A walk around Lincolnshire villages

Welcome one and all, it's a sunny Saturday morning here in North Lincolnshire. I've been out for a bimble, and when I have finished this I will go out for another. Yesterday wasn't such a good start, foggy and dull, but I was determined to go for a walk. Now I have my maps sorted, I can lay my hands on one pretty quickly. Some I have printed from the internet and only used once, so to get my moneys worth I am looking for other routes for circular walks on the same sheet. The last time I used this particular one was walking from Scampton to the outskirts of Lincoln, yesterday I went a bit further East and parked at Welton by Lincoln, not far from the main A15.

I was surprised at how busy it was, the village is not particularly big, but there seemed to be lots of people milling around. The library was busy, the medical centre was busy, it was as if everyone was on a mission to get their jobs done. I struggled to find somewhere to park, not wanting to get in the way of locals and annoy them. I found the Village Hall, and went inside to ask permission to park. Even more busyness in there. The ladies were very pleasant, I said I would park out of the way in the corner, as they were expecting it to fill up quite soon. The tables were decked out in all their spring finery, it looks like they have been working very hard to organise this charity luncheon. I enquired which charity they are supporting. The Doctors and Patients Association provide transport to and from hospital appointments for those who don't have access to a car, and they also buy equipment for the doctors surgery. Ninety people were expected, and I was invited to stay for the price of a ticket. I was tempted, but I had come out to walk, ha ha. This is a fine example of the community pulling together for the good of everyone living there.    

The church at Welton stands tall and proud. The spring daffs make all the difference.

Ducks wander about freely.

Opposite is the flower shop, I love the barrow with it's stripey roof.

Time to leave Welton and set off towards Nettleton. As I entered this massive freshly ploughed field there were several white poles marking the footpath. It is allowed to walk through the middle of a field if it is a Public Right of Way. When I got to this post, there was no more. Which way now? Oh well, carry on. On the map the path bends slightly to the left. As I came over the brow of the hill, I saw one solitary post in the middle of the field, I was way off course, ha ha. Spotted in the distance near the hedge boundary I saw the familiar Footpath sign and headed towards it. It was like walking across a desert, not that I ever have done.  

The door to Nettleton Church was unlocked so I went in. This beautiful display of hand sewn flags caught my eye. Each one had hundreds of tiny stitches.

Outside the front of the church is a Beck which runs through the village. There are several good vantage points for photographs. Crossing the Beck is made easy by several small foot bridges.  

At this point cars can cross, the water is fast flowing but not deep.

Onward and upward to Sudbrooke. Difficult to get a good pic of the whole church. At one end it is round instead of square,

And the other end has a quaint little bell tower.

I left Sudbrooke and walked through the park towards Langworth, then turned north towards Scothern, passing two massive chicken farms along the way. O how I hate those places, the stench is disgusting, and I want to open the doors and let all the chickens out.

This was a little bit intriguing. Lots of warning signs around, and tall fences to prevent anyone entering. The map says it's an Oil Well, I couldn't get close for a pic. I could see these big hammer type things pumping up and down. An Oil Well in Lincolnshire, I had never heard of such a thing.  

Here it is on Googlie Earth. The photo I took was from the bottom right hand corner of the site.

I sent the little man down the lane to look at the entrance on street level. Looks all very mysterious. This isn't the only Oil Well, there is another one a mile away. Wonder how long it will be before we become self sufficient :o)

I love these customised village signs, it's nice when someone makes an effort to show how proud they are of their village. This little group of villages seems like the perfect place to live, close enough to Lincoln, yet in the heart of the countryside.

Time was getting on and I needed to get back. I spent time nattering to people so I only did 10.75 miles, a very pleasant walk. The fog cleared and got quite warm by mid afternoon. From Scothern I took a footpath over several fields which ran alongside the road, going through Dunholme, back to Welton. I finished eating my sandwich in the car before the 45 minute drive back. Right, the sun is shining, I'm off out. Toodle pip.