Slemet one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Walked from Sleaford to Metheringham. A pretty good route, mostly on good paths and easy to follow. Steps, stiles and muddy sections, so not suitable for wheels.

We leave Sleaford station using a fenced alleyway that leads to the town centre (South Gate). We cross a couple of roads and take the path alongside the river Slea, which is paved initially but soon becomes a rougher gravel track. Where we cross the railway the GPX should show a move to the right to go under a bridge (OpenStreetMap is correct). The bridge under the A17 bypass is a little uneven underfoot and has a small flight of steps at the far side. At Papermill Lane we cross to the north west side of the river and continue along a bank (plenty long grass). Eventually we are forced left by a garden, and a little way beyond we leave the Spires and Steeples trail to enter a small wood.

Beyond the wood the first field has a well cut path, but the line through the last field to Anwick Road is not initially obvious. A bit more road walking and a right turn along a lane take us to a bridge over a stream, beyond which we turn sharp left on an obvious field path past a sewage works and onwards into Ruskington through a new housing estate. There is a flight of steps up to Fen Road, where we turn left, then right to follow Parkfield Road round to find the path north, which takes us to Dorrington easily.

At Dorrington we go right and cross a playing field left to join another rather less used field path with stiles - note that some of the gates and stiles are further east than the right of way line. Approaching Digby we go through an overgrown field and a garden. At DIgby we head up North Street and eventually turn left past new houses into a field. Pedants will use the field paths but initially using the farm track will save a couple of minutes. The line through the farm may need close navigation but we are soon back in fields, and one of them had no cut path (I just took my own diagonal line straight across.

The lane to Rowston is very quiet, so completely safe. Beyond the junction we follow the road round to the left and take the path through the farm (much straighter than the GPX, whose creator probably got misled by the Spires and Steeples diamond on the 1:25000 map). A twisty path through a wood and a lane take us back to a road, which we cross and continue on a good track, which eventually leaves us to turn left. We go straight on then cross a bridge right to pick up a well marked field path. Unfortunately the field beyond Cobblers Lane has no marked path, but the exit is clearly visible. On the approach to Scopwick follow the waymarks - there is one point where the right of way line is the wrong side of a hedge.

At Scopwick we turn left then right by the church, then follow a well used and marked path to grounds of Blankney Hall, where we follow the lane left out to Lincoln Road. A little pavement walking takes us through Blankney, and the path to Metheringham is well cut, marked and used once the cricket field has been crossed. We emerge at the White Hart, where we cross High Street and follow it left to the Metheringham meeting point, the benches outside the community hub and opposite the Star & Garter.

I walked from Sleaford to Metheringham. The first section from Sleaford to Ruskington I did in dry and sunny weather. The beginning was attractive but then walking besides a canalized river hasn't got the same wow factor. I stopped in Ruskington overnight and continued next morning after heavy rain. Some muddy fields and lots of wet grass but the paths did improve towards Metheringham. People had been using the paths as there was usually a clear route across the fields. There were plenty of Spires and Steeples.

Apologies but this review traces the route in reverse, from Metheringham to Sleaford (the train timetable didn’t easily allow for the established direction to be followed. I caught the train from Sleaford to Metheringham and walked back). This route predominately follows the Spires & Steeples waymarked footmath, but the route does divert away at some points. This caught me out unfortunately as you’ll see below.

Starting at the Cross in the centre of Metheringham, the route soon leaves the village heading south towards Blankney. The path was good but there were a couple of kissing gates that would restrict access. The route then continues to Scopwick on generally good quality farm tracks.

The section between Scopwick to Rowston however crossed a number of ploughed fields, which after recent rain were particularly muddy. There were some styles and small bridges across dykes to negotiate, and a couple of examples where footpaths were not marked out at all, necessitating a walk around the field boundary. Rowston to Digby was a welcome section of quiet road-walking, before a long and again very muddy section of field footpaths either side of Dorrington until reaching Ruskington.

At Ruskington take care to spot a slight diversion of the Slow Way route away from the Spires & Steeples route, as it crosses the railway line over a road bridge on Fen Lane (Spires & Steeples crosses it using a footbridge further in the village). The routes re-join on the outskirts. Ruskington also has a decent set of shops and a railway station to break the journey if required.

There is a more significant diversion between the Slow Way and Spires & Steeples route at the edge of Ruskington which I missed. Having walked through a small poultry farm, the Spires & Steeples route continues along a well-used footpath to the A153, before crossing and joining the River Slea at an established car park and weir. The Slow Way route however diverges at the poultry farm and continues down a small road before crossing the A153 and joining the River Slea via a footpath. I missed this diversion, which added a mile extra to the distance (though I gained a nice walk along the wooded section of riverbank).

The final section of the route follows the River Slea embankment into Sleaford. It was a good path although muddy at times. The route passes under the busy A17 although the steps down were easy to miss. The last section was well used, entering the town and passing Cogglesford water mill and the town swimming pool. Navigating the last bit through the streets of Sleaford wasn’t easy but the railway station was easy to find.

In dryer conditions this route would be absolutely fine, although avoid becoming over-reliant on following the Spires & Steeples signs as I did. In wet conditions however the route was very muddy, although not impossible to walk. There were kissing gates and I counted 7 stiles, plus steps down to the path below the A17. The section along the riverbank was also narrow at times. The route is therefore unsuitable for wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

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