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Walk 1436 - printer friendly version

High Wood and North Rauceby Walk

Author - North Kesteven Council

Length - 4.8 miles / 7.7 km

Ascent - 100 feet / 30 metres

Grade - easy

Start - OS grid reference TF010461
Lat 53.002704 + Long -0.496369
Postcode NG34 8QT (approx. location only)

North and South Rauceby lie on the Southern Lincolnshire Edge at one of North Kesteven's highest points. Antiquarians even used the name 'Rauceby Altera' and looking east on a clear day Boston Stump can be seen from the hill above Heath Farm. Anciently known as Rosbi and listed in Domesday as Roscebi, the name derives from the Old Scandanavian for Rauthr+by, or 'Rauthr's village'. Rauceby Hall was built by Anthony Peacock, between 1841 - 1846, at a cost of £ 24,000 (about £ 1M today).

1 - From the car park at High Wood turn right (west) along Church Lane for approximately 1.3 km, until you see and area of pine woodland called Century Plantation on your left. A DEGRA footpath can be found as an alternative route from High Wood Car Park. This access has been provided under the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' farm conservation schemes and is a permissive access route.

2 - Turn right opposite the pines onto a waymarked farm track. Keeping the hedgerow on your right, follow this track for 400 metres until you reach an area of hardstanding with a copse beyond.

3 - Follow the waymarkers to the left around the edge of the copse and, as the copse ends, follow the track as it turns left and heads in the direction of Ermine Street Farm.

4 - As you approach the farm you will see a tall Hawthorn hedge in front of you. Turn right alongside this hedge, keeping it on your right, and follow the grassy path along the edge of the field for 570 metres until you reach a low stone wall with a pine copse beyond.

5 - Turn left and follow the wall for approximately 100 metres until you see a gap in the wall. Go through this gap onto a track, you will now have the wall on your left and the copse on your right. This track will take you around the edge of the copse and through open countryside, finally turning left leading towards Rauceby Grange.

6 - Follow the track as it bends left towards the Grange and look for a stile on your right, which takes you into a small field. Cross over this stile and look diagonally left where you will see a second stile leading back onto the track.

7 - Go over this second stile and turn right, back onto the track. Stay on this track for approximately 1 km as it leads through fields featuring wave-like undulations of ridge and furrow cultivation and passes the site of a much larger medieval settlement.

8 - As the track emerges into the village of North Rauceby, turn right onto Main Street and follow this until you see the stone village cross on your right.

9 - Turn right into Church Lane with its characteristic wide verges and follow for approximately 1.3 km back to High Wood and your car.

This route is from the Stepping Out series of walks produced by North Kesteven Council.

Walk 1436 Route Map

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