Rothwell - Cuxwold - Croxby Circular
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The walk starts at The Blacksmith's Arms and crosses the recreation ground before following the lane east out of the village. At the village boundary it leaves the road and takes to a footpath alongside a stream for about 400m. Having passed the local water treatment works it joins a wide, surfaced road and follows this to the Joseph Nickerson Research Centre in Cherry Valley. Although now owned by Lima Grain this was one of the numerous offshoot companies set up by Sir Joseph Nickerson when he was the owner of virtually all the land that you can see or walk over around Rothwell.
The walk bypasses the Research Centre and then leaves the road at the Old Manor House and follows a grass track out into the countryside. Continuing alongside the stream in the valley bottom for a few hundred metres, the path then crosses the stream and climbs out of the valley, diagonally across a field to the corner of a plantation. From here it climbs further, goes through a hedge and over a ridge before it drops to the hamlet of Cuxwold.
From the tiny hamlet of Cuxwold the route climbs south-east along a lane before branching off onto a farm track that heads due south, passing farm buildings and then heading out into open country with views across the wolds all round. This section crosses rolling farmland that is typical of The Lincolnshire Wolds and gives a chance to see the wildlife that inhabits it.
The farm track eventually arrives at Lake Farm. From here the rest of the walk is on quiet lanes with verges broad enough for walking if there is traffic. The walk heads west towards the tiny hamlet of Croxby, where it turns north-west at the crossroads and returns to Rothwell by the long, straight lane over Croxby Top. There are great views out to the coast and inland over The Wolds as you travel this lane.
The walk explores an area that is rarely visited. There are a few lanes but traffic is sparse. Thirty years ago you would have been deafened by the constant comings and goings of Lightnings from RAF Binbrook just a few hundred metres to the south of Croxby. Today the runways are nearly all gone. The hangers and buildings remain, forming the new village of Brookenby, as the entire station was sold off shortly after closure.
This walk can be paired with Walk 7091 to give a good day's walking with a pub and good food in the middle!
England - East England - Lincolnshire - Lincolnshire Wolds