A Super-September Lincoln Edge Walk

The Viking Way is forty years old this year. Much of its route offers superb walking country with beautiful views from the Lincolnshire Wolds and the Lincoln Edge.
This week, on 6^th September the Country Walkers Group followed a circular walk, which covered not only some of the best of the Viking Way but also the track marched by the Romans along Ermine Street.

We parked in Coleby at the Tempest Inn and our team of eight set off to join Ermine Street.

This section of the famous road is now rural track. We marched along the straight track for a couple of miles in the heat of the September sun until we reached the attractive village of Navenby, where we found a very welcome sign for a coffee shop. No-one needed to be asked twice so we put up the sun umbrellas and sat out in the sun drinking coffee.

From Navenby the character of the walk route changed as we joined the Viking Way. Walking northward  we followed the Lincoln Cliff edge, with its beautiful  views westward across the Trent Valley to the Pennines in the distance.

At this time of year the fields are brown and golden as the farmers finish harvesting and begin ploughing.  Much of the scarp slope of the Lincoln Edge is too steep for arable so we saw lots of cows too, as well as the odd little field mouse . We passed the time of day with a few walkers..

Halfway along the route is the lovely village of Boothby Graffoe where the limestone buildings rival anything to be seen in the Cotswolds.

Eventually we saw the spire of Colby Church. Now we knew it was not far to lunch. The Tempest Arms was prepared for us. They’d cooked our orders and served us on the terrace, under sun umbrellas again. Food and service were superb.
Add that to good company, fine weather and the glorious Lincolnshire landscape and you’ve got the ideal recipe for a U3A Country Walk. There were no real gradients on this walk, so everyone found it easy, even those who think they can’t do 6 miles.  (Name withheld but she knows who she is!)

If you enjoy getting out in the countryside, do sign up for a walk at the next monthly meeting.  In the programme there’s a distance to suit everyone.

Liz Jefferson