Barton upon Humber – Fiskerton 25th – 29th October 2021
Introduction
My post-retirement objective of
the completion of the national trails has almost been achieved and it was time
to broaden my horizons and explore different parts of Britain. In the weeks
before the clocks went back, I had the opportunity of one more walk before the
winter darkness descended. So why not try somewhere low-lying, somewhere not so
exposed to the vagaries of autumn weather. The Viking Way was top of my list as
an early or late in the season low-level route. Lincolnshire was supposedly
flat. Little did I know how wrong I could be.
At 147 miles in length, the Viking
Way fell perfectly into the category of two trips, each of four or five days.
And with the transport hub of Lincoln halfway along, the obvious plan was to make
Lincoln the target for my late October trek. This would give me a walk from the
banks of the Humber, to one of England’s greatest cathedrals. Next spring, God
and Covid willing, I hope to return to Lincoln and completed the trail to its
southern terminus at Oakham.
Monday 25th October 2021 Barton-upon-Humber -South Ferriby
The Chef’s Day Off
It was on a Monday morning, the
last Monday before the clocks change, that Jill took me down to the station to
catch a local train to Stockport where I had time for a bacon bap in the
station buffet before boarding a Transpennine Express across to Sheffield and
Doncaster and the remote halt at Habrough. In the dry and bright conditions, I
did not mind the hour-long wait. The connection to Barton upon Humber, the end
of the line in more ways than one, took me to the start of the Viking Way (VW).
A café near the station was just closing and had no cakes left but kindly
provided me with a dish of rhubarb crumble and custard before I set off.
Heading north out of Barton, I soon reached the Humber, a huge tidal estuary
with the factories of Hull just visible on the far bank. There was a car park,
almost empty, the Viking Way Café under construction, and a few people walking
on the sea wall. I asked one of these good souls to take my photo as I stood
under the Humber Bridge at the start of the trail.
I turned westwards along the sea
wall, passing Far Ings Nature Reserve and its aluminium box of a visitors’
centre. A wide track followed the river bank and briefly made an excursion
inland to bypass South Cliff Farm. The afternoon sun was low in the sky and glaring
in my eyes: I had not brought along any sunglasses. The Yorkshire Wolds on the
north bank, a national trail I walked some seven years ago, looked lovely in
the late afternoon sunshine. Soon, the track emerged onto a lane passing a hall
and I was in the outskirts of South Ferriby. At the main road I continued
across into an ascending lane which bypasses the village. At the graveyard, a
steep track led down to the church and the pub which was to provide my first
night’s accommodation. I was on my way.
Barton-upon-Humber Station dep. 14.15,
South Ferriby arr. 16.00
GPS 4.76 miles in 1hr 42mins 42secs
walking time (about 4 miles on route).
Stayed in the Nelthorpe Arms,
South Ferriby. It was the chef’s night off so the pub rang through for an
Indian delivery from Barton, butter chicken, rice and naan. The pub provided
some best bitter {3.7%) from Lincolnshire Craft Beers, brewed on a farm near
Barnetby.
Tuesday 26th October 2021 South Ferriby – Nettleton
All the By’s
My breakfast was a porridge pot
left outside my room. Just add boiling water and retire immediately. At least
there were no delays: I was packed and out of the pub well before 9am. Within a
couple of minutes, I was shuffling up the steep and slippery cobbled track onto
the VW and out along a bare plateau, The route weaved its way along tracks and
lanes until the traffic noise intensified as I neared the A15, a busy dual
carriage way coming from the Humber Bridge. The crossing of this arterial road proved
the biggest navigation challenge of the day. All VW signs disappeared, a half
mile of tarmac led to a road bridge over the A15 leaving the walker with the
only option of walking down the slip road onto the southern carriageway. Just when all hope of seeing
home again had evaporated, a tiny gap in a hedge opened into a field. A well-walked
trod ran beside the busy carriageway and the traffic noise was such that ear protectors
should be recommended. After a mile or so the path bent away from the road and
the noise levels subsided.
A drizzle came in but not enough
to warrant waterproof covers for the rucksack. The level field-paths led
briefly out onto a lane and then turned towards a motorway junction where the
A15 meets the M180. Emerging onto a busy motorway junction was unnerving but,
with care and patience, I was able to negotiate the traffic and proceed to second
roundabout and the entrance into the village of Barnetby-le-Wold. I was hoping
for a nice tea shop but had to make do with a bacon bap from a takeaway sandwich
shop. This I ate in a bus shelter before tramping onwards. The afternoon
section was a sheer delight. Field paths passed through a green valley with
gentle hills to the east, passing the monument near Somerby Hall and then village
after village ending in ‘by’, the Viking term for a farm or settlement.
Eventually I was faced with a sharp climb up onto a ridge where Caistor came
into view. Crossing a shallow valley, the route climbed into the lovely old
town, originally Roman but now predominantly
Georgian. As the pub had no room for me, I continued south to the next
village, Nettleton, a small hamlet clustered to one side of a main road.
The Salutation was closed on
Tuesdays but my host, Jo, gave me a coffee at her roadside café and led me round
the side of the pub to a beautifully furbished luxury cabin. After a shower and
rest, I was suitably recovered to walk back up the main road for a meal in
Caistor.
South Ferriby dep. 08.49, Nettleton
arr. 16.00
GPS 20.33 miles in 7hrs 1min 42secs
walking with a 20min lunch stop in Barnetby-le-Wold. I had failed to find
accommodation in Caistor but was rescued by Jo at the Salutation in Nettleton
who, even though shut for the evening, offered me a luxury cabin beside her
pub. I had to walk a mile back into Caistor for a meal at the White Hart where
I ate fish, chips and mushy peas. The beer was New World Pale Ale (3.9%) from
Milestone Brewery, Cromwell, Nottinghamshire.
Wednesday 27th October 2021 Nettleton
– Donington on Bain
Into the Wolds
Jo opened up her café especially early for me so I could have a bacon bap
and be on my way into the long day ahead. The route started up a steep-sided
valley, climbing all the time to emerge onto a country lane at Acre House. The
long straight strip of tarmac was not at all boring as the views to the west
opened out and the sun came out in celebration. After a high-level few miles,
the road gradually dropped into Normanby-le-Wold and its lovely old church. Another
section along the top of the Wolds, this time on grass, led to a steep drop
into Walesby and up the other side to another impressive church. At Rigby, a
notice pointed towards a flock of sheep, Leicester Longwools. And then came the
piece de resistance, the lovely village of Tealby. The route passed right by
the village shop where I had a fabulous piece of chocolate cake with my
cappuccino.
The next few miles were a big disappointment. Low-level tracks emerged
onto High Street, an arrow-straight Roman road with fast moving traffic. Then
over farmland to Ludford and three miles of tarmac, the first mile of which was
alongside an A-road. The lane out to Girsby was a drag and I was relieved to
turn east and onto a farm-track to Wykeham Hall. Here I called in to see Lizzie
and Richard and chatted for the best part of an hour. Then it was east across a
valley, before turning south along a high-level ridge passed Grim’s Mound.
Straight on down a lane brought me to the estate at Biscathorpe and then along
the river and its reservoirs into Donington. The pub was at the far end of the
village and it provided me with a nice room up some metal fire escapes of an
adjoining block.
Nettleton dep. 09.18, Donington on
Bain arr.16.50
GPS 18.92 mls in 6hrs 28mins 14secs
walking time plus 15mins at the village shop in Tealby and 50 mins at Wykeham
Hall.
The Black Horse in Donington
provided a lovely meal. Belly pork & mash followed by treacle tart &
custard. I tried two ales, Piston Broke (4.5%) from Box Steam Brewery in Holt,
Wiltshire and an old friend Silver King (4.3%) from Ossett Brewery, West
Yorkshire.
Thursday 28th October 2021 Donington on Bain – Woodhall Spa
Down into the Flatlands
A light breakfast was perfect on this lovely morning. No wind and clear
blue skies overhead as I weaved my way out of the village and over a dismantled
railway. Skirting a plantation or two and climbing over Colley Hill, the route
descended into Goulceby. The village was eerily quiet: lots of lovely property
but no people or cars. Following a stream across flat meadows, I came thence to
Scamblesby, which looked marginally more alive. An endlessly long lane
gradually morphed into a field track before climbing another section of high
ground. The next target was the delightfully named Belchford which was soon
bypassed for more grassy hills. Poor signage (or navigation) resulted in me
missing the path into Fulletby and I found myself with an extra bit of tarmac
to traverse. All of a sudden, the Wolds came to an end. With fabulous views
ahead, I started down three miles of field-paths and lanes into the town of
Horncastle. The morning ended in Myer’s café eating cheese toasties.
The Viking Way leaves the town via the sports centre, seeking a canalised
River Bain to the west. The Bain is followed for several miles until the route transfers
onto an old railway line, now the well walked and cycled Woodhall Spa Trail.
Interesting metal sculptures line the path adding a bit of interest to a rather
dull section of walking. Things brightened up considerably over the golf course
and some lovely woodland paths linked the various fairways and greens. Passing
a museum and a hotel, the lane brought me right into the town centre. The guest
house was within yards of the busy cross roads and I was soon showered and
ready for a pint.
Donington dep. 08.30, Woodhall Spa
arr.16.20
20 mls in 6hrs 45mins 24secs
walking time with a 35min lunch break in Myers Café, Horncastle. .
I stayed in the Claremont Guest
House and ate at the Inn at Woodhall Spa. I enjoyed an interesting dish,
butternut & courgette curry followed by apple strudel & ice cream. The
only real ale was Batemans XB (3.7%).
Friday 29th October 2021 Woodhall Spa – Fiskerton
A Cathedral on the Horizon
At dawn it was drizzling. Had my
good luck with the weather finally run out? Another light breakfast and I was
glad to see that the rain had ceased and the skies still looked threatening but a lot brighter. I had
time for a quick visit to the shops before I set off along Whitham Road looking
for the way out of town. This turned out to be a hedged path between the houses
that emerged into huge flat fields all the way to Stixwould. The easy walking
on quiet lanes enabled me to get an average pace of more than 3mph for the
first time this week. Beyond the hamlet, all signs and stickers for the Viking
Way disappeared. There seemed little interest in the long-distance route in
this area. At Abbey Warren Farm, the path disappeared altogether with an
apology of a section around the farm through nettles and mud.
The route was better signed beyond
Southrey and the perimeter track around Southrey Wood was easy to find. The
huge sugar factory dominated the landscape as I approached Bardney, another
village where little seemed to happen. And I could have killed a cup of coffee.
North of here, the map showed Kings Hill but this mound was even less
impressive than Grim’s. The lanes around Stainfield were rather busy and I was
glad to reach a signed short-cut across a loop in the road. But the field
crossing had been recently ploughed and no attempt had been made to reinstate
the path. So I went the long way on tarmac and left the lane at the path to
Stainfield Hall. There was a strange old chapel next the hall. A welcome
woodland path circled Foxhall Wood and here I stopped for a short rest and a bite
of my emergency supplies.
A shower of rain came in as I
crossed a huge ploughed field. This crossing could have been difficult in
wetter weather. Eventually I reached the northernmost point of the day. I
turned west onto a lane and for the first time today was heading towards
Lincoln. First though, I had to cross three miles of rich but rather
featureless farmland. The one memorable moment was passing the ruined abbey of which just one
wall and tower remaining, looking rather incongruous in the middle of a field.
A hedged path then took me round to the solar farm at Fiskerton. Two ladies out
for a walk gave me the information I need on buses into Lincoln. I had time to
walk down to the River Whitham and ¾ mile along the river wall to a wooden
footbridge back into Fiskerton village. And as I walked along the river, there on
the horizon was the cathedral, still 5-miles distant, starkly outlined against
the grey sky. I was just in time for a bus into Lincoln and my walk for the
week was over.
Woodhall Spa dep. 08.50, Fiskerton
bus stop arr. 15.15
GPS 19.03 miles in 6hrs 24mins 43secs.
(18.33 miles on route).
Conclusion
The train journey home involved
changing at Sheffield and Stockport and, despite a missed connection at the
latter, I was home in time for a meal with Jill and the swapping of a week’s
news. It was only when I saw the news items of floods in Cumbria and SW
Scotland that I realised how lucky I had been with the weather for my week in
Lincolnshire. Maybe I should do all my walking in the east of the country.
The Lincolnshire Wolds were a joy to walk through and the picturesque villages lacked only cafes and teashops. The flatter part of this walk is still to come. I had walked 83 miles in five days of which at least 80 miles were on route. This leaves me less than 70 miles to complete the Viking Way. This must wait for another winter. I plan to return in the early spring, with a four-day schedule for Part 2, Fiskerton – Oakham.
