Viking Way: Bardney/Stainfield to Fiskerton

 We've been making progress with our Viking Way walk in legs of 5-8 miles at a time with transport at each end so that we can walk more of the trail each time. 

I haven't been blogging every walk because I post the information and pictures on UK-Walks. 

But this time I have quite a few extra pictures of a very pleasant and surprising day. 

The surprise was Barlings Abbey. We'd noticed quite a few ruined abbeys in this small area but there's usually not very much to see; some mounds and an information board. As you approach Barlings Abbey, though, you can see quite a chunk of the old wall, possibly dating back to 1154.

Our walk was on 30 August. That wonderful time when apples and blackberries are ripe for the picking. Things are still very green and the weather is warm but not too hot.

Shadow of Juicetrump

 On a recent Viking Way walk we spotted this information board which shows a circular walk close to the delightfully-named Juicetrump Hill. 

This map shows the route and may be enough to navigate the walk, particularly on the Viking Way section. I've made a GPX file anyway, which will load into any mapping / navigation app on your device. The starting point is given here as postcode LN9 6LJ / grid ref TF291 756.  I've used the Blue Bell pub as the start / end point in the GPX.

The walk is circular, ie starting and finishing at the same spot. Part of it is the Viking Way, a walk that passes through some of Lincolnshire's most spectacular countryside. The return leg has a couple of reasonably steep climbs, but some beautiful views are the reward.

It's currently mid-winter and it has been wet and so much of the walk was very muddy. This made the walking difficult, particularly on the slopes.  

Viking Way part 2: Ludford to Donington

A previous circular walk had included some miles of the Lindsey Trail and also some Viking Way. I have to be honest, the Viking Way is the more spectacular of the two. The council have taken care to ensure that the LT is accessible but this means that it sticks to surfaced paths and roads. This doesn't make for the most interesting walking or spectacular views. 

On 2 September we opted to continue following the Viking Way for these reasons. Previously we'd walked a section from Tealby to Walesby. In order to continue South, we drew a seven-mile route from Ludford Magna to Donington on Bain. 

In the interests of covering more miles of the Viking Way itself, we opted for a linear walk. this is more difficult if you're by yourself (unless you want to do twice the distance - one way and then back) but with two people and two cars it's not too difficult to arrange.

The details of the route are on this page. Below are more photographs of some of the best countryside that Lincolnshire has to offer. Even on a dull day, the views don't disappoint.