South Kesteven Round.co.uk - 5 Stamford to Bourne

Uffington Bridge over the River Welland

Stamford to Bourne 14.1 miles

From Town to Town Through Seven Villages

Yes you do indeed pass through seven delightful villages, (I've counted them!) plus a selection of lovely pubs. You follow a disused canal approved by Queen Elizabeth l and pass the birthplace of her chief advisor William Cecil. Did you know that South Kesteven had it's own spa town and that Mad King George was treated there? Oh and don't forget the 1000 year old Oak! Blink on this section and you could miss something.

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

Thurlby, adjoining Northorpe has a Youth Hostel

Stamford to Uffington 2.5 miles

Having enjoyed the delights of Stamford you need to return to Whitefriars Gateway to continue the walk. Interestingly there were four orders of Friars in Stamford, after the Reformation the monasteries were destroyed with just this gate surviving. Although it is called Whitefriars it is believed that the gate is the entrance to the most prestigious of the four, the Franciscan Grey Friary.

Just before reaching Uffington the walk splits and you can choose to complete the Market Deeping alternative route or continue on the main route. If you decide to take the Market Deeping route you will need to add a further 3.8 miles before reaching the village of West Deeping making this a long section to walk. The main route passes through some of the most attractive sections of the walk between Uffington and Greatford (where the alternative and main route re join), so if you take the alternative route it is worth re visiting this section of the walk again at some point.

As you enter Uffington Park you will see information signs explaining the historical significance of the river Welland which prior to 1673 formed a navigation link from Stamford via Spalding and the Wash to the North Sea. The footpath follows a section of the former Stamford Canal active from 1673 which ran alongside the River Welland from Stamford to Market Deeping. The canal was closed in 1863 due to competition from the railways.

After turning left at Whitefriars Gateway , continue ahead until you reach a second roundabout which is the entrance to Morrisons supermarket, keep straight ahead sign post Spalding A1175. After a short distance you pass an iron balustrade of a former railway bridge on your right. Turn right here, signpost Public Bridleway, and walk down a lane.
At the end of the lane turn left and go through a gate into a field with the river Welland on your right, when the river comes close to the footpath continue straight ahead, (do not take the footpath to the left), and you soon enter Uffington Park.
After about a 100m turn right and follow the footpath with the former Stamford Canal (part of the Welland Navigation) on your left and the river Welland on your right. You will get glimpses of Burghley House through the trees to your right. Continue for a good distance along this path until you reach a road and an attractive stone bridge.
At this point you have the option of continuing to Uffington on the main South Kesteven Round or embarking on the Market Deeping Alternative route. If you are looking to complete the full round and visit Market Deeping then turn right here and go to section 5A.
If you are continuing on the main round then turn left and head towards the A16 passing the ornate gates and Lodge to the former Uffington House. At the A16 turn left and enter Uffington Village. Cross the road and walk past (or call into) the Bertie Arms pub, and then turn right down Casewick Lane

Uffington to Greatford 3.6 miles

Uffington House was built around 1690 by the Bertie family and was considered to be one of the finest houses in Lincolnshire until it was destroyed by fire in December 1904. All that remains are the impressive lodge, massive brick walls and iron gates. You will though get a good view of Casewick Hall as you pass through Casewick Park. The house was re built by the Trollope family in 1621, with a Gothic frontage added in 1785. The Hall is now divided into private homes.

In this section of the walk the public footpath crosses the main east coast railway line. Unlike at Tallington where the footpath has been diverted over the Tallington footbridge you will need to cross the railway on foot, so please take great care when reaching this part of the walk.

There are 3 lovely pubs in this section, you are spoilt for choice. Being a real ale lover, if I was going to stop at one of these pubs, it would be the Five Horseshoes at Barholm, in summer there is also a beautiful beer garden to enjoy. However the Bertie Arms at Uffington is also a lovely pub, or you might just decide to treat yourself at the end of the walk and call at the Hare and Hounds in Greatford, if you are up for it why not try all 3! (NB Five Horsehoes only has snacks available, no food offer)

Walk along Casewick lane, keeping straight ahead to leave the village and continue along this lane until you reach entrance to Casewick Hall. You will see a gate and public footpath sign to the left of the main gates. Follow the drive through the Park with views of the house on your right. After passing a further set of ornate gates, head for the field gate straight ahead.
Cross over a stile at the gate and then veer half left through a clump of trees. Continue through an arable field and a belt of trees heading for the far corner of the second field Turn left over a wooded footbridge and then through a gate and up steps to cross the main east coast railway line. There is good visibility in both directions but GREAT CARE must be taken when crossing as trains pass at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Continue across a small field heading to the left of a small spinney in front.
Cross the stile (not dog friendly) then turn right and follow the path, pass through a gap in a hedge keeping the spinney and subsequently a hedge on your right. At the end of the third field cross a stile (not dog friendly) and follow the path into Barholm crossing over another stile (not dog friendly). Follow the track past the recommended 5 Horsehoes pub to a T junction.
Turn right and cross the road, immediately after the Churchyard turn left at a public footpath sign and over a stone stile, followed by a second stone stile at the end of the Churchyard. Follow this path crossing a footbridge over the Greatford Cut, then over a stile then a second stile veering half left across the field towards the left of a couple of farm buildings. You are now on a concrete path, cross over a third stile before emerging onto Greatford Main Street.
If you didn't call in at the Bertie Arms or the Five Horseshoes, turn left to find the Hare and Hounds, or turn right then immediately left down Carlby Road if you are continuing the walk.

Greatford to Toft 3.8 miles

Greatford (pronounced Gretford) is an attractive village which is linked with Dr Francis Willis, who in 1788 treated and 'cured 'King George lll with his first bout of madness. His asylum, Greatford Hall is now a private residence and following his 'fame' at treating the King, he opened a second asylum at nearby, Shillingthorpe Hall (demolished in 1945). There is a bust of Dr Willis in the Church at Greatford.

The King George connection continues at Braceborough which was the site of a Victorian Spa and bath house, where Dr Willis treated the King. So popular was the Spa that it had its own Railway station Braceborough Spa Halt. The station closed in 1951 along with the rest of the line and is now a private residence, the spa finally closed in the late 1930's.

The walk takes you past the Bowthorpe Oak, at an estimated age of 1000 years old (that's a lot of candles) it is thought to be England's oldest oak tree. The tree is hollow inside and It has a staggering girth of just over 13 metres. You get a good view and a sense of scale of this magnificent tree from the walk.

After emerging onto Greatford Main Street, turn right then immediately left onto Carlby Road, passing Greatford Old School (1762-1988), the village Hall and playing field on your right. As you exit the village you pass the Old Rectory and the road bends to the left. You will see a public footpath sign on your right, follow the direction of this sign along the edge of a field. go straight ahead on a footpath, you are heading towards the spire of Braceborough Church.
Follow the path around to the right and after a short distance you will see a break in the hedge and a footbridge on your left. Cross the bridge and continue across the arable field. Cross over a stile and into a paddock continue straight ahead with a hedge on your right, cross another stile in the right hand corner, and turn left. Continue straight ahead through another grass paddock, and go through a gate straight in front. Walk down the track passing houses on your left until you reach a T junction at the Old Rectory, turn left and past Braceborough Hall on your right.
At the grass island with its ornamental beacon, turn right and walk down the village street. Ignore the public footpath sign on your left, and take the first road on your left signposted Spa Road, no through road. Continue along Spa Road, the road bends to the right then you pass the site of a former railway station Braceborough Spa Halt. At the end of the tarmac road cross the dismantled railway line and continue on a stoned track past Spa Lodge Farm. The footpath continues up a slight incline through an arable field heading to the far right hand corner.
Cross over a footbridge turn left and follow the footpath with a hedge on your right. At the farm track you will see a gate diagonally to your left, cross through this gate into a field, do not turn left or continue straight on along the track. You are heading towards some farm buildings and the far left corner of this field. At the exit gate from this field look to your left and you will see the Bowthorpe Oak. Although this is off route you get a good view and a sense of scale of this magnificent old tree.
Walk down the bank to your left then double back on yourself and head through the gap in the farm buildings. Turn left and at a 3 way public footpath sign turn right down a field keeping the fence on your right, at the bottom of the field cross over a stile, a footbridge then a second stile and continue straight across a field in the direction of the way marker sign. Cross over a stile, then head up the hill towards the double pole electricity pylon. Turn right along the field edge to the village street in Manthorpe.
Turn right and continue along the footpath, at the forge continue to follow the road around to the left signposted Thurlby and Bourne. In a short distance the road turns to the right and after passing the last house on the left, turn left along a track in a few metres keep right and follow the path along a field edge with a ditch on your left. Where the ditch bends to the left continue straight on towards the hedge in front and cross the stile into Toft Golf Course. The path is way marked through the Golf Course but please take care.
Initially walk straight forward and then head half right up an incline towards the trees. Pass to the right of these trees along a path, past an octagonal seating area towards another way marker sign. You can see the club house in the distance, head down the hill towards the lake, walk around the edge of the lake, keeping it on your left past another way marker sign and a sand bunker on your right. Turn left at the club house and exit the golf course through the gates.
Cross the A6121 and turn right towards Toft House Hotel and turn left at the road signpost Edenham and Lound.

Toft to Bourne 4.2 miles

The Round skirts around the South Kesteven Fens which lay to the east of the A15, however as you reach Northorpe and Bourne you are only a short distance from Car Dyke which runs from Peterborough to Lincoln and is considered to be one of the greatest feats of engineering carried out in Britain during the Roman occupation. Positioned on the western edge of the fens it catches drainage water from the hills to the west and discharges it into the River Nene in Peterborough and River Witham near Lincoln. There is still some debate by historians around how the Romans used the Dyke and if it was a navigation channel for transporting goods or not.

Although not much has changed along the route of Car Dyke, the same can not be said about the Round as it enters Bourne. A bypass and a number of housing developments have 'popped up' since the book was written, however the final stretch of this section is really quite pleasant, passing Red Hall and Burdock's Mill with views of Bourne Abbey Church. Red Hall was built in the 17th century as a home but more recently it is remembered as the ticket hall and home for the station master for Bourne Railway Station. It has also been used as a film location including scenes from Moll Flanders filmed there in 1996.

The current Bourne Town Hall was built in 1831, replacing an Elizabethan building believed to have been commissioned by William Cecil, later the first Lord Burghley, adviser and statesman to Elizabeth l. The Burghley Arms is traditionally regarded as his birthplace.

Continue along this road until you reach the hamlet of Lound. Turn right at the crossroads, signpost Bourne and Stamford. At the end of this road cross the A6121 and proceed straight ahead following a footpath with the hedge on the right passing through two fields. At the end of the second field cross a stile and footbridge and then follow the path slightly right down hill aiming for the far right hand corner. Cross a footbridge and then almost immediately turn right across another bridge. Cross the next field veering half left to the left hand corner. Join a track and turn left. After about 150 metres turn right over a footbridge.
Follow the path heading towards another footbridge almost in line with the pylon in the distance at the end of the field. Continue on this path slightly to the left of the pylon. About 50 metres short of the left hand corner of the field cross a bridge on your left, down some steps, cross the old railway line up the other side and over a stile. Continue straight ahead towards the hedge. Cross over a stile and walk down a narrow path with a conifer hedge on the left and a fence on the right, down a gravel drive to the public road in Northorpe.
Turn left onto Wood Lane this is a tarmac roadway until you reach Northorpe Lodge where it turns into a track along the line of the dismantled Bourne to Essendine railway that you crossed over at Braceborough Spa. Continue along this track until you reach a gate and cross over the Bourne bypass road.
Cross over a small area of grass and continue on a footpath between houses, pass a mini roundabout and at the end of the road at another roundabout, bear left and immediately cross over Newton Abbot Way and head towards a public footpath sign and a track to the right of a tarmac footpath. Continue along this track with a wooded area to your right and houses on your left.
Pass a 3 way public footpath sign, continue straight on do not veer off into the wooded area. At the end of the wood turn right at a public footpath sign and follow the path. After a short distance you will see a metal gate on your right with a way marker sign, go through the gate and veer left across the small field. You get good views of Bourne Abbey in front and then the Red Hall on your right. Continue along the path towards and through Baldock's Mill onto South Street in Bourne. Turn left and walk to the cross roads in the centre of town.
Congratulations you have completed this section of the Round, why not stop and explore the lovely market town of Bourne and enjoy the many Pubs and eateries. You can read a bit more about Bourne and some areas to explore in the introduction to the Bourne to Hanthorpe section.

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