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May - National Walking Month

Nigel

December 29, 2021

Zoe shares her list of favourite walks

So it’s May, the sun is starting to shine and there is plenty of outdoor activities that we can enjoy in the lovely county of Lincolnshire. Not only that, but May is National Walking Month. Over the last year we have all found new spots of countryside to wander through, here are my best ones.

I’m new to the area of Lincolnshire, moving here just 1 year ago and since getting a puppy just 6 months ago, I’ve been making it my mission to find new and exciting places to walk him. In my mission I have found that there is an abundance of beautiful walks, animal sanctuaries and nature reserves across Lincolnshire and in today’s blog I’m going to share some of them with you.

Walking is free activity that you can do and is a great way to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. Just to name a few advantages of putting on your trainers or walking boots and getting out walking- It can burn calories, strengthen the heart, ease joint pain and reduce the risk of long-term health conditions.

(Click on names for related maps)

Walks

Doddington Hall

If your heading towards Lincoln, why not check out Doddington Hall. There is a range of walks that vary in length and terrain around the Doddington Estate. These include, Fishpond walk (30 minutes), Avenue walk (45 minutes), Circular walk (90 minutes) and the Nature Trail (45 minutes). The parkland is open daily and free to access (with exception of the Nature Trail). It is a great place to take the dog for a walk and is one of my puppy’s favourites! Why not check this place out too!

Woodland Waters

Woodland waters is based in Ancaster village, in between Sleaford and Grantham. They offer fishing, camping and events, as well as the ability to walk your dog. With 72 acres and 5 fishing lakes to walk around,there really is lots to explore. This is a walk best suited to quieter dogs, so that they don’t disrupt people fishing. Dog’s also must be kept on a lead. But nonetheless, this is a beautiful place to explore.

Anderby Creek

Anderby Creek is a beautiful sandy walk on the East coast of Lincolnshire. The sand dunes make it a great place to take an adventurous dog,or adventurous children. It also has picnic areas, off lead areas and a small amount of free parking. However, there is some restrictions to taking dogs herein the summer months.

Hubbards Hills

Hubbards Hills is known as an area of natural beauty, so why not get out walking here this summer. Toilets are currently open, but the Café remains closed, police are also regularly patrolling to ensure social distancing, so it’s a great, safe place to walk this summer. If your canine companion is anything like mine, they will love the streams, shallow enough for small dogs and deep enough for large dogs to paddle. With both on and off lead walks, this is perfect for a dog walk. There is also picnic areas and pathed routes, making it a great walk for children and the household too.

Water Rail Way

A trail linking Lincoln to Boston and a range of beautiful artwork to see on route. This walk follows the River Witham and is ideal for walking the dog, cycling or just walking with your household. The entire route is 33 miles long.

The Viking Way

A 147 miles walk that runs from the River Humber, through Lincoln and ends at Rutland. It’s a great place to go walking after lockdown,with some beautiful views. And with 147 miles to explore, it’s a place you can go over and over again and explore different parts of the walk!

Nature Reserves

Whisby Nature Reserve

Whisby nature park is a beautiful place to go this summer.It has an abundance of wildlife, walks and trails to explore. Dogs can be walked on a short lead around Whisby or they can be walked off the lead around Thorpe Lake only. This is one of my puppy’s favourite place to walk and with a‘doggy beach’ on Thorpe lake, it is the perfect place for the dogs to cool down this summer.

Woodhall Spa Airfield Nature Reserve

If you would prefer a day out walking without the dog, I would definitely recommend Woodhall spa airfield nature reserve. It was formerly the home of four RAF squadrons, more recently used as a sand and gravel quarry and is now a beautiful nature reserve. There is grassland, heath-land and marsh areas as well as open water. – a great place for a quiet walk.

Snipe dales

Snipe Dales country park and nature reserve is currently open. The Country Park car park is open to visitors but currently the Nature Reserve car park remains closed. This lovely walk offers beautiful views of the southern Lincolnshire Wolds. There is a mix of woodland walks and streams and an abundance of wildlife. There are three way marked trails to explore, ‘There and Back Trail’- 1 mile linear walk, ‘Country Park Trail’ – 1&¼ mile circular walk and ‘Snipe Dale Round’ – 3&½ mile circular walk. Two of these walks are also suitable for dogs.

Animal sanctuaries

Ark wildlife park and exotic animal sanctuary

If your looking for a place to take the kids this summer, the Ark wildlife park and exotic animal sanctuary is the perfect place to go. Tickets are currently needing to be booked online, to control numbers on site. There is lots of visitor safety information on the website, so it is recommended to give that a read before visiting. There is a range of animals to visit, including exotic mammals, fearsome carnivores, stunning reptiles and farmyard animals - so it is definitely worth a visit.

I hope this blog has given you some insight into some beautiful walks in Lincolnshire. This summer, I’m going to continue to make it my mission to find more beautiful places to explore. Feel free to try these walks out, or even explore your own walks. Get those trainers or walking boots on and enjoy the beautiful county we live in. I look forward to hearing all about your summer adventures exploring.  

If after getting out walking you still feel like you need that little bit of help to get motivated and stay motivated, One You Lincolnshire has a team of coaches that are here to help you. We are still open during this time to help you now more than ever. We are delivering all of our sessions via telephone, Zoom, Skype and Facebook. For more visit our residents page

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