Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Central Central England 12/02/2016 12:39 07 to Nettleton, 08 Winchcombe, Gloucestershire l Distance 12.5 km/7¾ miles l Time 4hrs l Type Village and country l Distance 9.7km/6 miles l Time 3½hrs l Type Country NAVIGATION level FITNESS level NAVIGATION level FITNESS level walk magazine spring 2016 walk magazine spring 2016 Plan your walk Plan your walk

Grimsbyl WINCHCOMBE l MARKET RASEN Hereford l l Lincoln l LINCOLNSHIRE l Boston GLOUCESTERSHIRE l Bristol

WHERE Linear walk from WHERE Circular walk Market Rasen to Nettleton. from Winchcombe, PhotograPhy: aLaMy PhotograPhy: START Market Rasen aLaMy PhotograPhy: Gloucestershire. (TF104892). START/END Winchcombe Market Rasen is a delightful supplying the nearby steelworks The ancient wool town of 1. START Find Winchcombe War END Nettleton (TA110002). town centre (SP026282). small town nestling beneath at Scunthorpe. Winchcombe is one of the Memorial on Abbey Terrace. TERRAIN Generally level, TERRAIN Lanes, tracks and the , once ’ prettiest, yet remains Just yards from here, descend along footpaths and woodland paths. One long memorably described by Charles 1. START From the marketplace one of the less-visited, despite its Vineyard Street past stone bridleways, some cross-field gradual climb; some Dickens as ‘the sleepiest town in in Market Rasen, walk towards Walkers are Welcome status. terraced cottages, cross the River paths and minor roads. Uses slippery, uneven paths. england’. Market Rasen has also St Thomas’s Church. At the church eye-catching strands of stone or Isbourne and go to the entrance two railway foot crossings MAPS Explorer OL45; secured Walkers are Welcome door, turn R and follow a path half-timbered houses, inns and of Sudeley Castle’s home estate. and twice crosses the A46. Landranger 163. status, which makes it an down the steps to the road. Cross artisans’ properties meet at the Enter these grounds (footpath MAPS OS Explorer 282; GETTING THERE Marchants excellent base for many of the over to walk along Church Street. pint-sized market hall in the fingerpost) and curl R of Landranger 113. Coaches’ bus services W1, lovely walks that can be enjoyed At the T-junction, turn L into town centre, while one of the the gatehouse on the drive GETTING THERE Stagecoach W2 (Mon-Sat, not bank in the area. It has a railway Waterloo Street, continuing to Cotswolds’ finest medieval (waymarked Warden’s Way), 53 bus from Lincoln or holidays) and 606/606S (very station with a regular service turn L at the next T-junction into churches stands on a shoulder of which crosses a causeway over to the start at limited service on Sundays) between Newark Northgate, Walesby Road. Just before the land nearby. Set apart from the a pond then rises to reach a Market Rasen (not Sundays or run to Winchcombe from lincoln, Barnetby and Grimsby. sharp R bend, continue ahead town is Sudeley Castle (above), gateway before a bend. Take the bank holidays), or train to Cheltenham (✆ 0871 200 This linear walk offers broad along the bridleway along where Katherine Parr, last wife handgate offset to the R; then Market Rasen from Newark 2233, www.travelinesw.com). views of rolling chalk hills and Gatehouse Lane. Cross the railway of Henry vIII, lies buried. easy walk the field path, with the Northgate, Lincoln or Winchcombe is follows a section of the 95-mile line and turn R over the bridge, paths and lanes meander past castle itself off to your L. Use Grimsby. Catch the 53 back approximately seven miles lindsey loop, devised by lincoln before turning R to cross the the castle and along the valley another handgate beside the car from Nettleton. north-east of Cheltenham Ramblers, which links six market railway line again. Turn L to of Beesmoor Brook, then up into parking area, then drift slightly R EATING & DRINKING Several along the B4632. Pay and towns in the Wolds area. The follow an old woodland track, woods and combes, with grand away from the fencing bordering eateries and pubs in Market display parking in the town, Wolds contain the highest then bear L again over Nova views unfolding across the the castle grounds (old Windrush Rasen, plus the Salutation off Back Lane by the library. ground in eastern england Scotia Railway Bridge. Continue Wolds. The route tops out at Way waymark here). Within Inn, Nettleton (✆ 01472 EATING & DRINKING Plenty on this stone track to the road. a Neolithic monument. The 150m, you’ll pass close to an oak; 851228, www.thesali.co.uk). between Yorkshire and Kent, of scope in Winchcombe. restored Belas Knap long barrow then simply follow the good field SLEEPING The Advocate Arms rising to over 150m/490ft along Try Juri’s Tea Room & 2. Turn R across the level crossing dates back over 5,000 years and path gently down into the valley.

Hotel in Market Rasen their western edge. The walk Restaurant (seasonal) on and turn L to follow the field- stands just shy of 305m/1,000ft. At the far bottom R corner take (✆ 01673 842364, ends at the village of Nettleton, the High Street (✆ 01242

which was involved in ironstone edge path. The distinctive white There’s a gentle downhill return the handgate; then bear R, cross www.advocatearms.co.uk); 602469) or the White Hart ▲ ▲ ▼ globe on the skyline is a civil ▼ to Winchcombe. a flat bridge over Beesmoor mining between 1929 and 1969, P55_56_WALK50_RR_NTRAL_fina.indd 1 Ordnance Survey mapping ©Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey Media 037/16

Turn L, then R to walk Turn 4. diagonally across a field, heading towards a gate, to emerge on the main . Cross the road, turning R to follow the tarmac footway into Nettleton village to the bus shelters, and take refreshment at the Salutation Inn. Route devised by Stuart Parker 3 2 2

1

FINISH 4 START START To download this route and hundreds of others, of others, hundreds and route this download To www.ramblers.org.uk/routes visit footbridges. After the third bridge, turn R to follow the field-edge path through a metal L to walk beside the gate. Turn hedge over pasture. On reaching the tarmac track, turn L then R to follow a wooden boardwalk. Continue along this field-edge path for some distance, crossing a footbridge to finally emerge at a derelict farmyard.

The Lindsey

01522 682479). ✆ 01522 534655, www. 01507 609740 (Mon-Fri). ✆ VISITOR INFORMATION VISITOR GUIDEBOOKS LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP RAMBLERS LOCAL Several leaflets describing this and other local walks are available from the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service on (as before). Lindsey Tourism West (www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/ visitors-/-leisure). Loop by Lincoln Ramblers (£5.95 plus p&p or £4.95 p&p for Ramblers members, contact Salutation Inn, Nettleton ✆ Lincolnshire Ramblers ( lincolnshireramblers.org.uk). Continued... aviation radar station. At the last tree on your L, turn to walk across a field, heading just R of the first telegraph pole in a to a straight line towards Claxby, footbridge. The village name is of Scandinavian origin, recalling the who colonised the area Vikings – Claxby means the ‘by’ (or village) of a man named ‘Klaka’, Danish word meaning ‘chatter’ or R and walk along ‘gossip’. Turn the road, ignoring bridleway and byway to your R. At the continue facility, Anglian Water straight ahead through a wooden Church gate towards St Mary’s and Claxby House. This section is a permissive path for walkers. church probably dates from The with the early 13th century, 15th-century additions, as well restoration that gave a Victorian the church its current appearance. Note the two rude corbel heads that support the chancel arch. 3. Continue ahead past the church, turning L at the road R to follow the junction. Turn signposted footpath across two fields, then over three

Ordnance Survey mapping ©Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey Media 037/16

2 START START FINISH Take the CW signed L; a 5. Take distinct path down the slope to R; a handgate into lane. Turn passing Winchcombe Cricket ground to reach a lane, Club’s along which go L. At the bend in another 300m, keep company sharp R along an with the CW, enclosed path. From the fork by the gate where enclosed path ends, bear L across overgrown pasture to find a kissing gate L Street. Turn into Vineyard along it to return the centre of Winchcombe. Route devised by Neil Coates 1 3

4 5 To download this route and hundreds of others, hundreds and route this download To visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes visit to the junction with a road in another 250m. up to another gate and bear L through this at the old ‘Ancient Monument’ sign. The CW skims through the top of woodland to reach Belas Knap long barrow. R into the enclosure, 4. Turn passing the jaws of mound on your L. A stile ahead takes the CW alongside the hedgeline of a long upland field, reaching a corner where a rough farm lane is R, tracing it past the joined. Turn buildings at Hill Barn (where the surface improves) and onwards easily down through woods to reach a fine fork. Keep ahead

by Dominic Short Walks in Short Walks (Collins, £6.99,

01242 603351, ✆ Numerous options 01242 602925,

✆ 01242 602359, www. 01242 573067,

The tarmac ends at the farms This undulates along the valley ✆ ✆ SLEEPING GUIDEBOOKS VISITOR INFORMATION VISITOR ( Inn, also on High Street whitehartwinchcombe.co.uk). in and around Winchcombe. B&B at Postlip Hall Farm in a secluded location just south of the town ( www.winchcombewelcomes www.winchcombewelcomes walkers.com). the Cotswolds ISBN 978 0007555000); and The Cotswolds: 40 Town Country Walks North (Pocket Mountains, £6.99, ISBN 978 1907025198). LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP Cleeve Ramblers www.cleeveramblers.org.uk). ( www.smoothound.co.uk/ hotels/postlip; the White Hart Inn – as above). Winchcombe TIC on the High Street ( Continued... Brook and proceed to a nearby Brook and proceed to a nearby L along it. tarred lane. Turn 2. A rutted track strikes up the sloping field, through another gate and onwards to a woodland R through the gate edge. Turn here and walk the track outside the wood to reach Humblebee L up the unmade Cottages. Turn driveway to reach a lane, along which go R. 3. a sign for Belas Knap on the R in 600m, opposite which is a stile into woods. Chart the Cotswold (CW) up through the trees Way (not R); then go L along the field R at the foot beyond a gate. Turn accompany the wall next corner, and houses at Newmeadow. Use and houses at Newmeadow. the field gate on R just past the gabled house, opposite a road-sign for Winchcombe. side to reach a rough lay-by and

P55_56_WALK50_RR_NTRAL_fina.indd 2 09/02/2016 16:5