With its gently rolling hills and miles of quiet roads and byways, South West Lincolnshire is the perfect place to explore and walk or cycle. Even the locals haven't been able to explore all the options for walking around the 100 or so villages that encircle Grantham. The Stamford and Rutland areas offer further walks and cycling opportunities.
One of the best guides for walks is a booklet available from Stamford Tourist Information (in the Arts Centre - 27 St Marys Street. Tel: 01780 755 611) which lists 13 varied circular walks in the countryside between Spalding, Bourne, Sleaford and Grantham. The guide gives the length and time for the walk and facilities at each stop. Some of the prettiest walks are nearest to our cottages. Try a 6 mile walk around Ingoldsby Wood or a shorter route around Denton Reservoir stopping in the Welby Arms in Denton.
Nearby Grimsthorpe Castle has a cycle trail that's nearly 10 miles long and the route has been designed with families in mind, avoiding steep inclines and rough terrain wherever possible. The trail is open on their usual open days, and you can hire bikes from them as well.
For families and friends who like to cycle or walk together it is hard to beat Rutland Water which has a 16 mile route that we have all done at some stage with our families! You can hire bikes at Rutland Cycling at Whitwell (Tel: 01780 460705) or walk the peaceful path to the Normanton Church come back through parkland along the dam.
There are plenty of options for serious cycling in our area and our friends and neighbours Neil and Kim run a professional shop in Grantham called Pedal Pushers. Neil has built and serviced bikes for World and Olympic Champions so, if you cycle seriously, a visit to their shop might be a reason to stay with us in itself. Contact Neil at neil@pedalpushersbikeshop.co.uk
Here are some quick links to the rest of our local guide: