Lincolnshire Wolds- Walesby and the Western Scarp

Everybody's heard of the Cotswolds. They may even be familiar with the Yorkshire Wolds. However, there's another Wolds that's less famous, but quieter, just as pretty and packed with history. The Lincolnshire Wolds are a group of chalk, sandstone and clay hills that stretch across the northern half of Lincolnshire. They run south-east to north-west, from the Fenlands to the Humber. A county not known for its soaring peaks, has this hidden secret of rolling hills and quiet vales.

For someone that grew up in Lincolnshire, the Lincolnshire Wolds were always referred to locally as 'the Wolds'. People knew about this designated AONB (area of outstanding natural beauty) and would head there on sunny bank holidays and for a weekend stroll. After leaving the county, it became apparent that 'the Wolds' are unknown to many and visited less than its rolling relatives. 

Having had the pleasure of visiting many other AONB's in England, it became apparent that I'd neglected 'the Wolds' and visited it less than I perhaps should have. So, with a free weekend, I headed up to my home county on a tedious drive up the A1. The following day, my dad and I decided to walk a route we had planned in the north-east section of the Lincolnshire Wolds- taking in some of the places that I'd been particularly interested in visiting. 

The tiny village of Normanby Le Wold would be our starting point. No, we hadn't accidentally crossed the channel on our drive to the Wolds. For some strange reason, the Lincolnshire Wolds hold onto the French 'le' in many of the place names. In fact, if you're looking for strange place names, you could do much worse than the Lincolnshire Wolds. With villages like Bag Enderby, Ashby cum Fenby and Belchford you're never too far from a ridiculous sounding settlement. 

So, it was at Normanby le Wold (the highest point in Lincolnshire) that we decided to start our days ramble. We had planned a 10 mile walk that would take in the villages of Normanby le Wold, Claxby, Tealby and Walesby- with some amazing views, a cute pub and historical points of interest on the way. 

From Normanby we made our way down the 'western scarp' that gave us fantastic views west. It's said that on a clear day you can see the Peak District. We had good views, but not quite that far. After dropping down off the 'western scarp' we followed our route on the side of Claxby wood and down into the first village of Claxby. 

A quiet, quaint and beautiful place to live I imagine. Houses clung to the ridge, looking out to great views and what would be great sunsets. Claxby, like most places in the Wolds ending in 'by' was originally a viking settlement. Like much of the Lincolnshire Wolds, it looked like it hadn't changed for a long time. After we left Claxby, we headed along the bottom of the ridge as we aimed for the village of Tealby. 

This long stretch of the walk gave a flavour of life in the Wolds. Sheep, it seems, are a driving force to the economy of this area. Each field had large flocks of sheep. Some had a mix of different breeds, but, my favourite without a doubt was the Lincoln Long-wool. With curly locks over their eyes, they look like a group of hippies. When you walk past them, you expect them not to 'Baa', but to say 'What's happenin' maaaan?'. Quiet fitting to see the Lincoln Long-wool sheep, when at the same moment you can look west and see the mass of Lincoln Cathedral on the horizon. We skirted the edge of Walesby on our way to the village of Tealby. We would visit on our way back, but for now we headed to the pub in Tealby for a pint. 

The Kings Head in Tealby is a fantastic pub! A beautiful thatched building in a lovely setting. It was a cosy place to rest the legs before we left to eat our lunch and get back on the route. For the remainder of the walk, we would travel along the top of the ridge as we made our way back to Normanby. From the pub, we walked through the centre of Tealby and began steadily up the ridge. 

For a section, we joined the Viking's Way- a long distance footpath that stretches across Lincolnshire to Rutland over 147 miles. If the rest of the route is like the section that we walked, I'd be very keen on doing the whole thing! As we climbed on the top of the ridge, the views were fantastic. In a county where much of it is only just above sea level, you don't have to have much elevation before you get huge views. 

The weather became dull as we neared our next stopping point at Walesby church. Also known as the Ramblers church, this medieval church has a stain glass window dedicated to Ramblers. The Ramblers also have a special service on Trinity Sunday each year. 

As we approached the church, we step over the remains of the deserted medieval village that the church once sat in the middle of. Now, just a lumpy and bumpy field of sheep with earth works of where homes and buildings once stood. Passing into an eerie graveyard, we stopped to admire the church itself and its impressive position looking out from the edge of the western scarp. Looking closely at the churches masonry, you can see lots of small sea shells in the sandstone- showing that the Wolds sandstone used in the churches construction would once have been at the bottom of an ocean. It made me think about the medieval masons who had built it. Did they wonder how a sea mollusc's shell might have found itself into stone many miles from the sea?

The interior of the church was exactly as I wanted to find it. Evocative and full of unique features. We were the only people in the church and as the clouds had come in and made the church dark, it had a real spooky quality inside. The Ramblers stained glass window however was beautifully vivid and with more sun behind it would have been even more impressive.



On the pillars along the nave are faces carved out of stone by the original medieval stone masons. No one knows who the faces are or why they are there. One of the joys of small churches like this are the mysteries behind such features. I find small parish churches infinitely more interesting than large cathedrals. They hold stories that are unique to that particular place and tell the story of people that are more like you and I.



From the church, we headed back along the top of the ridge and in and out of a series of small valleys. Diverting off the Vikings Way and then back onto it again as we climbed the last leg to the car. It was pointed out to me by my dad, that the last section of the walk involved walking from the very bottom to the very top of the highest point in Lincolnshire. That being said, its still not an altitude sickness inducing climb to end the day. Besides, this last climb offered great views to the west and also across the rolling hills of the Wolds to the east.

If you're looking for an interesting place to go, especially if you're a keen walker, then the Lincolnshire Wolds is a real option. If you went for a walk in the Cotswolds, you'd meet several people on your route and finish off at an overly expensive and crowded gastro pub (not that the Cotswolds isn't stunning in its own way). In the Lincolnshire Wolds, you'll have an interesting, quiet walk and end it at a pub that feels authentic and won't mean taking out a loan. Its out of the way and that's one of the reasons its a great place to visit.

This walk took in some lovely villages and the western edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds provides the perfect opportunity for views. But, there are numerous hamlets and villages waiting to be explored on foot all over the Wolds. Although, having said that, maybe don't all rush there at once. I like it being a hidden gem tucked away on the east coast.

On Foot Note

OSMaps Route

Lincolnshire Wolds Geology and Historical Information

Vikings Way