Celebrate 50th anniversary of the Viking Way with third ‘Walk of the Month’
Lincolnshire County Council is continuing to celebrate the 50th anniversary long distance walking route the Viking Way.
The 149-mile route was created in 1976 and runs for 149 miles from the Humber estuary to Oakham in Rutland.
It was developed by Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Humberside County Councils with support from The Ramblers and its name reflects the area’s links to the Danelaw in the late ninth century, when Lincolnshire formed part of historic Mercia.
The route passes through some of the county’s best landscapes, including the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape, the Lincolnshire Limewoods, the cliff villages south of Lincoln and the Kesteven Uplands.
A series of short walks linked to the Viking Way have been picked out to inspire people to sample the route.
For the third outing in the county council’s ongoing series, we head to Boothby Graffoe between Sleaford and Lincoln, for a swift 5.5-mile outing that links three of Lincolnshire’s most striking cliff‑top villages – Boothby Graffoe, Navenby and Coleby.
It’s an easy walk that suits most people, giving you another way to dip into the Viking Way without planning your whole day around it, but long enough to feel like you’ve been somewhere.
The villages of Boothby Graffoe, Navenby and Coleby sit along the limestone edge south of Lincoln. Many of the buildings are made from the local stone and the villages have that mix of character and age that comes from being perched on a dramatic escarpment. When you’re on the Viking Way section, the views stretch out across the Trent Vale and remind you just how high the cliff villages sit.
Part of the route follows Ermine Street, the Roman road that once linked London with Lincoln and York. It’s one of those stretches where the history is still there in the line of the track and the feel of the ground under your feet.
You can begin the walk in any of the three villages. Each one has its own character and all link neatly into the circular route.
If you’re taking children, grab the I Spy sheets or tick off a few items from the 50 Things list on the Visit Lincolnshire website. It keeps the walk lively and gives younger ones something to look for along the way.
Maps and directions (and more circular routes) are all on the Viking Way page at: VisitLincolnshire.com.