Kinoulton, Colston Bassett and the Grantham Canal, 23rd February 2025

 Scott's 7-mile walk started at the (sadly closed) Nevile Arms and took thirteen members along Hall Lane and across the River Smite towards Colston Bassett for bacon butties and coffee at the Village Hall.  We then followed Church Gate for a short distance before turning off to cross the Smite again and head towards the ruins of St Mary's Church.  Then, after joining Colston Road, we reached the Grantham Canal which we followed back to Kinoulton.

The start amongst the crocuses outside the Nevile Arms

Distant view of Colston Bassett Hall. Twenty bedrooms, eight bathrooms and all yours for £3.6 million

Bacon butties in the Village Hall

Passing St John the Divine, Colston Bassett

River Smite, looking downstream

St Mary's Church

Not muddy like this everywhere

Returning along the canal

Advice for fishermen - stopping the spread of invasive aquatic species

St Luke's Church, Main Street, Kinoulton

Syston, Barkston and Marston, 16th February 2025

Starting in Syston, John led 11 members on a 7.8 mile walk firstly to nearby Barkston, turning off north along West Street and Drift Lane as far as Honington Beck, a tributary of the Witham.  The Viking Way was then joined to cross the Witham and then on to Marston.  After stopping for lunch at the Village Hall, we recrossed the Witham and followed Frinkley Lane uphill as far as Frinkley Hill Farm before droppimg down into the Witham Valley and retracing our steps to Barkston and Syston.

We did a similar walk, starting in Foston, in August 2017.

The start, Main Street, Syston

Fine stone houses on West Street in Barkston

Approaching the Grantham to Skegness Poacher Line

Honington Beck

Crossing the Witham and avoiding the stepping stones

Dropping down to the Witham on the Viking Way

East Coast Main Line train approaching Grantham (or perhaps Newark)

Emerging from the ECML tunnel

Fine houses in Marston

St Mary's Church, Marston

Bridge Street, Marston - second crossing of the Witham, looking downstream

John conjures up a train at the Frinkley Lane crossing

Bridge over Honington Beck on the way back

Woolsthorpe Wharf, Grantham Canal and Muston, 12th February 2024

Starting at Woolsthorpe Wharf,  Dave took eighteen members on a 4½ mile  walk along the Grantham Canal as far as Muston Bridge before taking Woolsthorpe Lane and Church Lane to Muston Cross for coffee.  After crossing the Devon to reach the church, the walk returned to the start along the Sustrans cycle track for the VBR Spring Lunch at The Duck.

Thanks Steve and John for the photos and Elaine for organising the lunch.

The start in The Duck car park

Grantham Canal Society's depot and barges

Oops, someone pulled the plug out

Our Leader and new member Shanker

No way to avoid the mud today

Stenwith bridge - on a brighter day

Muston Cross - coffee break

St John the Baptist Church, Muston

An example of agrivoltaics, these huge, dual-axis solar tracking panels can be seen from the path near Muston.  They track the movement of the sun in the sky giving 40% more power.  These have been elevated to allow for co-cropping below - sheep in this case

View of The Duck and Wharf from the cycle track

ITMA

Woolsthorpe Bridge

Twenty for lunch in The Duck

Ancaster Valley, Culverthorpe and Kelby, 9th February 2025

Starting at Ancaster Church, Scott's 8.7 mile walk took ten members along the Ancaster Valley to Culverthope and Kelby returning to Ancaster on paths adjacent to the Valley.

The start at St Martin's Church, Ermine Street, the Roman road from London to Lincoln and York

The Ancaster Valley is a gap in the Jurassic limestone ridge which runs roughly north south through Lincolnshire. The gap was formed by the River Trent which cut through the ridge some 450,000 years ago on its way to low lands now covered by the North Sea

This steep sided valley covered with limestone grassland, scrub and woodland is one of the finest sites for limestone flowers in the country

Pipes and valves, part of Anglian Water's 34-kilometre water pipeline between Waddington, south of Lincoln, and Harrowby, east of Grantham. It will eventually join up with the other planned pipelines to the north and south, forming the network that stretches from North Lincolnshire to Essex

Approaching Culverthorpe Lakes

Snowdrops in Culverthorpe

Culverthorpe Village

He said it was going to be muddy - he was right

Feet of clay - guess who

Kelby Duck Pond - lunch stop for some

Wildlife in Kelby

St Andrew's Church, Kelby - lunch for the rest