{"id":416,"date":"2011-10-01T02:11:26","date_gmt":"2011-10-01T02:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=416"},"modified":"2011-09-28T19:42:37","modified_gmt":"2011-09-28T19:42:37","slug":"rothwell-nettleton-beck-lincolnshire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=416","title":{"rendered":"Rothwell &#038; Nettleton Beck, Lincolnshire"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a cleft of the north Lincolnshire wolds sits Rothwell, a neat little village of estate houses with tall gables and fancy brickwork.<br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.onload = setupZoom; function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk;\nvar walkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=700,width=800,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script>First published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('Nettleton.gpx');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><\/script><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6062\/6115616913_9c30106e05.jpg\" title='track to Rothwell Top'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6062\/6115616913_9c30106e05_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6064\/6115618843_3fd8343b10.jpg\" title='cutting hay'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6064\/6115618843_3fd8343b10_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6087\/6115620767_25eb0ebaa1.jpg\" title='head of Nettleton Beck valley'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6087\/6115620767_25eb0ebaa1_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6194\/6116166400_1b367e70de.jpg\" title='sheep and mine spoil mounds'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6194\/6116166400_1b367e70de_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6193\/6115626547_e4b6775461.jpg\" title='iron mine tunnel mouth'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6193\/6115626547_e4b6775461_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6067\/6116171708_6ddf1f0e1d.jpg\" title='climbing out of Nettleton Beck valley'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6067\/6116171708_6ddf1f0e1d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6198\/6116174652_8a0197ab69.jpg\" title='track across the wolds'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6198\/6116174652_8a0197ab69_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6205\/6116177330_02d0991f76.jpg\" title='Rothwell'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6205\/6116177330_02d0991f76_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=416\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\nYou could drive past on any of the nearby main roads and never know Rothwell was there at all, so low and modest is its stance in this wide-rolling landscape of sheep pastures and iron-rich ploughlands.<\/p>\n<p>As I left Rothwell and began the gentle climb to the high wolds, sparrows chattered in the hedges and an amorous pigeon in a copper beech insisted, in a throaty murmur, \u2018I lo-o-ove it \u2013 do you?\u2019 The long driveway to Rothwell Top farm was fenced with traditional wooden palings. Fat white sheep cropped the fields that rose to a crown of woods sighing and tossing in the strong westerly wind. The slopes of the valley folded one beyond the other, giving the land a billowy look \u2013 neat, ordered, settled country. Shooting country, too. Partridges rocketed low over the grass, and young pheasants ran away with a rocking and rolling gait like a file of drunken sailors on speed.<\/p>\n<p>Rothwell Top sits on the crest of the wolds, solid and brick-built round its farmyard. The path led on through big fields sibilant in the wind \u2013 tangles of oilseed rape crackling, thistles and docks whispering, barley heads rustling together. Great curtains of dense rain moved grandly across the wolds a mile or two north, but none fell on me.<\/p>\n<p>At Acre House I turned aside down the hidden cleft of Nettleton Beck. All that\u2019s left of the valley\u2019s former ironstone mining and chalk quarrying is lumps and bumps, distorting the smooth grass of the valley sides like trolls\u2019 knees under a green blanket. In a tangle of trees half-way down I found a series of arched tunnel mouths, filled in with bricks, driven into the soft hillside \u2013 poignant memorials to a once-thriving local industry.<\/p>\n<p>I turned east, up and out of the valley, through a bog where water mint lent a pungent smell to my pinching fingertips. Up an old cart track, across the roof of the wolds once more, and down to Rothwell \u2013 church tower, then red roofs and white houses coming into view until the whole deep-sunk village lay spread at my feet.<\/p>\n<p>Start: Blacksmith\u2019s Arms, Rothwell, nr Caistor, LN7 6AZ (OS ref TF151996)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: On eastern outskirts of Caistor, take B1225 (\u2018Rothwell\u2019). In \u00be mile, left to Rothwell.<\/p>\n<p>WALK (8\u00bd miles, moderate, OS Explorer 282):<br \/>\nFrom Blacksmith\u2019s Arms, cross road, right up Beckside. In a \u00bc mile, right through gate (151992; bridleway, blue arrow\/BA). Follow tarmac drive (BAs, \u2018Footpath\u2019) for 1\u00bd miles to Rothwell Top Farm (139978); on to B1225. Left for 300 m; right (134972; BA, fingerpost) on field path for 1 mile. At gate near Acre House, right (117969; \u2018footpath\u2019 fingerpost; \u2018Viking Way\u2019\/VW). Aim diagonally right, down and across Nettleton Beck valley. 50 m before first cross fence\/hedge, VW at corner of hedge on right points to kissing gate (120971, VW). Follow VW down valley on right bank of beck, into woodland (123982, VW). Pass mine entrances; follow VW and yellow arrows for another \u00be mile. Pass reservoir; right (117995; \u2018bridleway\u2019) up track, passing ruined farm. On to cross B1225, then Rothwell Road (133001); on for 4 fields\/nearly 1 mile. At wooden gatepost in hedge gap on right, turn right (147009; 4-finger post; bridleway, \u2018Lindsey Loop\u2019) for nearly a mile to Rothwell. <\/p>\n<p>LUNCH: Blacksmiths Arms, Rothwell (01472-371300; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blackiespub.co.uk\">www.blackiespub.co.uk<\/a>) \u2013 friendly folk, filling food.<\/p>\n<p>ACCOMMODATION: Advocate Arms, 2 Queen Street, Market Rasen LN8 3EH (01673-842364; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.advocatearms.co.uk\">www.advocatearms.co.uk<\/a>) \u2013 cheerful restaurant-with-rooms.<\/p>\n<p>INFORMATION: Lincoln Visitor Information Centre, 9 Castle Hill (01522-545458); <a href=\"http:\/\/www.visitlincolnshire.com\">www.visitlincolnshire.com<\/a><br \/>\n<FONT COLOR=\"#0000ff\"><U><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.ramblers.org.uk\/\">www.ramblers.org.uk<\/A><\/U><\/FONT> <FONT COLOR=\"#0000ff\"><U><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.satmap.com\/\">www.satmap.com<\/A><\/U><\/FONT><br \/>\n<FONT COLOR=\"#0000ff\"><U><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.LogMyTrip.co.uk\/\">www.LogMyTrip.co.uk<\/A><\/U><\/FONT><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a cleft of the north Lincolnshire wolds sits Rothwell, a neat little village of estate houses with tall gables and fancy brickwork.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}