Walkabout Caistor - Town Walk
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0.62 Miles
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0.00FT
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up to 1 hour
Caistor Walkabout is approximately 0.6 miles and is designed to take you around the town to see sites that are considered to be of most interest to visitors.
Along the way, there will be various places for you to stop off and eat of just to sit down and enjoy the surroundings.
- Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96km)
- Parking: Market Place, LN7 6TU - Grid ref: TA118013
- Terrain: Town centre footpaths, gentle inclines / slopes
- Toilets: Caistor Town Hall, LN7 6TJ
- Let's set off!
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1
Start in the Market Place where there is ample parking.
In the centre of the Market Place is the town pump - set up in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Caistor House is one if the more imposing buildings here - built in 1682, in the classical style, with washed stucco walls and a hipped roof of a Welsh state.
The lane to the right is thought to mark the east gate of the Roman camp.
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2
Head towards the top far left corner of the Market Place. The pathway to the right hand side leads up to the Corn Hill. Once you reach the top of the street at the top of the Corn Hill, passing George Court on your left, the shop formally the King's Head - built In 1710.
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3
Turn right into South Street and proceed to the Buttermarket.
On your right, once you reach the junction, is the War Memorial. It is dedicated to all those from Caistor who gave their lives fighting in two World Wars.
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4
Continue along South Street, noting the arches on both sides of the road which indicate coach entrances to former inns.
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5
Turn right into Bob's Lane just before the arch.
A picturesque miniature street with quaint, little houses.
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6
Continue along Bob's Lane, bearing right and emerge into Plough Hill.
On the immediate right are three attractive cottages and a tall buttressed building formally The Sessions House.
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7
Stroll down Plough Hill.
On the other side of the road, the granary at the rear of No. 6 was used as a preaching places by early primitive Methodists and, subsequently, by General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. On the left is W. Staves, formally the Temperance Hotel.
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8
As the road veers to the left, look down along Horsemarket to the tunnel in the hillside with the red double doors at the far end.
This once housed the town's horse drawn fire engine and dates from 1869. Behind you is the former Primitive Methodist Chapel, a centre for campaigns against alcoholic troubles, now the Arts and Heritage Centre.
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9
Cross Plough Hill and walk down Fountain Street (formally Duck Street), by the shop on your left. The bank on your right is the south wall of Roman Caistor.
At the bottom of the street, on the right hand side, is the Syfer Spring where water used to flow across the road into the brewery which used to be here.
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10
At the bottom of Fountain Street, turn right into Church Folly and climb the steps into the churchyard. In front of you is the church, St Peter and St Paul. At the top of the steps, follow the path to the left. Behind the fence, to your left, are some remains of the Roman Wall.
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11
Climb the steps and follow the churchyard path, passing through the 'wild area' to the front of the church. Enter the church by the north door.
Of particular interest in the church is Gad whip, displayed within a glass case on the wall to your left on entering the church. Traditionally, this was cracked in the church on Palm Sunday and held above the Vicar's head during the service.
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12
Leave the church by the north door and walk up the path to the gate.
The long building to your left is Casterby House - the original 19th century school boarding house. To the right of Casterby House is the original, restored Grammar School, still in use today. To the right is the former Congregational Chapel (1842). This now houses the Grammar School library.
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13
Walk up Church Street.
The house at the corner on the left as you reach the junction is Hestcroft House (marked by a plaque outside), formally an independent chapel.
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14
Turn left into Chapel Street, noting along the right the Weslayan Methodist Church (1842), the Wesleyan School (1867) and the Police House, built in 1855.
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15
Turn right into High Street.
Walking up the gentle slope of the High Street,on the left in Hundon Walk, which is part of Lincolnshire's most outstanding walk, the Viking Way.
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16
Continue up High Street to the Co-op, formally the Talbot Inn, a little of which may date from 1642 when Caistor's earliest recorded Inn stood here.
Just beyond the Co-op is the Town Hall (1887).
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17
Cross the road and carry on up High Street.
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18
Turn right into South Street.
Just past the wine merchants is a narrow passage, Lucy's Lane, which was named after a famous local dancer. On your right are The George Court flats, built on the site of the former Magistrates Court and The George, an old Coaching Inn.
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19
Carry on into the Corn Hill and retrace your steps down the passage way at the side of the Corn Hill to the Market Place.
- You made it! Well done.