South Lincolnshire Walking Festival 2019

28 September to 27 October 2019

Tag Archives: lincolnshire


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Step forward to lead a walk in the second South Lincolnshire Walking Festival

Following a very successful festival in autumn 2015 Heritage Lincolnshire, a charitable trust based in Heckington, is urging organisations and businesses to volunteer to lead walks in their second South Lincolnshire Walking Festival.

The walking festival will take place between 24th September and 30th October this year and will feature free guided walks in North & South Kesteven, Boston and South Holland. There are already a number of walks lined up so far, led by organisations such as Curlydog Ltd, local Ramblers groups, Walking for Health groups, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and Lincolnshire Vikings Walking Club but more are needed to help attract visitors to the south of the county.

Beverley Gormley, Heritage Lincolnshire’s Cultural Events Officer, said “The South Lincolnshire Walking Festival is creating a real buzz in this part of the county for the second year! Our first festival last year attracted over 1400 walkers who discovered that North & South Kesteven, Boston and South Holland are jam packed with heritage and history. We want to help show off those hidden gems to local people and visitors while helping to boost the local economy for a second year and are asking groups, businesses and organisations to help us put this part of Lincolnshire firmly on the walking festival map by offering to lead a walk. Last year we were particularly pleased with the number of children who took part in our walks with their families.

South Lincolnshire has a varied landscape that has witnessed Bronze Age burials, Iron Age mints, roman forts, the Knights Templar, castles and abbeys but the festival isn’t only for history lovers! Whether you want to roam with Ramblers, have an adventure with your kids, get snapping on a photography foray or go on ‘walkies’ with your dog, there’s something for everyone. The walks will take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays so that those who work or want to involve the family don’t miss out. 2016 marks 25 years since we were registered as a charity and we really want the festival to go with a bang.”

Heritage Lincolnshire also organises the successful Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival in partnership with the Wolds Countryside Service and is keen to promote Lincolnshire’s heritage to walkers. If you or your organisation are interested in leading a walk, please get in touch by email at slwf@heritagelincolnshire.org or phone 01529 461499 before 15th April 2016.


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Save the date!

SLWF save the date 2016

Yes it’s true! We’re back again this autumn with more fantastic walks in North Kesteven, South Kesteven, Boston and South Holland each Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 24th September and 30th October.

Our pilot festival in 2015 was a huge success attracting over 1400 walkers (and dogs!) of all ages on over 70 walks. If you want to keep up to date with what’s happening you can sign up for updates on the home page and if you want to lead a walk please drop us a line to slwf@heritagelincolnshire.org – we’d love to hear from you!

In the meantime don’t forget our sister festival, the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival that starts on 21st May.

“Launching from the pretty village of Donington-on-Bain we can promise 16 days of really good walking in and around the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, until our festival finale at Gunby Estate, Hall and Gardens National Trust property on 5 June.We’ve got 114 great walks in the pipeline for this year’s festival, ranging from energetic day-long rambles to gentle strolls, plus lots of activities to involve all the family. Our event is 12 years old this year, but we’ve still got new and interesting walks to offer, as well as some old favourites.

Access for Everyone is a key theme in 2016 and we’re delighted that, along with a dementia-friendly walk, some of our events will be especially accessible for people using mobility aids. Local company TerrainHopper will even be offering free tasters of their fabulous all-terrain mobility vehicles.

Lincolnshire’s long-distance footpath, the Viking Way, reaches its 40th anniversary in 2016 and we’ll be celebrating with over 30 walks during the festival. If you like a real challenge then why not sign up to take part in the Lincs Wolds Way, a 75-mile circular walk around the Wolds, in six day-long linear sections. We provide the transport so you can do the walking!

There are plenty of evening events so you can fit in a walk after the day-job, and two Night Walks, back after popular demand in 2015. For families why not plan to join Louth District Scouts and experience Orienteering, or visit Snipe Dales Country Park for a family day with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. The festival brochure will be available to download or pick up from early March.”

#SLWF


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Over 70 walks!

Many, many thanks to all of those kind, generous and possibly ever-so-slightly crazy people who’ve volunteered to be walk leaders and back markers in our brand new walking festival! We have over 70 walks on offer!

wolds-walking-festival

 

We’re now busy registering all of the walks and checking route maps so keep an eye out for more walks appearing here on the website over the next few days. And don’t forget to sign up to receive our walking festival brochure on the home page!

If you need to get out walking in the meantime, our sister festival the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival’s brochure has just been printed and is about to be posted out to anyone who wants to be involved. Check out www.woldswalkingfestival.co.uk for more details.

 


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Walking in a Fenland landscape

In my first post I described the landscape that the South Lincolnshire Walking Festival will cover – North and South Kesteven, Boston and South Holland. This time I’m focusing on the Fenland landscape between Spalding and Bourne, where big, open skies are a blank canvas for cloud formations, spires and steeples dot the horizon and huge flocks of birds take flight beside strangely named waterways.

Willow Tree Fen

Lapwings and Wigeons at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s Willow Tree Fen – John Oliver

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting up with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s South East Warden John Oliver and South Lincolnshire Fenlands Partnership’s Amanda Jenkins who gave me a tour of the wild and beautiful Willow Tree Fen.  According to Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust the purchase of Willow Tree Fen in 2009 increased Lincolnshire’s wild fenland by 200%.

The Nature Reserve is an evocative place that makes you want to explore as there’s something different to see at every turn. I particularly enjoyed discovering ‘THE’ willow tree from which the Fen takes its name and hearing all about the Trust’s plans for the site. There’s ample parking, great interpretation areas and facilities. John and Amanda are enthusiastic supporters of the South Lincolnshire Walking Festival, planning on leading walks on and from Willow Tree Fen but also running various family activities and registering walks in the local area and involving local landowners and businesses who have a passion for the fenland, its wildlife and its heritage.

As I left the nature reserve I was struck by the unusual names in the surrounding countryside. Pode Hole, Tongue End, Twenty Drain, Guthram Gowt, Cowbit…. Can’t wait to find out about the stories behind those names!

Watch this space for more information on walks on or near to Willow Tree Fen but until then here some links you might find useful if you’re planning on visiting the area:

What to spot at Willow Tree Fen

Great British Weather’s Cloud Spotting Guide

Cloud spotting at Willow Tree Fen

Cloud spotting at Willow Tree Fen – Beverley Gormley

Souuth Lincolnshire Walking Festival logo


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Press release: Step forward to lead a walk in the first South Lincolnshire Walking Festival

South Lincolnshire Walking Festival

Heritage Lincolnshire

The Old School

Cameron Street

Heckington

Lincolnshire NG34 9RW

 

Tel 01529 461499

Email slwf@lincsheritage.org

Facebook www.facebook.com/southlincswalkingfestival

Twitter www.twitter.com/SthLincWalkFest

 

Contact: Beverley Gormley – Cultural Events Officer

 

Step forward to lead a walk in the first South Lincolnshire Walking Festival

 

Heritage Lincolnshire, a charitable trust based in Heckington, is urging organisations and businesses to volunteer to lead walks in the first ever South Lincolnshire Walking Festival.

 

The brand new walking festival will take place between 25th September and 31st October this year and will feature free guided walks in North & South Kesteven, Boston and South Holland. There are already around 30 different walks lined up so far, led by organisations such as the Ramblers, Walking for Health groups, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Forestry Commission and the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology but more are needed to help attract visitors to the south of the county.

 

Beverley Gormley, Heritage Lincolnshire’s Cultural Events Officer, said “The South Lincolnshire Walking Festival is creating a real buzz in this part of the county! North & South Kesteven, Boston and South Holland are jam packed with heritage and history and we want to help show off those hidden gems to local people and visitors while helping to boost the local economy. This is our chance to put this part of Lincolnshire firmly on the walking festival map.

 

South Lincolnshire has a varied landscape that has witnessed Bronze Age burials, Iron Age mints, roman forts, the Knights Templar, castles and abbeys but the festival isn’t only for history lovers! Whether you want to roam with Ramblers, have an adventure with your kids, get snapping on a photography foray or get fit on a health trail, there’s something for everyone. The walks will take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays so that those who work or want to involve the family don’t miss out. Anyone who’s interested should go to www.southlincswalking.com or our Facebook or Twitter pages to find out more.”

 

Heritage Lincolnshire also organises the successful Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival in partnership with the Wolds Countryside Service and is keen to promote Lincolnshire’s heritage to walkers. If you or your organisation are interested in leading a walk, your business would like a walk to start or finish at their premises, or you would like your organisation to be featured in the brochure please get in touch by email at slwf@lincsheritage.org, phone 01529 461499 before 23 February 2015.

 

Ends

NOTES FOR EDITORS

 

The Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire is a charity, established in 1991, whose activities ensure that the special character and significance of Lincolnshire’s heritage is understood, valued, conserved and celebrated for the benefit of local people, visitors and future generations.

 

The Trust is supported by County and District Councils, national heritage bodies, through commercial activities and sponsorship. We welcome donations [including gift aid] and legacies.

 

The Trust’s key objectives are to:

 

  • Provide high quality learning and volunteering activities which attract a diverse audience and raise awareness of Lincolnshire’s heritage.
  • Increase participation in heritage activities through community engagement.
  • Develop and deliver conservation projects that secure investment for Lincolnshire and contribute to economic regeneration.
  • Undertake archaeological fieldwork and research that advances our understanding of Lincolnshire’s historic environment.


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Get involved!

Love walking in south Lincolnshire? Want to shout about it to the rest of the world? Go on, we know you’re tempted…

We’ve been really pleased with the number of walk leaders who’ve already registered to lead walks during the festival but we need more! If you (or someone you know) are interested in leading a walk during the festival please fill in this 2015 walk submission form and return it to us at slwf@lincsheritage.org or by post to the address on the right of this page —>

We’ve also put together some slwf helpful hints for walk submission form that you might find helpful.

Don’t worry if you’re walk straddles the border between Lincolnshire and its neighbouring counties, we want to include as much variety as possible!

Beverley

Cultural Events Officer