(111.04km)
The Lindsey Trail is a long distance circular multi-user route through the Lincolnshire Wolds.
It extends from Market Rasen to Horncastle.
Starting point
Willingham Woods car park
Market Rasen
LN8 3QT
Grid reference TF 137 884
- Parking
- Cycle friendly
- Bridleway
- Dog Friendly
The initial idea for the Trail came from local carriage drivers who have worked in partnership with the Mid-Lincs Local Access Forum and Lincolnshire County Council to develop it. The Trail has been developed as part of the Lincolnshire Countryside Access & Rights of Way Improvement Plan and Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Management Plan.
Being the highest land between Kent and Yorkshire makes the Lincolnshire Wolds a great place for stunning views. On a clear day you can see for miles into neighbouring counties and across the marshes to the coast.
As you follow the chalk escarpment on the eastern section of the Trail there are views across the Bain Valley to the Lincolnshire Limestone Edge and Lincoln Cathedral. You may even be able to see the cooling towers of the Trent Valley power stations beyond.
On the southern section of the Trail your view is across the Fens and you may see Boston Stump, the tower of St Botolph’s church in Boston, and on a clear day Hunstanton cliffs on the Norfolk coast.
Historic attractions which can be seen from the Trail include Hainton Hall, South Ormsby Hall and Harrington Hall, where it is suggested that Lord Tennyson based his famous poem ‘Come into the garden Maud’.
The Wolds landscape inspired the writing of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, one of the most successful poets of Victorian times. He was born in Somersby, in the Wolds, and held the post of Poet Laureate from 1850 to his death in 1892.
The northern part of the Trail passes through Walesby and Tealby, nestled at the foot of the western scarp face made of ironstone and limestone, once mined on an industrial scale. Willingham Woods grow on the blown sands, deposited here after the last Ice Age retreat.
The central section of the Trail uses the Bluestone Heath Road, an ancient route that follows the south east chalk escarpment. The soils here are thin and flinty, often showing both the red and white chalk beneath.
In the south and west of the Wolds, and the southern part of the Trail, the geology is different again, with seasonally waterlogged clays in the broad river valleys, with buildings of locally made bricks and Spilsby Sandstone. Known locally as ‘greenstone’ as it weathers to a khaki-green colour, fossils found show that it was deposited about 140 million years ago in a shallow sea.
- 1Leave the western (Market Rasen) end of the car park. Turn left and cross the road. Continue straight ahead through a carriage gap. Follow the forest track to a T-junction.
- 2Turn left. At the next junction of tracks bear left. continue straight ahead for 1000m. Ignore the track on your left. Continue until you reach a T junction of tracks.
- 3Turn right. Go through the carriage gap.
- 4Turn right. Follow the byway past the houses to a road.
- 5Turn left. Follow the road for 0.25 miles (400m).
- 6Turn left, signed Sixhills. Follow the road for 0.3 miles (500m).
- 7Turn right onto a tarmac lane. Follow the lane as it becomes an unclassified county road (UCR). Follow it for 1.5 miles (2.4 km). You will come to a junction with a bridleway.
- 8Turn left. Follow the bridleway for 1.25 miles (two kilometres). You will come to a T junction with a road.
- 9Turn left. Follow the road to a T-junction.
- 10Turn right, signed South Willingham) and follow the road to a T-junction.
- 11Turn right (signed South Willingham. After 150m turn left, signed South Willingham. Go through South Willingham village.
- 12Turn left, signed Donington. Follow the road to a crossroads.
- 13Continue straight ahead, signed Donington for 0.6 miles (one kilometre).
- 13Continue straight ahead, signed Donington for 0.6 miles (one kilometre).
- 14Turn left, signed Biscathorpe. Follow the road for 0.6 miles (one kilometre).
- 15Turn right, gated road. Go through two fords. Follow the road to the top of the hill.
- 16Turn right onto a track, signed public bridleway. Follow the bridleway for 1.25 miles (two kilometres) to a road.
- 17Go through the carriage gap. Cross the road. Go through another carriage gap. Continue along the track, signed public bridleway to reach a road.
- 18Go through the carriage gap. Turn left. Follow the road for 0.3 miles (450 m).
- 19By Stenigot mast, the road bends to the left. Leave the road by bearing right onto a UCR. Follow the track for 0.5 miles (800m).
- 20Turn left. Continue along the track to a road.
- 21Turn right. Follow the road to a crossroads.
- 22Continue straight ahead, signed Belchford. Continue to another crossroads.
- 23Continue straight ahead, signed Belchford. Follow this road for seven miles (11km).
- 23Continue straight ahead (signed Belchford) and follow this road for seven miles (11km).
- 24Turn right, signed South Ormsby. Follow the road through the village.
- 25At the end of the village turn left, signed Brinkhill. Follow the road through Brinkhill village towards Horncastle.
- 25At the end of the village turn left, signed Brinkhill. Follow the road through Brinkhill village towards Horncastle.
- 26After the village, the road bends to the left. Leave the road here and turn right onto a track.
- 27Turn right onto a track, signed public bridleway. Follow the bridleway for 1.25 miles (two kilometres) to a road.
- 28Continue straight ahead, signed Bag Enderby.
- 29Where the road bends to the right leave the road by turning left onto a track (signed public bridleway). Follow the track. Go through two fords (or over the footbridges). Continue ahead as the track becomes a tarmac lane, to a T junction.
- 30 Turn right. Follow the road to a crossroads with the busy A158 at Hagworthingham.
- 31Cross straight over. Follow the road through the village to a T junction.
- 31Cross straight over. Follow the road through the village to a T junction.
- 32Turn left. Go through a ford (or over a footbridge). Follow the road to Lusby village and a crossroads.
- 33Continue straight ahead, signed Asgarby. Follow the road to a crossroads.
- 34Continue straight ahead, signed Hareby. At Hareby continue straight on, signed Miningsby. Follow the road to a T junction.
- 35Turn right, signed Miningsby. Follow the road for 0.6 miles (1000m).
- 36Turn left, signed Claxby Pluckacre. Follow the road for 1.3 miles (two kilometres).
- 37As the road bends to the left, turn right onto a track, signed public bridleway. Follow the track.
- 38Follow the track. Go through a carriage gap. Then two fords (or footbridges) to another carriage gap and road.
- 39Turn right. Follow the road for 0.75 miles (1.2km) through Low Hameringham.
- 40Turn left, signed public bridleway. Follow the track to a road.
- 41Turn left. Follow the road for 1.25 miles (2km) to a T junction.
- 42Turn right, signed Spilsby. After 300m and before the bungalow and garage turn left onto an unclassified county road. Follow the lane ahead as it passes a farm yard. It will become a field edge track to a junction with the busy A158.
- 43Cross the road. Continue straight ahead through a gate and onto a track. Follow the track into Ashby Puerorum and a junction with a road.
- 43Cross the road. Continue straight ahead through a gate and onto a track. Follow the track into Ashby Puerorum and a junction with a road.
- 44Turn left. Follow the road to a T junction.
- 45Turn left. Follow the road to a T junction.
- 46Turn left, signed Greetham. Follow the road to a cross roads.
- 47Turn right, signed Fulletby. Follow the road for 1.5 miles (2.4km) to Fulletby.
- 48Turn left, signed Horncastle. Follow the road to a crossroads with the busy A153.
- 49Cross the road. Continue straight ahead , signed Hemingby. You will come to a T junction.
- 50Turn left, signed Hemingby. Follow the road into Hemingby village. At the crossroads by the village hall turn right onto Chapel Lane Continue until you come to a T junction.
- 51Turn right, signed Goulceby. Follow the road for 1.75 miles(2.8km).
- 50Cross the road. Continue straight ahead through a gate and onto a track. Follow the track into Ashby Puerorum and a junction with a road.
- 51Turn right, signed Goulceby. Follow the road for 1.75 miles(2.8km).
- 52Turn left, signed restricted byway. Go through the gap and follow the track. Cross the river Bain. Continue along the track to a junction with a road.
- 53Cross the road. Continue straight ahead, signed restricted byway. Follow the track through a gap and for 0.5 mile (850m) to a junction with a bridleway.
- 54Turn left. Follow the track, through a gap to a road.
- 55Cross the road. Continue straight ahead, signed public bridleway. Go through a gap to follow the track for 0.3 mile (500m). Continue to a junction with another bridleway.
- 56Turn right. Follow the track to a gap and junction with a road.
- 57Turn left. Follow the road for 1.25 miles (two kilometres) to a road junction.
- 58Turn right, signed Panton. Follow the road for one mile (1.6 km) to a T junction.
- 59Turn right, signed Benniworth. Follow the road for 100m.
- 60Turn right, signed Benniworth. Follow the road for 2.5 miles (four kilometres) to a crossroads.
- 59Turn right, signed Benniworth. Follow the road for 100m.
- 60Turn right, signed Benniworth. Follow the road for 2.5 miles (four kilometres) to a crossroads.
- 61Turn left, signed South Willingham. Follow the road through South Willingham village. Continued on to a T junction with the A157 at Hainton.
- 62Turn right, signed Hainton. After 150m turn left, signed Hainton & Sixhills. Follow the road for 300m to a junction.
- 63Turn left, signed East Torrington. Follow the road for 0.66 miles (one kilometre).
- 64Turn right, signed public bridleway. Follow the track for 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to a junction where the bridleway meets an un classified county road (UCR).
- 65Turn right onto the UCR. Continue straight ahead as the track becomes a tarmac lane to a T-junction.
- 62Turn right, signed Hainton. After 150m turn left, signed Hainton & Sixhills. Follow the road for 300m to a junction.
- 63Turn left, signed East Torrington. Follow the road for 0.66 miles (one kilometre).
- 64Turn right, signed public bridleway. Follow the track for 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to a junction where the bridleway meets an un classified county road (UCR).
- 65Turn right onto the UCR. Continue straight ahead as the track becomes a tarmac lane to a T-junction.
- 66Turn left. Follow the road to a T-junction.
- 67Turn right, signed Market Rasen. Follow the road to where it bends sharp left.
- 68Leave the road by turning right onto a public byway and into Dog Kennel Wood. Follow the byway as it bears right in front of the houses. Continue to the end of the paddocks.
- 69Turn left through a carriage gap. Follow the track for 200m to a junction of tracks.
- 70Turn left. Follow the track to a T junction and turn right. Follow the track for 0.25 miles (450m).
- 71Turn right towards the road.
- 72Leave the woodland through a carriage gap. Cross the road to return to the starting point.
- 1Leave the western (Market Rasen) end of the car park. Turn right on to the forest track, away from the road. Follow the track for 400m. Continue to a crossroads of tracks.
- 2Turn left.
- 3At the red-brick building bear right. There will be a T junction of tracks. To visit Chapel Hill moated site, turn left. This is approximately 300m after the buildings.
- 4Turn right. Follow the track to a road. There is a carriage gap to exit the woodland.
- 5Turn left onto the road. Continue for 650m.
- 6Turn right on to a public byway. Follow the byway past Sunnyside Up Farm Shop. Continue through the woods to a road.
- 7Cross the road. Continue on the byway for approximately 1.25 miles (two kilometres). You will come to a road.
- 8Turn right. Go over the level crossing. Follow the road into Walesby. Continue to the crossroads next to the village hall.
- 9Turn right, signed Tealby. Follow the road to a T junction.
- 10Turn right, signed Tealby. Follow the road for 250m.
- 11Turn left, signed Tealby. Follow the road for 1.5 miles (2.5 km). Continue to the T junction.
- 12Turn right, signed Market Rasen. Follow the road for 150m.
- 13Turn left along Thorpe Lane. Follow the road through a ford. Continue to T junction.
- 14Turn right. Follow the road to a T junction with the A631.
- 15Turn right, signed Market Rasen. Follow the road for 400m.
- 16Turn left on to a public byway. Follow the track for 0.6 miles (one kilometre).
- 17Turn right through a carriage gap. Continue through the woodland. Follow the forest track for 200m. Continue to a junction of tracks.
- 18Turn left. Follow the track to a T junction. Turn right. Follow the track for 450m.
- 19Turn right on to another track towards the road.
- 20Leave the woodland through a carriage gap. Cross the road. Return to the starting point.
- 1Leave the western (Market Rasen) end of the car park. Turn left and cross the road. Continue straight ahead through a carriage gap and onto a forest track. Follow the track to a T-junction.
- 2Turn left. At the next junction of tracks bear left. Continue straight ahead for 1000m. Ignore the track on the left. You will come to a T-junction of tracks.
- 3Turn right. Follow the track. Go through the carriage gap to a T-junction.
- 4Turn right. Follow the byway past the houses to a road.
- 5Turn left. Follow the road through Legsby. Continue straight on towards East Torrington.
- 6In East Torrington turn left (signed Hainton). Follow the road for 1.75 miles (2.8km).
- 7Turn left onto a lane (signed public bridleway). Follow the track for 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to a junction. At the junction the bridleway meets an unclassified county road (UCR).
- 8Turn right onto the UCR. Continue straight ahead on the track. The track becomes a tarmac lane to a T-junction.
- 9Turn left and follow the road to a T-junction.
- 10Turn right (signed Market Rasen). Follow the road to where it bends sharp left.
- 11Leave the road by turning right. Continue onto a public byway and into Dog Kennel Wood. Follow the byway as it bears right. Continue in front of the houses and to the end of the paddocks.
- 12Turn left through a carriage gap. Follow the track for 200m to a junction of tracks.
- 13Turn left and follow the track to a T-junction. Turn right. Follow the track for 0.25 mile (450m).
- 14Turn right towards the road.
- 15Leave the woodland through a carriage gap. Cross the road to return to the starting point.
Surfaced and unsurfaced quiet lanes, public rights of way and Forestry Commission rides.
The route is waymarked with the trail logo, a purple carriage wheel.
things to do in the area
The Cheese Shed @ Cote Hill Farm
Back 2 Bear Outdoor Activities
Kugae Gundogs & Sporting Antiques
Lincoln & Witham Landscape Recovery
Red Hill & Stenigot Birdwatching
Willingham Forest & Linwood Warren Birdwatching
Edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds – Market Rasen to Caistor Cycle Route
Edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds – Market Rasen to Wickenby Cycle Route