Five of the best things to see along the Viking Way

16 hours ago

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Visit Lincolnshire A brown post is leaning to the side and has a yellow arrow on it with a black Viking helmet with a yellow background. Rolling fields are beyond it with the sun shining down on them.

From the highest point in the Lincolnshire Wolds to spotting water voles along a stream, the Viking Way with its distinctive yellow helmet signs includes some of the most picturesque walking spots in the county.

The 149-mile trail starts on the banks of the Humber and passes through the Wolds, market towns, Lincoln and several villages before it reaches Oakham in Rutland.

Visit Lincolnshire has divided the route, which opened in 1976, into 13 longer trails and some shorter circular walks.

As it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we share five of the best spots to visit along the route.

And you can share your stories of the route through Lincolnshire County Council's website.

The bank of the Humber

The Barton-upon-Humber to Barnetby le Wold walk takes you past the Humber Bridge

Steve Goacher/Getty A large bridge stretching across a long body of water. There is a blue sky and white clouds. — The Barton-upon-Humber to Barnetby le Wold walk takes you past the Humber Bridge

The Barton-upon-Humber to Barnetby le Wold walk, which is 14 miles, goes along the bank of the Humber, with views of the iconic Humber Bridge.

It then crosses Elsham Wolds before entering the valley of the Skegger Beck and Barnetby.

It starts at the North Bank Viewing Area in Hessle, and you can look out for wildlife from Far Ings Nature Reserve which is along the route.

The heart of the Wolds

The short Donington on Bain to Biscathorpe walk is in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds

Lincolnshire County Council A pole with public footpath signs and black/yellow Viking helmet signs. There is a stream behind it surrounded by grass, and a house in the distance. — The short Donington on Bain to Biscathorpe walk is in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds

One of the shorter walks on the route is just over four miles and starts in Donington on Bain, a village in the River Bain valley.

It is surrounded by rolling hills, valleys, streams and villages.

The walk then takes you to Biscathorpe, another rural hamlet in the heart of the Wolds, which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Highest point in the county

There are stunning valley and hill views near Caistor

Visit Lincolnshire Sunny and rolling hills with trees, sheep grazing in the fields and a house in the distance. — There are stunning valley and hill views near Caistor

The Caistor to Tealby section of the Viking Way is nine miles and crosses the highest ground in Lincolnshire, offering stunning valley and hill scenery.

It includes Normanby Top, which is a summit and the highest point of the Lincolnshire Wolds, with the National Air Traffic Control Radar Installation nearby, nicknamed the Golf Ball.

Medieval abbeys

Lizzie Maher/Getty The ruins of an abbey in a field underneath a bright blue sky. — Barlings Abbey was founded in 1154

This long walk of more than 16 miles from Barndey to Lincoln takes you through Witham Valley, which is rich with religious houses that were established in medieval times.

They include Bardney Abbey, which was founded in 697, and Barlings Abbey, founded in 1154.

The route also goes through Fiskerton and Cherry Willingham before it getting to Lincoln, with its striking castle and cathedral.

Water voles

imageBROKER/Kevin Sawford/Getty A brown water vole in a shallow river. Its small black eyes are peering at the camera as droplets of water sit in its fur. It is holding on to a piece of grass and has long whiskers. — Water voles can sometimes be seen in Goulceby

Finally, one for the wildlife experts who want to spot something nearer the ground – perhaps a wild Ratty from The Wind in the Willows.

The Donington on Bain to Horncastle walk, which is 13.5 miles, gives you the chance to keep your eyes peeled for water voles in Goulceby as they walk along the stream.

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