We walked the 7 mile route on a sunny but showery March weekend day.  The walk was generally pleasant with some field walking, road and lanes.  The first part was along a busy road and a pavement was only available at the start so we had to walk on the road verges which would have been treacherous if there was more traffic.  The path then diverted onto field walking where footpath signs were few and far between and if we didn't have a map with us, we would easily have got lost. All in all, it was an enjoyable walk but there was a lot of road and lane walking which at this time of year with the fields muddy it wasn't a problem.  Heckington is a lovely village and the windmill has a great cafe just across the road from the station.  The cake was amazing!...

SpringChickens

The route into Heckington continued along more quiet roads but one small section of footpath was again unmarked and took some guesswork to find the correct route. On the whole a very good walk, let down slightly by the section of busy road and a couple of unmarked footpaths....

JurassicWayfarers

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. 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. 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....

Hugh Hudson

Some muddy fields and lots of wet grass but the paths did improve towards Metheringham....

Philip Le Marquand

When you cross this road then you have a significant stretch of road walking thankfully hardly any traffic....

Philip Le Marquand

From Sleaford station, we cross the level crossing and Grantham Road then head a short distance down London Road before taking the path left signposted Mareham Pastures. We eventually reach a little wood, where we follow the bridlepath left then take a field path right that skirts farm buildings and emerges on the quiet Kelby Lane on the edge of the Culverthorpe Park estate. We head left down the lane then right into the park, following the surfaced road past the big house and into the field beyond, where we follow field edges around to reach the church at Heydour. A well marked path continues through fields opposite and takes us into Londonthorpe, where we turn right onto High Road then left onto Newgate Lane. We follow the pavement some distance above the avenue to Harrowby Lane, where we go left then right onto Kenilworth Road, which we follow around a long bend then head up Sandringham Drive to find the alleyway leading into the field beyond....

Hugh Hudson

Beyond Southview Farm a well cut field path offers a shortcut, after which we continue along the road into Burton Pedwardine, where we turn right twice then left onto Whitecross Lane, which is also quiet. We turn right to follow the edge of another field - this section looks as if it would be quite muddy when wet, then follow another farm lane out to Mareham Lane, a fairly busy road which has verges but no pavement until the edge of Sleaford is reached....

Hugh Hudson

From Swarby to Culverthorpe was a relatively quiet road (6 cars passed) followed by a walk around Culverthorpe lakes and a useful picnic bench before rejoining the road. The walk from Culverthorpe to Welby was a long road section with over 30 cars passing. The road south of Welby was much quieter, before the route followed a narrow green lane across to the High Dyke....

JurassicWayfarers

This route predominately follows the Spires & Steeples waymarked footmath, but the route does divert away at some points. 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). 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. In dryer conditions this route would be absolutely fine, although avoid becoming over-reliant on following the Spires & Steeples signs as I did....

JurassicWayfarers