Viking Way, Stage 9: Wellingore to Honington

After shuffling the cars around so that we had one at each end of our walk, Dorothy, Steve, Heather and myself parked up outside the limestone church at Wellingore ready to begin our assault on the 9th leg of our campaign to walk the Viking Way.

Today's rout was to take us across the Lincoln Heath, mostly along the old Roman Road of Ermine Street and then down to the plain of the River Witham at Honington.  Today the Lincoln Heath is neat farmland, but as recently as the mid 18th century it was still true heathland; inhospitable and dangerous.So much so that the Dunstan Pillar was built as a land lighthouse to guide travellers across this dangerous plateau.  In fact, John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington, one of the most notable diarists and travellers in the 18th Century and well-known for his horseback travels through England writes about it in his Torrington's Tours of Lincolnshire.

Ermine Street was the major Roman Highway between London and York and runs in a dead straight line across the heath.  As this was to be the route of the first part of our day I wondered how much interest there would be in it, assuming we weren't to find the lost standard of the 9th!!!  I needn't have worried, however, as, although straight, this excellent wide green lane undulated and made its way round woods and plantations and gave plenty of variety.  I enjoyed examining the defences of the old RAF Wellingore airfield and the warm yellow limestone walls lining the route were a treat.  We were beginning to see the first signs of Autumn now, as well, with rosehips a plenty and leaves changing colour.  Nearby is the well-preserved Knights Templar preceptory of Temple Bruer.  The Knights Templar were formed in the 12th century to protect pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land.  Their order eventually spread throughout Europe becoming immensely wealthy and powerful.

Just before we left Ermine Street we passed Byard's Leap, the site of an old Lincolnshire legend involving a local knight who set out on his faithful horse Byard to rid the area of a local with, Old Meg'.  Meg is said to have sunk her nails into Byard who leapt three great paces forward before the witch was finally dispatched.  Horseshoes still mark the site of this supposed event.

Beyond Byard's leap our route took us west down the escarpment of the Lincoln Edge and into the village of Carlton Scroop, before continuing by field paths and lanes to the beginning of the green lane of Frinkley Lane near Honington where we had left the second car.  As we neared the end of today's journey the hedges were heavy with huge blackberries, what a pity we had nothing to put them in.

Yet another excellent day.

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