Walk FactsWalk LocationTwo circular walks through thecountryside around Wellingoreand Temple Bruer. The walks areon good tracks and footpaths.

Starting PointsSt John’s the Baptist Church(Grid Ref: TF 010 547)Navenby High Street(Grid Ref: TF 9880 5750)

ParkingSt John’s the Baptist ChurchNavenby High Street

Public TransportFor information call the Travelineon 0871 200 22 33 or visitwww.lincolnshire.gov.uk/busrailtravel

Walk Length6.1miles (9.8kms) should takethree and half hours to walk.8.4 miles (13.5kms) shouldtake 4 hours at a leisurelypace.

Type of WalkFootpaths and quiet countryroads. Fairly easy underfoot.Quiet tarmac lanes andtracks. Fairly easy underfoot.

Ordnance Survey mapsExplorer 272 and Landranger 130

IntroductionThings to see and doin Navenby

Navenby High Street features a widerange of interesting local shops.There are a number of great placesto eat, drink and relax after yourwalk and a fine selection ofspecialist shops selling great qualitylocal foods.

Mrs Smith’s CottageCraven Cottage3 East Road, Navenby, LincolnTelephone: 01529 414294www.heartoflincs.com

Navenby, Wellingore and TempleBruer lie at the western edge ofLincoln Heath close to the Cliff. ‘Bruer’comes from the Norman-French word‘bruyere’, meaning ‘heath’.

These villages are close to theRoman Ermine Street, the roadlinking London to Lincoln constructedby Army engineers of the 9th and14th legions during the conquestperiod. Settlements on the road wererestricted to military posts every 10Roman miles, with stations atSaltersford, Ancaster and Navenby.

For centuries, Lincoln Heath enjoyedan evil reputation as the haunt ofhighwaymen, but in the last 200years its poor soils have beenimproved for agriculture. TheKnight’s Templar may have enclosedareas of heath to support theirmanorial ‘granges’.

At Temple Bruer only the towerremains of a much larger Preceptory.The original church featured arounded knave supported by eightpillars in imitation of the HolySepulchre in Jerusalem, which inturn followed octagonal Romantemple design. Curiously the remainsof an octagonal roman temple werefound a mile away at Navenby.

Places of interest to visit nearby

EC

S62

83R

T20

09

W1

W1

W2

W2

W1

W2

W1

W2

For more Stepping Out walks, further information on local attractions oraccommodation, please call or visit:Sleaford Tourist Information Centre, Money’s Yard, Carre Street,Sleaford, Lincs NG34 7TW Telephone: 01529 414294Email: tic@n-kesteven.gov.uk www.heartoflincs.comDownload all the Stepping Out walks by visiting www.countrysidenk.co.ukwww.countrysideaccess.gov.ukwww.visitlincolnshire.com

A1

A11

33

A17

A1500

B1398

A60

7

A607

A15

A15

A52

B1189

B1190

A46

B1188

B1191

A60

7

B1429 A153

B1202

B1241

B12

02

B1190

B1178

B1190

B1202

B1395

B1188

A158

A15

A52

B1191

B11

91

B640

3

B1192

A1434

B1178

A153

B1190

B1202

EastHeckington

Haddington

1

2

3

4

5

67

8

910

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Go Stepping Out!

Whilst great care has been taken in compilingthis information into this leaflet, NorthKesteven District Council cannot be heldresponsible for any errors, omissions oralterations contained within it. The inclusion ofan establishment within this leaflet does notimply any official recommendations by NorthKesteven District Council.

Stepping Out

Walk

9

North Kesteven District Council Heart of Lincolnshire

www.countrysidenk.co.uk

W1 W2Distance 6.1 miles/9.8kms Distance 8.4 miles/13.5kms

Wellingore andTemple Bruer

Many of the paths have beenprovided by the goodwill of locallandowners. These are markedby Highways Act signs. Nospecial permission is needed touse these paths, but walkers areasked to help to ensure acontinued welcome by only usingthe waymarked paths andkeeping dogs on a lead. Wherepaths cross pasture young stockmay be present. If you have adog with you please make sure itis under firm control in thesesensitive areas.

RReeffrreesshhmmeennttssWellingore GarageCliff Road, WellingoreLincolnshire LN5 0HY Telephone: 01522 810311

Marquis of GranbyHigh Street, WellingoreLincolnshire LN5 0HW Telephone: 01522 810442

The Red LionHigh Street, WellingoreLincolnshire LN5 0HWTelephone: 01522 811020

��Knights Templar Walk Village and Viking Way2. If parking at St John’s the Baptist

Church, look for the waymarkedtrack on the opposite side of theroad. Follow this for approximatelyhalf a mile until you reach ajunction of paths.

3. Turn left along the farm tracktowards the Knights TemplarPreceptory at Temple Bruer,which can be glimpsed in thedistance.

4. From Temple Farm there is theoption to reduce the walk toapproximately 4 miles by turningright along Temple Road towardsCocked Hat Plantation. You willre-join the longer route at Point 6. To follow the longer route carrystraight on, taking the footpathopposite for about 1¼ miles tothe village of Brauncewell.Brauncewell boasts a restoredHorse Gin, used to driveagricultural machinery. To findthe Gin turn left into the villagewhere its rounded structure canbe seen on your right.

5. To follow the walk turn right outof Brauncewell along Long Lanefor about 1¼ miles until you seea grassy track leading off to yourright. This is Ermine Street andpart of the Viking Way.

6. Turn right onto Ermine Streetand follow the Viking Way alongthe course of the old RomanRoad for about a mile until yousee an area of trees to your right

known as Cocked Hat Plantation.7. At this point you can turn right

along Temple Road back towardsTemple Farm and retrace yoursteps back to the car park. Alternatively, continue straighton, crossing Temple Road until away marked road leads off right.At this point on your left is thesite of RAF Wellingore an oldairfield dating back to 1917

8. Turn right onto this track andcontinue for about a mile passingGriffin’s Farm on your left untilyou reach a junction of paths.

9. Turn left and this path takes youback to St. John’s the BaptistChurch and your car.

Reproduced from OS Mapping with the permission of the controller of HMSO c Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes crowncopyright and may lead to civil proceedings. OS Licence 100017926.2009

1. Leave Navenby High Street andwalk down Clint Lane, at thebottom of the lane join the Viking Way.

2. Turn left and follow the VikingWay along the top of LincolnEdge, for about ½ a mile withstriking views over the WithamValley. Continue along this pathas it leaves the ridge, and walkthrough the wooden kissing gatealong Memorial Hall Drive toWellingore Memorial Hall.Continue past the Memorial Hall,along West Street intoWellingore. Turn right into CliffRoad. Take care crossing thebusy A607. Take the first left intoHall Street.

3. Continue down Hall Street past AllSaints Church and the imposingWellingore Hall on the right.Continue as Hall Street brieflybecomes Sleaford Road beforeturning right onto Pottergate, theancient Jurassic Way.

4. Take the foot path opposite forabout ½ a mile to the junctionwith Ermine Street where itbecomes the Viking Wayfollowing the north-south route ofthe Roman road.

5. For an alternative shorterroute at this point turn left alongErmine Street to Navenby. Thisroute is approximately 3.5 miles.(For a second shorter routeturn right onto Ermine Street,then left onto Gorse Hill Lane forapproximately 1¼ miles as far as

Gorse Hill Covert this will bringyou to Point 9. This will beapproximately 6.3 miles. For thelonger route, turn right and walkdown Ermine Street for about ¾of a mile).

6. Leave Ermine Street, turn leftand walk down the lane betweentall hedgerows and past Griffin’sFarm on your left, until you meeta junction of paths.

7. At this junction, turn left andfollow this path back to St John’sthe Baptist Church.

8. On reaching the church, continuepast it and turn immediately leftonto a stoney track, with thechurch still on your left. Followthis to the junction with GorseHill Lane.

9. Turn right and then left intoGorse Lane Track at Gorse HillCovert keeping the wood on yourright and the pylons on your left.Continue for about ¾ of a mile.

10. At the T-junction with the lane,turn left for about a mile acrossNavenby Heath past Vine HouseFarm to the T- junction withErmine Street.

11. When you meet Ermine Streetagain, turn right and walk pastNavenby Open Space on yourleft. Continue on Ermine Streetpast Chapel Lane and take thenext left into East Road.

12 . Return to Navenby High Streetalong East Road, past MrsSmith’s Cottage on your right.

W2W1

KeyParking AreasKnights Templar WalkVillage and Viking Way WalkAlternative Stepping Out RouteKnights Templar Preceptory TowerMrs Smith’s Cottage

Sleaford

Grantham

Lincoln

Navenby

Navenby Heath

Wellingore

Welbourn Heath

Temple Road

Drove roads like Temple Roadcan be up to 20 metres wide inplaces. The grass strips on eitherside of the roadway were used forgrazing and haymaking. After theEnclosure Acts 1760-1830 thesestrips effectively compensatedpeasant farmers for the loss ofgrazing rights on Common Land.Most of the hawthorn hedges datefrom this period.

The Preceptory at Temple Bruerwas built in 1160. The Order ofKnights Templar was formed in1118 after the first Crusade. By1190, the Templars controlled 10,000 acres in Lincolnshire andin Kesteven they owned propertyin 50 percent of parishes – arecord for England. They weregifted 4,000 acres on LincolnHeath by various local magnates.

A15

A607

Pylons Gorse HillCovert

Gorse Hill

Lane

Site ofWellingoreAirfield

Cocked HatPlantation

NavenbyOpen Space

Pottergate Road

The present airfield site originates from the SecondWorld War although RAF Wellingore had its originsas a naval landing ground in 1917. With the outbreakof war the site was rapidly expanded as a satelliteairfield for RAF Digby. With the end of the war, thesite was adapted for temporary living quarters for1000 Ukranian and German former prisoners of war.The site reverted to farmland in 1951.

A wander around the outside of St John’sthe Baptist Church is recommended. Tothe side of it are the old school roomswhich now serve as parish rooms.

Please park outside of thechurch. Do not park insidethe boundary of the churchor on the grass verge nearthe entrance.

For a longer walk, continuestraight on joining the Villageand Viking Way Walk at Point6. The two routes togetherform a walk of 12.11 miles/ 19.49 kms.

Wellingore Heath

1

1

2

3 4 5

6 7

8

9

1011

12

2

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

3

4

5

1

1

2

3

45

6

7 8

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

North