South Kesteven Round.co.uk - 6 Bourne to Folkingham

St Andrew's Church Sempringham

Bourne to Folkingham 15.5 miles

A Woodland Walk and Memories of a Welsh Princess

Discover the delights of the ancient 400 acre Bourne Woods and the Church with the missing village. Did you know that Lincolnshire played a key role in supporting the Knights Templer and the crusades as well as breaking the Welsh royal succession. Oh and dig out your designer walking gear you are passing through South Kestevens very own haute couture fashion town.

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

Camping Available

Bourne to Hanthorpe 3.1 miles

The market town of Bourne has a wide selection of pubs and lovely eateries. If you have time why not visit Wellhead Gardens, the site of seven underground springs which gave Bourne its name or Abbey Lawns where you can have a dip in it's outdoor pool. The town has historic links with the motor sports industry, with both the ERA and BRM marques having been founded here by Raymond Mays. Both Graham Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart drove for BRM in the 1960's with the former winning the world championship in 1962 and BRM the constructors title. Connections with motor sport continue through Pilbeam racing who are based in Bourne.

As you head away from the Bourne Crossroads along North Street you pass Wake House, the birthplace of Charles Frederick Worth, founder of the famous Paris fashion house that bore his name. For someone like me whose idea of fashion is a pair of good walking boots and a fleece, I'm ashamed to say it's the first time I have heard of Worth. He dominated the Paris fashion scene in the late 19th century and was regarded by many as the founder of Haute Couture. Who needs Paris when you have Bourne!

Anyway back to more familiar territory, this section of the walk will take you through the ancient Bourne Wood which was originally part of the ancient Forest of Kesteven and recorded in the Doomsday Book. There is a mixture of broad leaf and conifer trees and an abundance of wildlife for you to enjoy as you pass through in your haute couture designer boots

From the crossroads walk up the centre of Bourne walk straight ahead along North Street (A15). After passing two mini roundabouts and a filling station turn left into Christopher's Lane.
Continue straight ahead, the lane soon becomes a footpath, continue on this path until you reach Orchard Close, where you turn left then immediately right. Pass Stanley Street to the right and and Bramley Close to the left and after 40 metres turn right between two houses (no 163 & 161).
Immediately turn left and with a fence on your left and a stream and bushes on your right. Cross over Hazelwood Drive and continue along the path. Houses give way to a field on your left and you can see Bourne Woods ahead.
Enter the woods keep straight ahead and after approx 100 metres turn right at a T junction onto a stone track. Pass Diana's Glade on your right. After about half a mile at a junction of stoned paths turn left and after approx 250 metres at a T junction turn right.
After about half a mile at a junction of stoned roads, turn left and after a further 250 m at a T junction turn right onto another stoned track.
Continue straight ahead and up a slight rise, Follow this straight track and after half a mile you will exit the woods and into an open field.
Turn left onto a farm track, where the track turns right continue straight ahead (no signpost) onto a grass track with a hedge on your left emerging onto the public road close to Hanthorpe Village

Hanthorpe to Kirkby Underwood 3.0 miles

As you approach the Church at Kirby Underwood, you'll notice that it stands in farmland in splendid isolation about a quarter of a mile away from the village. The original village used to surround the Church, but in 1712 Sir Gilbert Heathcote acquired the estate and moved the village to the east so that he could develop the area as a shoot.

Turn left onto the public road, away from Hanthorpe village and after about 80m turn right onto a sign posted track, When this ends keep straight ahead along the edge of the field with a dyke on your left. At the end of the dyke turn right towards a kissing gate
Go through the gate and proceed into the next field keeping the hedge on your left. About 100m from the end of the field turn left through a kissing gate and veer half right to a footbridge. Continue in the same direction to the far corner of the second field and then in the third field walk to the left of the pylon, to the far corner and cross over a stile to join the public road.
Turn right here into Stainfield village. Opposite a house on the right called Tempus Fugit, with a clock tower on the garage roof, turn left at a public footpath sign and through a kissing gate in a hawthorn hedge.
Cross the small paddock, then veer to the left in the second field to a hedge corner, turn right and continue keeping the hedge on your left hand side. After a footbridge go straight ahead to a hedge corner in front. Keep straight ahead with the hedge on your right hand side, following it to the edge of Thorney Wood. Take the footpath to the right walking alongside the wood on your left.
At the end of Thorney Wood, the path turns left over the footbridge into the trees and then immediately right through a kissing gate. Continue ahead through the fields, keeping a fence, hedge and a dyke on your right hand side.
When nearly level with Kirby Underwood Church on your right, turn right over a footbridge to the corner of the Churchyard, and walk around it, turn right to join the road leading to Kirby Underwood.
At the public road turn right and walk into the village keeping left at the grass island. Turn left into Aslackby Road (signposted Aslackby).

KIrkby Underwood to Aslackby 3.4 miles

The Village of Aslackby (pronounced Azleby) is known to have been the site of one of several preceptories for the Knights Templar in Lincolnshire. The Templar's were a group of devout Christians, formed in c1118 during the crusades to protect travellers to the Holy Lands. The purpose of the preceptories or estates which were formed throughout Europe was to generate income through farming to fund the Templars activities. The site in Aslackby lay to the south east of the Church and although there are no standing remains it is thought that some of the ornamental stone work was use in the c1891 re building of Temple Farmhouse.

A building that very much does exist is the lovely Robin Hood & Little John pub located on the A15 as you exit the village of Aslackby. The pub sells cask ales and good food - possibly a nice mid point break for this section of the walk.

After about a mile at High Park Farm the lane turns sharply to the right, walk past High Park Cottage, then immediately after the road bends to the left, turn right at a public footpath sign onto a stoned track which leads to Victoria Farm.
At the buildings leave the track and veer to the left keeping the fence and then a hedge on your right. Pass through two fields keeping the hedge and then a dyke on your right. Near the end of the second field the path passes through a tunnel of trees, follow the path around a left turn. At the end of this section turn right along a field edge with trees on your right to reach the A15 main road.
Cross the A15 with care and turn right into the lay-by. Walk along the lay-by and near the apex of the curve in the lay-by, look for a public footpath sign in the trees on your left. Turn left, walk through the small wooded area and emerge into a field. Walk straight across the field to join a T junction of public roads
At this T junction leaving the hamlet of Graby on the right hand side, walk straight ahead on the public road for about 100m and turn left at a footpath sign post. Walk to a footbridge in the right hand hedge then cross a second field, continuing on the same line, to rejoin the A15 road.
Cross with care to a footpath signpost opposite, enter the field and continue to a metal kissing gate in the right hand hedge. Proceed from here to a stile in the next hedge heading to the right of the church tower ahead. Pass through a metal kissing gate into the third field and veer to the left heading towards a brick barn at the top of the rise ahead.
Continue straight ahead by the barn to the public road ahead in Aslackby village. Turn right on the road and continue past the ford to a T junction beside St James Church.

Aslackby to Sempringham 2.9 miles

Sempringham is steeped in history and is the site of the founding house of the only English Monastic Order. The Gilbertines founded in 1131 by St Gilbert is characterised by having cannons and nuns living in the same establishment (separated by a long stone wall). When Gilbert died in 1189 there were 13 houses throughout the country with 700 men and 1500 sisters. St Mary's priory was built close to St Andrews Church which is now all that remains of the site.

As you approach St Andrews Church, you will pass a memorial to Princess Gwenllian who was brought to the monastery as a six month old child, following the death of her father Llywelyn, Prince of Wales at the hands of Edward l. Gwenllian held the key to Welsh royal succession and was therefore seen as a threat to the English crown. Following her fathers death Edward had the orphaned Princess abducted, and to ensure she remained childless spirited her away to the Sempringham Priory where she remained for 54 years until her death in 1337, probably never aware of her royal status.

Following the dissolution of the Monasteries, the building was destroyed and Edward Fiennes (later Earl of Lincoln) was given the site where he built a mansion. In the 17th century this became a centre for men from the Puritan movement to meet and discuss plans for emigration to Massachusetts. One of these men, John Winthrop became the Governor of Massachusetts and when a school was formed that later became Harvard University, the executive committee of three were all Sempringham men. You can read more by following the Sempringham link on the downloads page.

Turn right onto Temple Road to the A15. Turn left here onto the pavement, passing the Robin Hood and Little John pub to the village hall and continue on the roadside verge to the crest of the hill when a footpath sign is reached on the right. Follow the footpath sign over a wooden bridge and keep straight ahead over two fields keeping the hedge and dyke on your left hand side and crossing two other ditches. Go under low voltage power lines and turn left at a gap in the hedge crossing a dyke on a wooden bridge.
Head half right towards the far right hand corner of the field. Leave the field at this North East corner, to join Mareham Lane at a T junction. Walk straight ahead between the farmhouse and farm buildings, on the road signposted Pointon.
Proceed for 1.1 miles into the village, but after the Pointon sign DO NOT take the turn to the left sign post 'Restricted Byway'. Continue into the village on West Road, until footpath signs are seen on both sides of the road. Take the left hand footpath just before no 48 and the village post box.
Veer half left across the grass paddock to a footbridge over the stream and then continue straight ahead up the hill on a grass footpath between arable fields. The tower of Sempringham Church gradually becomes apparent ahead. Cross a footbridge and descend the hill with a dyke on the left hand side.
On reaching the tarmac lane in the valley, cross the bridge ahead, to the Princess Gwellian memorial on your left. Then continue straight ahead on the track to Sempringham Church. Enter the Churchyard through the kissing gate and walk to the Church door. To your right, at the base of the Church tower, are slate panels, commemorating St Gilbert of Sempringham and in front of them is a stone display table showing the site of the former Priory.

Sempringham to Folkingham 3.1 miles

On reaching Folkingham (pronounced Fokingham) you will be greeted by an impressive portico, which is all that remains of the House of Correction. The former prison built within the moat area of a former castle was used from 1809 - 1878, being enlarged in 1825 to house up to 80 prisoners. You can now stay here (I suspect under much more pleasant circumstances) as it is owned by the Landmark Trust and used for holiday accommodation.

Another historic building dating back to 1650 is the Greyhound, a former coaching Inn which is located at the top of the hill overlooking the village green. It has now been converted to residential accommodation, but fear not the New Inn pub on West Street, just along from the Greyhound is available for you to rest your weary limbs and celebrate completing this section of the walk. If this doesn't tick the box for you, you could always indulge yourself at Hansen's Chocolate House.

If you are looking for camping accommodation Low Farm Park is a family run campsite in the grounds of an 18th century farmhouse.

With your back to the Church door walk through the gap in a wall between the Yew tree and the hedge. Follow the path with a fence on either side of you. At the end of this path turn right, do not go over the footbridge, follow this path with Marse Dyke on your LHS. - the site of the former priory lies on the other side of the dyke.
Turn right immediately after passing a belt of trees, sign post restricted byway, to join another track known as Primrose Lane. Continue on this tree lined lane until you reach a public road. Turn left and walk along this quiet road until you arrive at a T junction with Mareham Lane, at Beacon Hill.
Turn left and after about 120 metres just before a spinney, turn right at a Public Bridleway sign onto a grass track, known as Beacon Lane. There are attractive views on all sides, particular towards Folkingham to the North West
Immediately after passing a fenced in reservoir on your right, join a farm track and turn right down a hill. In the valley ignore the track to the right and veer to the left up a slight rise. At the crest of this rise, turn right at a footpath signpost and over a footbridge, continue with the hedge on your right hand side.
In the bottom of the dip follow the edge of the field to the left beside the brook. On reaching the culvert beneath the road keep left on the field side of the roadside hedge. to arrive at the field corner by a Pumping Station.
Cross the concrete bridge to join the public road and turn left. Almost immediately, after passing the House of Correction, turn right over a stile and veer half left across the small grass field to a stile in the western fence (not dog friendly). Then cross a track to a footpath opposite which takes you to the Marketplace (A15) in Folkingham. Turn right and walk to the former Greyhound Inn at the top of the hill.
Give yourselves a pat on the back you have reached the end of this section of the South Kesteven Round

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