Eastern Slea

The Eastern Slea

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North Kesteven District Council Heart of Lincolnshire Distance 3.75 miles/6km

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6a Walk

ECS6857RT 2009

For more Stepping Out walks, further information on local attractions or accommodation, please call or visit: Sleaford Tourist Information Centre, Money’s Yard, Carre Street, Sleaford, Lincs NG34 7TW Telephone: 01529 414294 Email: tic@n-kesteven.gov.uk www.heartoflincs.com Download all the Stepping Out walks by visiting www.countrysidenk.co.uk www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk www.visitlincolnshire.com www.spiresandsteeples.com

The River Slea (Anglo-saxon, ‘muddy one’) is 18 miles long from its source until it joins the Witham at Chapel Hill. It rises 75 metres above sea level and enters North Kesteven from the west of Wilsford as The Beck.

The Beck becomes The Slea at Boiling Wells or Bully Wells spring. It is joined by from the south by the Nine Foot River. Both streams are fed by further springs at Guildhall and Cobblers Hole and enter Sleaford separately before joining up again at Carre Street.

The river is often dry at the Nature Reserve at Rauceby Warrens where dredging in the 60s to prevent Sleaford Golf Course flooding destroyed the old river bed.

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Navigation Wharf, Carre Street Sleaford NG34 7TW Telephone: 01529 414294 www.heartoflincs.com

Many of the paths have been provided by the goodwill of local landowners. These are marked by Highways Act signs. No special permission is needed to use these paths, but walkers are asked to help to ensure a continued welcome by only using the waymarked paths and keeping dogs on a lead. Where paths cross pasture, young stock may be present. If you have a dog with you please make sure it is under firm control in these sensitive areas.

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For further information on the above, contact Sleaford Tourist Information Centre on 01529 414294.

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Introduction

Stepping Out

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Navigation House

Whilst great care has been taken in compiling this information into this leaflet, North Kesteven District Council cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions or alterations contained within it. The inclusion of an establishment within this leaflet does not imply any official recommendations by North Kesteven District Council.

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Markets are held on Monday, Friday and Saturday each week, with a popular Farmers Market on the first Saturday of each month.

Navigation Wharf, Carre Street Sleaford NG34 7TW Telephone: 01529 308710 www.thehubcentre.info

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Sleaford has a wide range of specialist shops, accommodation, attractions, diverse places to eat and drink and a number of pleasant riverside walks.

The Hub National Centre for Craft & Design

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Sleaford is an attractive and historic market town described by Pevsner as: ‘An unpretentious but satisfying country town with an air of well-fed nonchalance.’

East Road, Sleaford NG34 7EQ Telephone: 07966 400634 www.heartoflincs.com

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and do in Sleaford

Cogglesford Mill

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Things to see

Go Stepping Out!

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Places of interest to visit nearby

www.countrysidenk.co.uk

The Slea Navigation brought great wealth to the town, and on Friday 22nd June 1792, 4,200 pints of beer were drawn for the town’s people to celebrate the success of the parliamentary Bill that provided for ‘a Navigation’ or canal to be constructed that would join the Witham to Haverholme Mill. The proposed canal was to be 30ft wide at the surface and 4ft deep, with seven locks and eight brick bridges to be constructed at a cost of over £4,000.

Walk Facts

Walk Location

A linear walk from the centre of Sleaford following the River Slea.

Starting Points

Money’s Yard in Sleaford (Grid Ref: TF 069 457)

Parking

There are car parks marked on the map in Sleaford or alternatively park at Haverholme Park and walk upstream to Sleaford.

Public Transport

For information call the Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 or visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/busrailtravel

Walk Length

3.75miles (6km) and should take 1½ to 2 hours to walk.

Type of Walk

Mainly tracks following the riverbank.

Ordnance Survey maps Explorer 261, 272 and Landranger 130

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When the path forks, either continue straight ahead through two kissing gates or turn right towards the old railway bridge.

Both of these routes will bring you to the same point.

If you continue under the railway bridge, turn left and follow the grass track to the riverbank to your left. Continue straight ahead.

At Bone Mill Lock you will walk under the A17, and straight on.

Pass Holdingham Flour Mill on your left (the old Navigation toll booth is still visible) with the hamlet of Evedon to your right.

At Evedon bridge, site of the old Paper Mill, cross over the road and bridge to continue walking straight ahead on the opposite side, keeping the river on your right.

On reaching White House, turn left and follow the path until you turn right. Continue past the houses on your right following the footpath until you rejoin the path next to the river. Turn left.

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Stepping Out leaflet number 7

Stepping Out leaflet number 6b

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Sleaford i

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Spires & Steeples Arts and Heritage Trail Spires & Steeples is an inspirational 26 mile Arts and Heritage Trail from Lincoln Cathedral to St Denys’ Church in Sleaford. The trail is perfect for anyone who enjoys leisurely walks and has endless amounts of art works, churches, with typical Lincolnshire landscapes and picturesque skies.

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10 Continue straight ahead through woodland, keeping Haverholme Park and Evedon Wood to your right.

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11 On reaching Haverholme Lock, cross over the two bridges on your right and follow the footpath left, with views of the gothic style ruins to your right. At the top of the path you will enter the Stepping Out car park, bringing you to the end of the walk.

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Begin at Money’s Yard, near to Sleaford Tourist Information Centre. Turn left out of the car park and follow Carre Street towards St Denys’ Church. On the opposite side of the street is a large stone portal inscribed Navigation Wharf 1972, and further along on the same side is the entrance into the Wharf area.

Cross over the road and continue through the wharf area past Navigation House and The Hub. Continue past The Hub into Eastgate car park and cross the bridge situated at the bottom of Eastgate car park. Turn left and continue along the river bank.

On passing Sleaford Leisure Centre you will see a little bridge with iron railings. Carry on over the bridge and stroll along the river until you reach Cogglesford Mill.

Continue on the footpath past Cogglesford Mill, keeping the River Slea to your left. You will reach a kissing gate which will take you through to open fields.

Walk straight ahead following the grass track.

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The Eastern Slea

Reproduced from OS Mapping with the permission of the controller of HMSO c Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes crown copyright and may lead to civil proceedings. OS Licence 100017926.2009

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Car Parks The Eastern Slea walk Alternative Stepping Out route Tourist Information Centre Rauceby Banks Project (Sleaford) Spires & Steeples

Rauceby Banks Project (Sleaford) artsNK have worked with the Rauceby Banks project group to refurbish Rauceby Banks.

Illustrative plaques are sited in the footpath going into Sleaford. This is an ongoing project.

A thousand years ago there were 18 water mills clustered around Sleaford.

Historically important Cogglesford Mill (coggle = ‘cobbled’ ford) was saved and restored to working order in the 1990s.

It is still producing flour at least 250 years after it was built.

The River Slea West to East Walk

Using leaflets 6a and 6b it is possible to walk along the River Slea from its historic source at Boiling Wells to Haverholme Park. This creates a linear walk of 7.2 miles/11.6kms.

Beginning from the top car park at the Bustard Inn in South Rauceby, turn left down Tom Lane, left again into Main Street and walk down Main Street to Pinfold Lane. Turn left into Pinfold Lane and at the end of the lane take the right hand fork towards Ash Holt copse described at Point 8 of the Riverside Walk (leaflet 6b).

From here reverse Points 8 to 1 to take you from Boiling Wells through Sleaford to Cogglesford Mill. Then pick up The Eastern Slea walk (leaflet 6a) from Point 3 to take you all the way to Haverholme.