Belchford and Village Life

This walk is partly based on one of several routes devised by Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service and described in a series of attractive colour booklets. Apart from the standard waymarks (yellow for public footpaths and blue for public bridleways), this route is also denoted by occasional green alder-leaf motifs - so despite the twists and turns there's no excuse for getting lost!

Belchford is associated with the South Wold Hunt, whose opening meet traditionally starts outside the Blue Bell Inn. Near the parish church is Chapel Lane, evidence that Belchford's small population also supported two other seats of worship - the Primitive Methodist chapel (built in 1834) and Wesleyan Methodist (1871).

The second village on the route is Fulletby, which used to have an inn, post office, school and bakeries, but is now a quiet little backwater. It's one of the highest villages in the Wolds, and its most famous resident was Henry Winn (1816-1914), who over the course of his long life was variously the local draper, grocer, churchwarden, schoolmaster and constable. He ran the local post office and established the village library - despite being self-educated, having left school at the age of ten - and earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records for holding the position of parish clerk for an incredible 76 years! In addition, he fathered a total of 21 children, all of them born in Winn Cottage which can still be seen opposite St Andrew's Church off Church Street. Sadly only four of the children (all daughters) survived to adulthood.

The White Hart in Tetford used to be the meeting place of a gentlemen's literary club, which was once addressed by Dr Samuel Johnson, who is recorded as playing skittles at the inn. Among the club's members was Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who was born in nearby Somersby. Along the street is St Mary's Church, which has the distinction of having the Greenwich Meridian running through its churchyard.

As you head back to Belchford, you will be following a Roman 'salt road', along which salt (used, of course, to preserve perishable foodstuffs) was transferred from the Wash coast at Burgh-le-Marsh to the important Roman garrison at Lincoln.

The high, chalk ridge to the north has an even more ancient trackway, the Bluestone Heath Road, probably used in prehistoric times by tribesmen to move animals and perhaps other trading commodities. There are several round barrows dotted along the route.

Where to eat and drink

Tetford's two pubs serve food lunchtimes and evenings: the White Hart is on East Street, while on the edge of the village towards Salmonby is the Cross Keys Inn, originally built as a station on the never-completed Horncastle-Skegness railway line. The Blue Bell Inn in Belchford was being completely refurbished at the time of writing and hoped to reopen for food and drink at the end of 2002.

What to look for

The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Belchford is built from Spilsby sandstone, probably quarried locally, perhaps from a bumpy area to the south of the village known as Hills and Holes (you pass it a few minutes after leaving Belchford). It's often called greenstone since it contains the green mineral glauconite, the colour of which gradually becomes apparent through weathering.

While you're there

Five miles (8km) south of Belchford is Snipe Dales Nature Reserve and Country Park (off the A158/B1195), a wonderful semi-wooded valley rich in wildlife, partly managed by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. There are short waymarked trails that explore the woods, ponds and hillsides, as well as a bird hide, picnic area and toilets - well worth a visit.