Gateway Walks - Walk in the Woods - Market Rasen - Long Walk

0.00 Miles
0.00FT
4 to 5 hours

A circular walk of 8 miles from Market Rasen through Willingham Woods and surrounding countryside.

This walk starts from Market Rasen and heads through fields and woodlands towards Willingham woods. It will also take you through farmland over the Coversands; soils which are very deep and acidic. On a clear day the views of the Lincolnshire Wolds rising before you are very impressive and you may be able to see Claxby Radar Tower on the horizon.

Distance: 8miles, 13km
Time: Approx 4 to 5 hours at a leisurely pace.
Parking: Car park in John Street, Market Rasen – Grid ref: TF 106 890 Postcode LN8 3HH
Terrain: Good footpaths and tracks, byway and fields can be very muddy at times. All on level ground.
Toilets: John Street Market Rasen & next to Kiosk in Willingham Woods.
Stiles: Numerous.

Looking after the Wolds - The Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service works in partnership with the Lincolnshire Wolds Joint Advisory Committee and other groups and individuals to help protect, enhance and raise awareness of this nationally protected landscape. For more information about the Wolds, please visit the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB website.

Step by step instructions

Let's set off!
1

Start in the car park on John Street, Market Rasen. Leave the car park by the John Street entrance and turn right. At the end, cross the main road to the Market Place.

Go to the churchyard and follow the path to the left.Turn right, and the first let into Church Street.At the T-junction, turn left and continue to the end.
2

Cross straight over the road to go down the footpath at the side of Waterloo House. Follow the path past the floodwater storage area.
3

As you continue on this path, ahead of you is Hamilton Hill and Willingham Woods. The footpath continues straight across a field and into the woods.
4

Keep straight on until the first path intersection then turn right, keeping the pines on your right. Follow the track over a small brick bridge and continue ahead.
5

At the next crossroads turn right and continue on the gravel track until it reaches a T-junction by a yellow fore hydrant sign.
6

Turn left, pass the building on the left and take the right-hand fork, along the gravel track to the T-junction. Turn right and take the path on the left at the second set marker posts which leads to the car park and the picnic area. There is a large Forestry Commission information board here giving useful information, and another at the road entranced, explaining all about the Lincolnshire Wolds.
7

Exit onto the Willingham road and turn left keeping to the footway alongside the road, passing Wisteria House on the left.

About 100 meters further on, cross the road to take the byway on the right. Keep to the main track all the way passing Dog Kennel Farm. Ignore the footpath on your left and continue ahead to the road bend by the chevron sign.
8

Continue to the left of the road to the hamlet of Little London. At the right-hand bend, ignore the waymarker off to the left, but follow the road around the ned until you reach another marker pointing to the right at Wood Side. Take this path by the farm, cross over a stile and entre Legsby Wood. Keep to the main track throughout this broadleaf woodland.
9

Cross straight over the gravelled Forestry Commission track, and then exit the wood by a stile. Continue through the fields, which can be muddy at times, keeping the woodland on your right until you reach the driveway entrance to College Farm.
10

From here go across the next field diagonally left, aiming for the waymarker in Willingham Lane byway. Cross the next field, which can be muddy, on the same course to the large tree and marker post. Continue diagonally left to the corner of Woodhill Farm and around the hedge to the farm entrance. Over the farm track and enter the next field, crossing the field diagonally right, in line with the tree in the hedge.
11

The path then follows the hedge downhill to a stile. Once over the stile, follow the fence on the right, and go over the next stile.Head to the corner of the bungalow and follow the path that goes between the houses to Legsby Road.
12

At Legsby Road, walk left until you reach a footpath on your left. Follow this path besides the cemetery and through a gate at the end of the wall.
13

Continue on this route, passing through a metalled gate and over the end of the cul-de-sac to emerge at the corner of Maltings Court in Serpentine Street. Turn left, cross over Linwood Road and go under the railway bridge, passing the impressive frontage of the Methodist Church into Chapel Street and John Street, back to the car park.
You made it! Well done.

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