The Viking Way. Stage 1 – Barton to Barnetby

Although we have walked several sections of the Viking Way Long Distance Footpath, especially in the Lincolnshire Wolds and between Horncastle and Lincoln, we have decided to walk the whole route during the summer with friends Dorothy and Steve.  Consequently we set out today, with a relatively good weather forecast, to meet up at Barnetby-le-Wold.  Here we left one car and then drove on to Barton-Upon-Humber, where our walk was to begin.  The route initially followed the Humber past Far Ings Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust reserve and on to South Ferriby.  Redshank were calling from the mud of the river as we walked along and the haunting cry of a curlew came to us from nearby fields.  It was good to see the marsh harriers over the reserve reed bed.  The regular female is this year being courted by two males, the long established bird and a darker young bird.  Coltsfoot, cowslip and primrose were in flower; later cowslips were seen flowering in profusion on the verges of the A15.  Marsh marigold was flowering on the edge of one of the reserve lakes and goat willow was everywhere covered with pussy willow flowers.  The hedgerows were now greening up as the hawthorn comes into leaf and in places were frothy with the white blossom of blackthorn.

At South Ferriby our route left the riverbank and headed up onto the Wolds by way of the intriguingly named Piggery Lane and past the chalk quarry belonging to the Cemex cement works down below us on the Humber Bank.  Hoping for the forecast day of reasonable weather, we were less than happy to note that the forecasters had yet again got it wrong as it began to rain and did so persistently for the next couple of hours.  Despite this skylarks and chiffchaffs were both in song.  The Viking Way led us across the top of the Wolds, over the A15 and then back towards Barnetby, crossing over the busy M180.

At 15 miles 3 miles longer than the guide book predicted, but an excellent day finished off with an excellent meal at the fine hostelry, The Sloop, the official start of the Viking Way.

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