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I undertook this route almost a year ago now. On a crisp, misty morning just before Christmas 2022, I set off from Navenby at around 7am, aiming to be in Newark by midday to catch a lift back home.

Much of the route would see me stomping atop the typical steely earth that follows a sharp December frost, but the very first leg was an exception. The route begins in the centre of Navenby and leads down a grassy path out the back of a cul-de-sac and into a sunken wooded area known locally as The Smoots, which slowly ascends to a lane end at the edge of the village. The soft mud underfoot was punctuated with damp rocks and small slivers of streams, all glowing in the dim patches of grey light which made it through the arching branches forming a low ceiling overhead. Reaching the end of this section felt like emerging from some subterranean tunnel; a nice contrast to the wide panoramic views minutes later as the route followed the Viking Way along the edge of the Lincoln Cliff escarpment to the top of Wellingore Hill.

On a clear day, my destination would have been visible from here, but on this occasion, the morning mist permitted no view further afield than that of the church spire of the neighbouring village of Welbourn; luckily that very spire marked the next landmark on my route, following a gentle amble down the grassy undulations of Wellingore Hill and a straightforward march across several fields via some well kept and clearly signposted paths.

Welbourn is a small village quickly navigable from one side to the other via quiet residential streets, the short walk offering pleasant views of the old church and surrounding cottages, as well as a now derelict shop with an interesting poem about the village (featuring near-inscrutable local dialect!) in its front window. Emerging from beneath the arch of an now disused train bridge, I found myself on a quiet backroad leading out of the village; care should be taken on this section as there are a couple of blind corners and no footpaths save for the grass verge itself, however I encountered no traffic at all in the short distance spent on this road before the route dog-legged south on a marked path.

The route then begins to zigzag gently in a more westerly direction, over a small wooden footbridge, before reaching a farmhouse and following a hedgerow. I spotted several deer in the field in the field on the other side of the hedge but was unable to get a good view of them before they sensed my presence and took their leave. I was then presented the choice, via a large gap in the hedgerow of continuing along the left of it, or crossing to the right. I took the latter option - a grassy and uneven path between the hedge and a thick patch of woodland - and was rewarded with a closer view of the deer I’d seen previously.

Both paths converged upon the road I’d left earlier, where it bends to head towards the River Brant. Again, the walker is left to use their judgement here; take the field side of the hedgerow, or walk on the road? I should have taken the road, as the field side soon sees a small ditch widening as it reaches the river; rather than retrace my steps, I chanced a fairly hairy dive across the ditch followed by a scramble up the other side - aided by roots and branches- towards a small gap in the hedge through which I could rejoin the road. You may want to avoid this and take the road!

Having crossed the river via the road bridge, the route turns diagonally across a field, through a section of small patchwork sunflower and vegetable crops which resembled allotments, before joining a farm track leading to the main street of Brant Broughton. At this point I took a wrong turn - continuing on the track instead of turning onto a footpath across the adjacent field - and ended up climbing over a field access gate at the end of a cul-de-sac (which I then noticed had “no access” signs on the other side). Having looked at the map again and revisited this spot since, I can see my mistake, but I’d advise looking closely at the map for this section, as the paths leading from the fields to the street were easy to miss.

Heading across to Brant Broughton church via streets flanked with large, grand old houses, the route then crosses several fields, going parallel to the A17 road in a straight line to the Military Training Camp at Beckingham. The signs nearby infer via warnings of potential unexploded ordinance that you take your life in your hands in continuing to follow the path, but I was reassured by the presence of numerous sheep in these two small fields, none of which had - as yet - been blown to bits.

Rejoining the road, I headed towards Beckingham village and to another point of caution: the only instance in the walk where a major road - the A17 - needed crossing. There is one lane going east and two going west, but the dual carriageway is separated by a wide median and so is safe to cross with a little care and patience. Once across, the quiet streets of Beckingham were easy to navigate, with Rectory Street leading to a footpath bordering a horse paddock and leading out of the village towards the River Witham.

Following the banks of the winding river made for a particularly peaceful stretch of walking, with the next stop - the small village of Barnby-in-the-Willows - gently emerging from the still-hanging mist as I approached. A quick stride along Back Street and along a narrow tree-tunnel path alongside a plantation, saw me in and out of the village quite quickly.

The next couple of miles to Coddington were uneven underfoot and generally followed the edges of fields, necessitating a lot of zigzagging, but also featured a pleasant section of thick, tall woodland. Crossing a large open grassy field full of inquisitive sheep, I reached the main road in Coddington and shortly thereafter, The Plough public house. This was where my walk ended; I’d taken it fairly steady and stopped to take photographs - the mist and frost made for beautiful scenery at every stretch of the route - however my lift was now heading back from Newark and so I waited at The Plough to be collected.

It is worth adding, though, that I am more than familiar with the remaining 2-mile section of the route; it is simply a paved footpath by the side of the main road leading from Coddington into Newark, and is very easy going on account of it being all downhill until you reach the town centre.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed walking the Slow Way from Navenby to Newark; for the most part, it skirted the edges of villages and avoided noisy roads; it also afforded me views of large areas of countryside often obscured from view when driving locally. Had I gone at a less leisurely pace and not stopped for photos, I’m confident I could have completed the entire route in under 5 hours, but why rush? I don’t often find the time to complete long hikes like this and wanted to make the most of the views, clean air and solitude it afforded me.

The route was clear and easy to follow; the paths mostly well signposted and in good condition. As long as care is taken around Brant Broughton to avoid my unplanned ditch-dive and accidental trespassing(!), I think most would find it a pleasant and easily navigable route.

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