Hereward Way: Stamford to Wansford

Directions

This leg starts off at a footbridge called George Bridge over the River Welland in Stamford at SK028068. Cross the footbridge and head past a car park on the right to reach Station Road at a complex junction. Head straight across the road to join Wothorpe Road. Follow Wothorpe Road uphill; it crosses a railway line on a bridge before it ends at the A16 Kettering Road.

Carefully cross the A16 and go through a gap in metal railings ahead; keep a hedge on the left and after five yards turn left through a wooden clappergate into a field. Cross this field, aiming for another clappergate in the far right-hand corner. Go through this second clappegate and turn left to go through a very rough, overgrown area. It reaches a plank footbridge and another wooden clappergate; go through this and continue on uphill along a footpath with a hedge and fence on the left. Pass a little wooden hut on the right to reach a stile in the upper left-hand corner of the field that leads onto a road called First Drift.

Turn left and follow First Drift eastwards for a short distance until it ends at the B1081 road. Carefully cross the main road to reach the pavement on the other side, and then turn right to continue uphill for a third of a mile with a large stone wall on the left. When a gateway leading into a golf course is reached turn left through it. Follow the trail along a surfaced track across a golf course through Burghley Park; the route is easy to follow and is well waymarked.

After half a mile it reaches a large stone gateway on the left. Ignore the tracks going off on either side and continue along the track as it curves to the left. Just before a cattle grid turn right over a stile and head on, keeping a hedge and some scrub woodland to the right. The path across the Burghley estate is usefully marked by a series of wooden posts with yellow blazes at the top. Cross a stile over an electric fence and turn half-left, still following the posts. It should be noted that the fence and hedge lines in the estate may change at any time. At the end of this field continue straight on along a track that heads through a patch of woodland. It emerges from the trees into a long field with a hedge on the left. At the end of this field squeeze through a hedge and continue straight on for a short distance across the middle of a third field, aiming for the top right-hand corner. Here the path squeezes through a gap in a fence to reach a bend in a road at TF066044.

Carefully cross this road and skirt the left-hand side of a triangular junction before heading straight on southeastwards along another road for a third of a mile. When it curves to the right continue straight on through two sets of white gates to join a track. Initially this heads southeastwards with a wall on the left. Go through a gate just before the wall ends and continue straight on along the broad track across a field. It skirts a little wall that guards some woodland on the right to reach another gate. It continues on with a wall on the left.

The wall on the left ends and the path continues on for about fifty yards across the field to reach another gate. Go through this and continue on with a fence on the left. Go through another pedestrian gate at the end of this field and head on across the middle of the field, aiming to meet a wall on the right. Follow this wall down to a gate that leads onto the road in the little hamlet of Southorpe at TF080026.

Turn right to continue along the road; it immediately curves to the left past Grange Farm. Here the Hereward way splits. The new route turns right through a clappergate beside a cattle grid to join a track that heads past Grange Farm on the right. When the track ends at Keeper's Cottage continue on across a field that curves slightly to the right to head between two trees to reach another clappergate. Continue on with a hedge on the right and a fence on the left. When the hedge on the right ends, go through a gap in another hedge; the path curves slightly to the left to angle towards some woodland on the right. Again the new route is marked with posts topped with yellow blazes.

The path enters some woodland and heads downhill to reach a footbridge over a stream called White Water Brook. On the other side go through a gate and head straight on, aiming for another gate. Continue on diagonally across this field aiming for a gap in the hedge ahead. Go through this and turn right up a rough track, keeping the hedge to the left. After about thirty yards turn left down a concrete track that leads towards Sacrewell Lodge Farm. The track forks just before the farm; take the right-hand fork to remain on the concrete track. This immediately joins another track that passes a barn on the left.

The concrete track curves to the left to reach a surfaced road. Turn left down this road and follow it as it immediately swings to the right, becoming a concrete track once more. It passes the main farm house on the left and continues on with a hedge on the left. It heads south for a sixth of a mile before curving to the left to head southeastwards towards Sacrewell Farm. It crosses a cattle grid to approach a complex junction. Take the left-hand branch that heads along a surfaced track that runs around the edge of the farm, crossing a bridge over a stream and curving to the right to leave the farm. The track swings to the right and then the left to head south before reaching the A47(T) at TF080996.

Wansford is about half a mile to the west; the A47 will take you across the A1(T), after which the A6118 can be used to reach the centre of the village. There is no pavement on the A47, but the verges are wide and easy to follow.

Alternative routes

The old route follows the road south-southeastwards from Grange Farm in Southorpe, soon crossing an old railway bridge. When a road junction comes in from the left the road curves to the right and then the left. After a couple of miles it ends at a junction with the busy A47(T) road at TL090995. Turn right and careful follow the A47(T) as it heads westwards, immediately passing over a bridge over an old railway line before heading slightly downhill. Enter a lay-by on the left after a sixth of a mile and turn left across a stile to join a footpath that heads southeastwards to join the northern bank of the River Nene.

Places of interest

Transport

Delaine buses service 205 runs between Stamford and Peterborough five times a day (no services at weekends), calling at Wansford on the way.

You could also join this leg with the next one between Wansford and Peterborough, allowing you to use the Peterborough to Stamford railway service. See the National Rail website for more information.

Other walk accounts

This leg is mentioned in the following web pages:

• Jordwalks' page about Peterborough to Stamford.

Map information

Landranger (1:50,000)				Explorer (1:25,000)
Landranger 141 (Kettering, Corby & surrounding area)	and	Landranger 142 (Peterborough, Market Deeping & Chatteris)	or	Explorer 234 (Rutland Water)