South Kesteven Round.co.uk - 1 Grantham to Woolsthorpe by Belvoir

Harlaxton Manor

**Grantham to Woolsthorpe by Belvoir 12.4* miles**

Grantham Canal and Views of Belvoir

What a start to the 130 mile South Kesteven Round, you will walk through the Vale of Belvoir, along the Grantham Canal, past a living sign, a statue of Sir Isaac Newton and the largest house in Lincolnshire. Plus there are pubs a plenty. What more could you want?

Map of this section of the walk

Print a copy of the walk instructions

There are pubs to visit on this section of the walk

Please let me know of any campsites on or close by the walk

Grantham to Harlaxton 3.8 miles

Our 130 mile adventure starts and ends at the main West Door of the "Glory of Grantham", St Wulframs Church. Built of local limestone and with its majestic spire soaring to just under 283 ft (86.2m), it is one of the tallest Parish Church in England . When the building was completed in the early14th century it was thought to be the tallest building in the country. Soon after leaving St Wulframs you will pass Grantham house where in 1514 Cardinal Wolsley is reputed to have stayed and then the Guildhall, which when completed in 1869, was considered by the architect William Watkins, to be of a new architectural style - well it's certainly different! In front of the Guild Hall, you will see a statue of Sir Isaac Newton, (watch out for falling apples), who was considered be one of the greatest mathematicians and most influential scientist of all time. The statue faces St Pauls Hill, in the age of horse power up to 12 mail coaches a day would travel on this road to and from London, with stabling for over 400 horses at the nearby coaching inns. Towards the end of this section of the walk you get a great view of Harlaxton Manor. This building, completed in 1837 is the largest house in Lincolnshire and was built for Gregory Gregory, a wealthy Nottinghamshire business man. The house is now the British Campus of the University of Evansville, Indiana.

Walking towards the main west door to the Church, take the path to the right and follow it round past the South door and onto Castlegate. Straight in front of you is Grantham House and grounds. Turn right along Castlegate, you will soon pass the Beehive Pub on your right, one of the oldest pubs in Grantham and with a 'living sign' outside. At the end of Castlegate, continue almost straight ahead and pass the Guildhall on your left hand side.
As you pass the Guildhall you will see the statue of Sir Isaac Newton to your right, walk towards the end of the Green alongside St Peters Hill, where you will see a second statue of Frederick James Tollemarche. Cross over St Peters Hill and walk down Wharf Road. Continue along this road, eventually crossing Station Road and then passing under the Railway Arches and joining Harlaxton Road.
At some point cross Harlaxton Road, when you pass some allotments on your right hand side turn right onto Earlesfield Lane. Walk past Hollis Lane on your left, cross over the bridge and immediately turn left to walk alongside the Grantham Canal.
Cross Trent Road and continue straight ahead with houses on your right and the canal to your left. When you reach a metal fence, follow the path to the left and continue walking alongside the canal to emerge at a roundabout on Swingbridge Road. Turn left onto the pavement and then cross the road at the Cycle Path notices and keep left. In a short distance turn right and walk along a service road. Continue straight ahead and beneath the A1. About 30 metres past the A1 turn right at a blue sign for the Grantham Canal.
Follow the path to the canal and walk along the towpath with the canal on your left until you reach Vincent Bridge no 67. Leave the towpath and turn left over the bridge, and follow this road until you reach the A607 Grantham/Melton Road. Cross the road and turn right on the pavement. You will see a footpath sign on your left hand side, follow the path half left heading directly for the spire of Harlaxton Church in the distance. You will cross the drive to Harlaxton Manor and emerge onto High Street, Harlaxton.
Turn left* and continue walking until you pass the village shop on your right, then the village green on your left. Opposite the Church Street road sign turn right up stone steps and continue on the footpath to St Mary and St Peter's Church. Keep straight ahead in the Church yard passing the Church door on your right to a hand gate.
That's it! First walk completed, how easy was that If you are not continuing or you just want to toast your success, there is a pub in Harlaxton called The Gregory Arms, *if you want to visit, as you emerge onto High Street rather than turning left, turn right and walk until you see the pub.

Harlaxton to the Dirty Duck 5.5 miles (*includes +0.9 mile reroute)

The now disused Grantham Canal runs between Grantham and the river Trent in Nottingham. The canal first opened in 1797 at a cost of £100,000 and remained in use until the advent of the railways, closing in 1929 and officially abandoned in 1936. The canal is 33 miles long has 18 locks, 67 bridges and 9 aqueducts. The Grantham Canal Society are actively undertaking restoration of the canal, you can read more about it and get the latest updates at their website - see my links and download page. We follow the canal from just before bridge 67 all the way to bridge 59.

There is a slight detour to the walk at Denton reservoir, the original route is dependent on permissive access to a path which is currently blocked. The detour takes you to the east side of Denton reservoir and you re join the original route at canal bridge no 65. Denton reservoir was built as a feeder lake to the canal, in the early 20th century skating competitions took place on the reservoir, but these days it's just lovely to walk round and enjoy the peace and tranquillity whilst watching the wildlife

There are two pubs on this section, so take your pick or why not do both

Go through the hand gate, over a stile and keep straight ahead through the paddock with the hedge on your left. Pass through a second gate at the side of some buildings, then a third gate, walk through a paddock, keep straight ahead before passing through a final gate to reach a road. Cross Rectory Lane and go straight ahead down West End. The road becomes a track and then you go through a gate onto a path between hedges. Cross a style into a field and head half right towards a gap in the hedge. Go over a stile and cross the busy A607 with care.
Continue half left across a field, cross a track, formally an ironstone railway into a paddock with a footbridge ahead across a stream. Then head for the top right hand corner of the paddock to enter a footpath between houses leading to Main Street, Denton.
Cross the street to a footpath between stone cottages and continue across another paddock passing some fine horse chestnut trees. Pass through a gate, turn right into Park Lane to a T-junction. The walk goes to the right, but turn left if you want to call at the Welby Arms. Continue along Church Street, past the village hall on your right. Where the road bends sharply to the right turn left onto Casthorpe Road. After crossing a stream turn right into a green lane.
Continue straight ahead through two paddocks and a stile. Before you reach the reservoir there is a waymarked path to your right over a wooden bridge. Cross the bridge, (this is where you leave the original route), turn left after crossing the bridge and follow the path with the reservoir on your left. When you see a public footpath sign turn right, walk down some steps and over a bridge. Continue straight ahead between two hedges, when the hedge on the left ends continue straight on. Cross over another bridge through a gate and you will see a stile ahead on your left. Cross this stile and walk diagonally right to a stile at the far end of the field.
Go through a gap in the hedge where you will see a three way footpath sign, continue straight on with the Grantham Canal on your left. Go left through another gap in the hedge where the path takes you close to the canal side and you cross through a gate. Continue on this path back into a field where you get a nice view of Harlaxton Church in the distance to your right. Cross through another two gates and go down a few steps to reach the road.
Turn left and cross Harlaxton Bridge, at the end of the bridge turn right and walk down to the canal towpath, walk under the bridge and continue along the path with the canal on your left. You rejoin the original route at bridge number 65.
Continue on the path until you reach Woolsthorpe Bridge 61, where you will find the Dirty Duck Pub.

Dirty Duck to Woolsthorpe by Bevoir 3.1 miles

I've slightly amended the walk at this point. Originally this section ended at Brewers Grave, but I think a more natural end is at Woolsthorpe by Bevoir where there is a nice pub called The Chequers. You can call here and celebrate the completion of the first section of the South Kesteven Round!

As you leave the Dirty Duck you are at the highest point of the Grantham Canal with a fall of just under 140ft (42.6m) to the River Trent.

Approaching Woolsthorpe you will see Belvoir Castle on the horizon. The castle which rises above the vale of Belvoir is the ancestral home of the Duke of Rutland. There have been a total of 4 castles on the site, the first Castle was built in the 11th century, the current Castle was started in 1801 and took 30 years to complete.

Continue straight ahead on the grass towpath and continue until you reach bridge 59 which is where you leave the Grantham Canal. Turn off the towpath and walk over the bridge crossing the canal on the Muston to Stenwith Lane for about 0.4 miles. Continue past a cottage on the left and into the dip beyond. As the road bends left, walk behind the crash barrier and take the signposted footpath to your right.
Keep straight ahead in the meadow beyond and walk beside the River Devon and through four further fields. At the end of the fifth field, the footpath crosses a bridge over the Devon and turns right to follow close by the other bank. You will see Belvoir Castle in the far distance
The path continues beside a further arable field and then between arable and meadow areas, before crossing a farm track. It then veers left to cross two further fields to reach Sedgebrook Road. Climb the steps to join the pavement and turn right. Continue straight ahead at the Belvoir/Denton crossroads. When a small green is reached with the 'Chequers Inn' sign turn left to the pub and the end of section 1.

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