Edenham – Swinstead – Creeton – Scottlethorpe – Edenham
Distance: 10 miles /16 km
Going: Easy going with stiles & gates - well-signposted and muddy in places after heavy rain.
Start: St Michael’s and All Saints Church in Edenham
1. Leave the church in the direction of Grimsthorpe. Go past the pub then turn left through a kissing gate into a field. Head across this and the next field through 2 more gates. On entering the 3rd field, keep to the hedge line exiting the field at a third gate. Turn left then immediately right through a gate heading for the top right corner of this field.
2. Turn right through the gap, then left again towards a small bridge and a gate. Turning left after the bridge/gate, take the obvious path to the right following the ditch line towards the wood. The path bends left then right again following the wood boundary. Go straight ahead into the wood and follow this well-made path down to the Grimsthorpe lake. In addition to great views of the castle, there are also some benches on the lake-side.
3. Follow the path around the lake over the bridge and past the shepherd’s hut. Turn left here, following the yellow signed footpath. Walk up the hill turning left into the wood. Through the wood and on towards Swinstead Hall.
4. Turn left off the main track just after Park Farm through a small wooded area then across the field. At the end of the field, turn right onto the road past the Hall and right again at the bottom into the
village. Turn left onto the High Street. Continue through the village and turn left at the end of the High Street following the footpath sign.
5. Turn right just after the telegraph pole following the track as it bends left. Keep the hedge on your left and walk towards the wood ahead. Be careful you do not miss the left turn over a stile 50 m before the wood. Over the stile and head diagonally downhill. Turn left at the bottom of the hill and head for the wooden bridge.
Straight ahead over a stile (or through the gate, if open) and up Gorse Hill. Follow the path past the wood until you meet a wide track. Turn left and follow the track all the way into Creeton.
6. Turn left into Creeton, over the bridge then right towards the church. As the road bends right go left following the footpath over a stile then turning right onto the footpath up the hill. Follow the hedge line towards the next wooded area.
7. Keeping the wood on your right, go through a gate heading along the path under the mistletoe laden trees. Go through the next gate and then a stile and across metalled-surfaced Chestnut Avenue where you have a decent view of Grimsthorpe once more on your left. Carry on along this route and over the stile at Pebble gate (an impressive high old wooden gate). Follow the path around the wood to the right. Half way along here the route bears left across a field towards a gap in the hedge.
8. Through the gap turning left onto a well-maintained concrete road.
Follow this concrete road past the wood and straight ahead onto the tarmac road leading to Scottlethorpe. Go through Scottlethorpe, eventually reaching the A151 once more. Turn left and back towards the church.