Unless you live in south Lincolnshire, it's unlikely you will have heard of the Grimsthorpe Castle. The Castle is an 18th century house with parts of it dating back to the 13th century.
We live nearby and the Grimsthorpe Estate has public footpaths running through it which make for good, short walks. Penny and I followed a circular route of just over five miles. It takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to complete. A perfect afternoon walk.
We parked in a layby in Creeton village and followed the Riven Glen south towards Little Bytham. After a mile or so, you meet a footpath coming out from Little Bytham where you turn east north east. You climb an escarpment which takes into the Grimsthorpe Estate.
The section of the route here is the 'Bytham Riding' and leads past some estate cottages and farm buildings towards Kennel Plantation. The terrain is a mix of parkland and fields. Shooting in the distance
If you follow this route on a weekend, you'll hear shooting in the distance as you pass the Kennel Plantation. There's a clay pigeon shooting club in the valley nearby.
At the end of this section is the concrete road which leads to the club. Turn left here and walk for 200 metres before turning towards Elsea Wood. It's likely you'll see deer around here. There are dozens of fallow deer in the area. Into the woods
The path skirts the edge of the deciduous woods and you enter at a point called Pebble Gate. Here, the woods are stunning at most times of the year. We walked through in November 2018 and were lucky with the light. The Autumn light streamed through the trees and remaining leaves.
The path follows the 'Steel's Ride' through the woods. John Steel was a steward of the Grimsthorpe Park for the Duke of Ancaster in the 1800s. He's buried in Edenham, which is nearby. The ride meets an avenue which you cross and carry straight for another kilometre or so before heading south east towards Creeton. Back to Creeton
When you turn back towards Creeton, you'll realise you're relatively high up. The route remains level and follows the edge of fields in which you may find cattle grazing.
Approaching Creeton the land drops back into the Glen valley. If you have time, drop into the church in Creeton. They have a couple of Saxon grave crosses. The hamlet has no amenities. If you want a drink, the nearest pub is in Swayfield. The nearest shop is in Corby Glen. There is a tea shop at Rassels Garden Centre in the Little Bytham, which does good cakes. The route
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Adventure Log
December 2018
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