deserted villages decimated by The Black Death.

Bypassed by the crowds made the Lincolnshire Wolds Way a simply stunning long distance path.

Well lead by Dave W, many thanks.