This month we travel (and from Horncastle it's a wonderful drive along the crest of the Wolds) to Nettleton to savour the splendid views from Nettleton Hill, and also explore an area, known locally as 'Little Switzerland', which conceals remains of a surprising former industry.
To find the start leave the A46 at Nettleton, driving through the village on to the Normanby-Le-Wold road. As this starts to climb steeply a ramblers' carpark is to be found on your right.
Nettleton is an important centre for ramblers being at the junction of two long-distance footpaths.
The Viking Way passes through on its way south and the village is also the finishing point of a
57-mile route commemorating one of Lincolnshire's most charismatic ramblers.
The 'Nev Cole Way' begins at Burton Stather to follow the Humber bank before crossing the Wolds to Nettleton.
It was inaugurated after his death in 1989 by the Wanderlust Ramblers of Grimsby, of which he was a founder member in the 1930s, to commemorate his life-long defence of ramblers' rights. We shall climb his memorial stile.
Nettleton is surrounded by hills and has Lincolnshire's highest ground at the trigonometric point just beyond Nettleton Top (GR121965). We pass close to this before descending the Nettleton Valley. There is geological interest here too for these hills contain thick seams of Claxby Ironstone, named after being first mined during the 1880s in nearby Claxby village.
Mining soon began at Nettleton too, though in a small way, but from 1929 a significant industry developed, employing nearly 200 men and with railway tunnels driven through the western ridge of the Nettleton Valley to reach the seams on the eastern side.
Maximum output came in 1967 when 277,700 tons of ore were produced. However, the ore had low iron content and when foreign imports became more economic the mine's closure in 1969 was inevitable.
Traces of the old tunnels are seen beside the walk but few other visible scars remain of this industrial past. The splendid scenery now plays a recreational role for walkers on the Viking Way, a section of which we follow from Nettleton Top.
In Nettleton itself the rough stone tower of St John the Baptist church is built from the rich, golden-reddish coloured local ironstone which, because of its softness, is susceptible to weather erosion.
The oldest part of the tower is Saxon, the upper parts having been rebuilt in 1874. The lovely clock is noteworthy for having been made in 1837 by James Harrison, grandson of John Harrison – of 'Longitude' fame – who came from Barrow-on-Humber.
* This is a fairly strenuous walk; parts being rough and steep underfoot. Two short cuts (2½ miles or 4¾ miles – see route directions) avoid the long valley descent. Picnickers should opt for the viewpoint of Nettleton Hill or somewhere in Nettleton valley. Some permissive paths used on Nettleton Hill do not appear on OS maps.
THE WALK. |
The Walk
|
From the car park turn left and walk back down through Nettleton village past the church to the A46 by the Salutation Inn. Turn left.
Opposite the Moortown road junction look on your left for an access map for the permissive path on to Nettleton Hill.
Double back left behind the hedge before swinging right uphill to a stile from where marker posts indicate the continuing (and steep) way uphill to a final post seen on the skyline near a hedge corner.
Go left around this to walk along the ridge top with magnificent views, especially to the west where, on very clear days, the Derbyshire Pennines are visible.
Continue to a stile and another access map.
Now for the first short cut. Keeping left of the fence here and then descending left puts you on to a downhill track that emerges near the car park.
Otherwise climb the stile and walk along the hilltop with a fence/hedge on your left until at a hedge corner you must turn right downhill.
Turn right again by the bottom hedge for about
120 yards, then climb the stile to your left and double back behind the hedge. Now on a public right of way follow waymarks along field edges for half a mile to a surfaced lane; once an old mine road.
Turn left uphill, swinging right where the surface worsens until you join the Nettleton/Normanby road.
Turning left here provides the second short cut, all on road, back to the start.
To continue the full walk turn right.
In about half a mile, just before Acre House go left
on to the Viking Way waymarked with the Viking 'Helmet' logo.
After going through a gate bear left down the valley, (wonderful views again!) but be sure to veer across to a stile in the hedge on the opposite slope.
The way is now clear down to a point near an old tunnel entrance from where a waymarked detour goes round old mine entrances.
Beyond these continue down the valley past a lake towards Nettleton.
When a track joins from the right bear left to climb the Neville Cole memorial stile onto a track past a farm.
On reaching the road turn left back to the start.
ABOUT THE WALKSTART : Ramblers carpark, Nettleton. (GR111993)
MAPS : Landranger 113 (Grimsby) : Explorer 284.
DISTANCE : 7 miles
(11 kilometres).
REFRESHMENTS :
Salutation Inn Nettleton. Inns, shops and cafés in Caistor.