Stamford Canal

Monday 22nd May.
With Maureen and Norma. 
The same route as on April 4th, and April 10th - about 6 and a half miles.
Not many photos as I was in a hurry to get back.

Uffington, Casewick, Barholm, Greatford

Thursday 27 April 2017, starting at 10.20.  With Maureen.  A cold grey day, with occasional drizzle, and a chilly wind.
This is the route we took in December 2013.

We parked on School Lane, and walked back to Casewick Lane where we turned left. We followed the road to the estate gates, 

From here the lane becomes a public footpath and leads past the house and other buildings. 

Lady smock flowers?

The hall

and its ha-ha

 The path crosses a couple of fields and goes over the railway line. Definitely a case for crossing with care, as the trains pass at over 100 mph. However, the right of way is still there.

Clearly marked paths along field edges lead into Barholm, where we turned right and then left immediately after the church.

The path is clear, over fields and a bridge over Greatford Cut.

Mobile phone mast and trees.

Inspired by Monet?

Inside Greatford church

An unusual stained glass window

After a quick visit to the church, we continued along Greatford Gardens and walked along to the end, where the gates and boundary of Greatford Hall are protected with some vicious looking razor wire.  The footpath turns right, and then left through the trees. Turn right at the end of the woods, then cross an arable field - easy enough at this time of year.

Cows and calves in the fields of Shillingthorpe Park

The path turns slightly left, keeping the wood on the right, and then follows the track through Shillingthorpe Park, over the River West Glen to the road. We turned right and walked for about a mile along this road. There is a level crossing at around the half mile mark.
At the next junction we turned left, and very soon joined the bridleway to the right.Shortly before the bridleway joins a road our path goes to the left, along field edges, over a footbridge and on for some distance. Eventually it turns right and we walk for a mile or so towards Uffington.

View of Burghley House across the valley.

When we meet the main Stamford - Deepings road we turn left, and walk as far as the church gates, turn left through the churchyard and out on the other side at School Lane.

Stamford, Belmesthorpe, Uffington, Stamford Canal

With Maureen, April 17 2017 10 am.  This is the route I followed on April 10th 2017, and on April 4th 2017, but in reverse and with an extra mile or so added on to include Belmesthorpe and the lamas/alpacas.  Total 7.8 miles, in dry weather, with good conditions underfoot, but still cooled by the wind in spite of some sun.

We set off from Stamford and walked round the back of Morrisons to the Ryhall Road, where we turned right at the post office.  After a hundred yards or so we turned right at a public footpath sign, and followed the track through the demolished railway bridge and over the fields to the bridge over the Gwash, then climbed gently up to where the path meets the road to Belmesthorpe. We turned left along this road, as far as the village.

 At Belmestorpe we turned right then took the first road on the right (Castle Rise), which leads to a footpath between two fences and out into the fields. One short stretch of dry ploughed land, then a pleasant fenced footpath which led us past the lamas (alpacas) looking very woolly and quite tubby - I reckon the air is too oxygen-rich for these high Andean specialist, but they look happy enough.

 There are a few pigs as well, and the next field was full of sheep with lambs.

From here we joined the route I took the other day, not quite touching the same ground twice, though we could see the road. We turned left just before Cobbs Nook Farm and followed the bridleway ahead, then left, then right across a footbridge. We met a man doing a recce for a walk - he assured me the railway is still crossable just after Casewick - I shall have to investigate.  We continued and turned right again some distance further on. This bridleway took us to the main road into Uffington. We followed the road, as far as the gate to the church. The churchyard is looking a little unkempt now the daffodils are over, but we found a sunny sheltered bench for a break.

We walked along School Lane, turned left into Casewick Lane and soon right along Manners Close.

Soon we went over a stile on our left, following the permissive path through a large garden with a pond.  The path fro here is well signed, and took us out to the main road after about half a mile.

At the main road we crossed over to the footway, and turned right towards the gate to the former Uffington Manor, where this slightly stoned looking character is one a pair on the gateposts.

A left turn took us to Uffington Bridge over the Welland. Just before the bridge we took the footpath along the tow path of the former Stamford Canal. 

After a mile or so we went through the kissing gate annd walked along the edge of one field, and over a footbridge across the Gwash.  The path through a field of sheep with lambs leads to a gate and the track from Hudds Mill. 

The track turns right and heads to the Uffington Road. A short walk towards the town brought us to Morrisons roundabout, and lunch in the café.

Stamford, Stamford Canal, Uffington

Monday 10 April 2017.  With Norma and Eddie. 6.5 miles, mainly flat. Weather fine and dry, but not as warm as the weekend.

Exactly the same route as last Tuesday, with fewer photographs . . . I give the details on that post.

Uffington Bridge

A mystery tree

Coffee break outside Uffington church.

Norma and I finished with lunch in Morrisons cafe, and a mini shopping expedition.

Uffington Casewick Barholm Greatford

Thu, 2013 Dec 5 9:36 AM GMT

Led by Barry, with me Gordon and Maureen. Reverse of a previous walk. Weather very windy, and for the last mile or so a downpour. Good underfoot. Just over 9 miles. New problem with footpath crossing of mainline railway.

Previous walk in reverse.

We left Uffington on Casewick Lane, and followed the footpath along the main driveway with a winter view of the hall.

Casewick Hall

Dovecot

monument

Happy Christmas

 The railway crossing appears to have been closed. Memo to self - contact Lincs CC.

Can they just do this?

 After the railway we walked over fields to Barholm, where we paused at the church.

Lantern in the porch of Barholm church

 The path beside the church takes us directly to Greatford, crossing a dyke/canal/cut on the way.

Greatford

The ducks make a quick getaway

There are a lot of odd stone structures

 Greatford Church was open - well worth a look.

Memorial to Francis Willis, MD, who treated George III.  Greatford Church

 We walk through Waterside Gardens and turn right along a narrow path between fences, then alongside woodland.

We were pleased to reach the end of this section in the high winds.

Just possible to see the herd of deer

The path takes us through Shillingthorpe Park, and over the River West Glen.  Then we have a mile or so of road walking, and another crossing of the railway, before a left turn at the road junction.

 Then it's turn right along a bridleway, with trees each side - quite muddy, but very clear. At the end of it I turn round and see a dramatic rainbow.

Up to now we had stayed dry - but a rainbow tends to mean - rain.

 From here we take the path to our left, behind a farm and alongside fields and back into Uffington.

poplars in the wind

Ah - 'twas just a clearing up shower!

A wet last mile!





Map and details

Uffintgon circular - Greatford, Barholm, Casewick Park

Wed, 2013 Sep 11 10:01 AM British 'summer' Time

With Marta. Same walk as one on july 25 2013. Flat terrain. Overcast day, but dry - good underfoot - paths clear. About 10 miles - .25 ish switch-off after Greatford pub.

The same walk as I did on July 25 2013.  This time we found our way to Greatford Church, but we still couldn't locate 'Meg's Well'.  The photos show very grey skies.

Near Uffington church stand three redwoods.

Marta saw two hares when she looked through the huge gates of Uffington Manor on the main road.We turn right before the houses after West Hall Farm.

We believe this is the site of the mill mound marked on the OS map.  

Our path takes us over farmland, always clearly marked and following track or field edge. We come out behind Cobbs Nook Farm, and join the Macmillan Way,  along a wooded bridleway.  We join the road turning left and then right to where we cross the East Coast Mainline at a level crossing.  A short half mile takes us to our left turn into Shillingthorpe Park.

The cows and calves are gathered round the food here.

We cross the river West Glen, and make our way to along the farm road to the woodland, before turning right over fields.  These are no problem this time, as they have been harvested and waymarking is good.  We follow the path behind the very private Greatford Hall into the village. A local resident of 25 year's standing tells us how to access the church - there's a small white gate near the bridge over the small river.

In the church is a memorial to Francis Willis, who is reputed to have cured George III of his madness in 1789.  Dr Willis owned Greatford Hall, and ran an asylum there.   The church also boasts a Roman coffin, and many interesting plaques and dedications.

As we come from the church towards the road we pass the entrance to Greatford Hall.  It was destroyed by fire in 1922, but rebuilt.

The inn sign for the local pub, where we had an excellent baguette lunch, with friendly service.

A large stone cross near Bridge cottages

The crown commemorates the coronation of George VI.  There is more info and more photos (not mine)  here.

We cross the fields south towards Barholm.  On the way we spot an ambitious mobile phone mast trying to look like a tree.  We cross a bridge over Greatford Cut, which joins the West Glen River to the Welland and forms a flood defence system for Greatford.

Barholm Church . Click on the link for further information.  
From Barholm we take the road past the Five Horseshoes pub and the Old Hall. We turn left and make our way over several fields to the railway again. No level crossing here, but a warning about trains travelling at 100 mph.  The track is straight and the view is good. On the other side we walk over two or three fields before reaching Casewick Park, with its lovely buildings, high hedges and fine gates.

I need to identify this tree.

A look back at Casewick Hall as we leave the park, and take the road leading to Uffington.

Apart from the hares, we saw a few swallows swooping after the insects, and a lot of small speckled wood (?) butterflies.

Map and details