Itinerary
Time to linger on Wolds-edge
50 years of the Viking Way, with heritage stops aplenty
To celebrate the Viking Way, the long-distance trail turning 50, we’ve chosen the popular section that crosses the rolling Wolds in West Lindsey to introduce you to Lincolnshire’s lovely countryside. With historic market towns, tiny villages, big sky views and church towers to aim for, this is a landscape with character.
Plan your next adventure
At a glance
Time needed: A few hours to a full day
Best for: Day-trippers - couples, friends, solo travellers, and families with older children
Getting around: Walking, with optional sections perfect for cycling
Route type: A mix of paths, tracks, field paths and quiet roads
Best time to go: Spring onwards
Time to up your step-count
You set the pace, and the pit-stops!
Put your best foot forward in the Wolds, and bolt-on stops to suit your day
Build your day your way. But we’d recommend beginning your day with a circular walk starting in Tealby, one of the area’s prettiest villages with a thatched pub and rich heritage, all set in some of the loveliest Wolds countryside. Set between the small towns of Market Rasen and Roman Caistor, by the end of your ramble, you’ll be perfectly positioned to head into town - which one is your choice - enjoy a coffee, a wander or browse the local shops.
Scenic four-mile circular
A short(er) stroll on the Viking Way
The perfect place to start
Wolds-edge views and villages with a tale to tell await on this four-mile (approx. two-hour) short Viking Way walk. Starting in Tealby, follow this circular route using a mix of paths and lanes and seek out the medieval foundations of the area.
Best for: A spring walk that feels like an achievement
Don’t miss: The nods to Tealby’s medieval past. See if you can spot in the landscape signs of ridge and furrow, the remains of the medieval field systems. Pop into Tealby church with its colourful memorials to the Tennyson family. John Wesley preached here, and Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s lyricist, once lived here too – heritage from all centuries. To add to the prettiness, the River Rase flows through the village, there is a ford, and several houses are former water mills.
Event highlight: Make it a Viking Way fiftieth anniversary walk by joining in with #VikingWay50. Look out for the Viking Way 50 logo, ‘50 things to look out for on the Viking Way’ and 'I Spy' sheets for children. Be sure to snap a selfie with a Viking Way waymarker and finish with a pub stop or picnic to ‘toast’ the trail turning fifty.
Heritage highlight: For spectacular views, head to neighbouring Walesby. All Saints’ church, better known as The Rambler’s Church, is perched high and alone in the Wolds, offering commanding views back to Tealby and to Lincoln Cathedral, more than 20 miles away, that are well worth the additional step count.
Soak up some heritage
Architecture, artefacts, and stained glass
Lincolnshire’s past is very much present, discover where across West Lindsey
Church towers are an ever-present feature in the Wolds landscape, so no surprise that West Lindsey is home to its very own Churches Festival, which has been successfully running for 30 years. The Churches Festival takes place on May 9 - 10th and 16 - 17th, 2026. With around 119 churches and chapels to visit, they all have stories to tell: of connections, stunning architecture, stained glass, carvings and artefacts. Only the most determined would manage to visit all 119, but they are still the focal point of their villages, so expect a warm welcome.
Event highlight: The 30th West Lindsey Churches Festival takes place on May 9 - 10th and 16 - 17th, 2026. With around 119 churches and chapels to visit, following a trip to Rambler’s Church, turn your day into a ‘church-hopping’ detour. Many of the churches are still the focal point of villages within the West Lindsey District, and offer an insight into the history and life of their parishes. Others offer vibrant examples of stained glass, stunning architecture, carvings and artefacts.
Best for: Heritage, photography, rainy-day flexibility
Don’t miss: All Saints in Gainsborough. A very different Georgian-style church with a Medieval tower and a magnificent interior. Does the altar piece look familiar? Various changes and additions have been made to the church over the years, including the provision of the Florentine copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper in the apse and a Burne Jones stained glass window.
Time to follow the story
The market towns of West Lindsey
Explore a little bit of bustle between the big skies of West Lindsey
After the quiet lanes and stretches of big sky that any West Lindsey walk or bike ride will treat you to, the area’s market towns are ready to deliver a real change of pace. Use them as a well-earned rest point in between footpaths, or treat them as destinations in their own right and visit for a morning, afternoon, or a full day. Either way, grab a coffee, browse a handful of independents, and plan your next adventure.
Market Rasen is a great first stop. With a classic market-town feel, it’s easy to dip in and out of. Down the road, Caistor with its Roman foundations, brings an altogether different flavour: a small town with a big heritage story. Right on the marketplace, sits 2–4, a community-focused restoration project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, due to open later this summer.
If you want to widen the loop even further, you can also weave in Gainsborough, Kirton in Lindsey, and Saxilby, all less than 30 miles from Caistor. Enjoy high-street wanders and unhurried finds that only seem to happen when you stop and take time to browse.
Event highlight: Make September your excuse for a market-town meander with the annual Heritage Open Days Festival returning. Bringing special openings, tours and behind-the-scenes moments, including opportunities to step into places like 2–4 Market Place in Caistor, it’s a diary date worth saving!
Best for: Refuelling, browsing, and breaking up a countryside route with something lively
Don’t miss: Market Rasen Racecourse. One of Lincolnshire’s great day-out venues, no matter the season. If you’re visiting in summer, keep an eye out for the season’s feature racedays, including the Summer Plate/Ladies Day in July, and if you’re here in winter, Boxing Day Racing is a festive favourite worth building into your plans.
Cycle swap
Opt for two wheels instead of two feet
Cover more ground on two wheels
If you’d rather ride out on two wheels, West Lindsey has a range of fantastic cycle routes ranging from short rides to longer loops. Just choose a section that fits your time and ability. There is plenty of choice, including The Edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds route, which will take you from Market Rasen to Wickenby. Journey through 11 villages, some of which are just a cluster of a few houses, on (mainly) quiet country roads where traffic is light. A 25-mile ride in total, this route can be shortened at various points to allow for ability and time available.
Event highlight: If you fancy joining something bigger, keep an eye out for sportives and charity rides that often pass through the area, including:
- Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive (Saturday, 9 May 2026): 53, 75 and 100-mile routes, starting at Yarborough Leisure Centre
- Castle to Coast (C2C2C) Charity Ride (Thursday, 25 June 2026): 100-mile charity ride from Nettleham
- Thankful Remembrance Ride (November): a longer charity ride (around 118 miles) that typically passes through Lincolnshire parishes
Best for: Fair-weather days and longer itineraries
Don’t miss: If you prefer to be in like-minded company, look up local group rides and time trials with Lindsey Roads Cycling Club and Gainsborough Aegir Cycling Club ahead of your outing — a great way to see the countryside with people who know the lanes.
A big finish
Time to take the long way home
Explore centuries of history in Gainsborough
Finish your day in Gainsborough and make it feel like a finale. Start with Gainsborough Old Hall — an imposing late fifteenth-century mansion with a story as layered as its beams. It has been a grand home, a theatre, cramped tenements, and even a pub, before becoming the much-loved local landmark it is today. When you’re ready for fresh air, swap timbered rooms for river views. The Riverside Walk is a gentle way to stretch your legs again, and the town has plenty of green-space moments for a breather before dinner, from riverside gardens to woodland and commonland just beyond the centre.
And when evening rolls in, Gainsborough is an easy place to eat well without overthinking it. You’ll find everything from relaxed gastrobar vibes to cafés and chains around Marshall’s Yard — perfect for a proper sit-down meal, a quick bite, or a last drink to toast the day.
Explore Gainsborough
