Lincoln to Washingborough. 4.5 miles.
Leaving Lincoln.
I emerge from a few hours enthralled in Lincoln Cathedral and start my Spires and Steeples Trail from the grand west door. In some ways, it would have been more of a climax to finish here, but let’s not belittle Sleaford until we arrive there.
I will probably write about the cathedral soon, but where will I start? There is so much history, beauty, and awe.
It’s easier to just set off on the trail. I want to tick off a few miles to make tomorrow more manageable. Out of the cathedral grounds, Lincoln Cathedral lost its spires centuries ago and down that ‘steep hill ‘ everyone talks about. It is steep, and those coming up take frequent stops to look in the tourist shop windows. 
At the bottom, I dodge a few streets and pass by my first spire. The stately St. Swithins is now looking uncared for. The original church suffered a bad fire in 1644, the fate of many early wooden churches. It was rebuilt but replaced with this Neo-Gothic building in 1869, designed by James Fowler, a distinguished Victorian church architect. The mathematician George Boole was christened in the earlier church in 1815. More of him later. The congregation still meets in a nearby building whilst the repairs to the church’s roof are being funded. 
The River Witham is navigable from Lincoln to The Wash at Boston, made possible by canalisation in the C18th. I cross over and start walking out of the city, passing a lock basin. 
Along the banks are the remains of industries past, but it doesn’t take long to reach more rural scenery. 
I come across my first S & S waymark, but I may have missed some in the city. 
Looking back, the Cathedral dominates the skyline, as it does from miles around. 
The track is popular with cyclists and joggers. A cycleway, The Water Rail, goes as far as Boston on the old railway. I’ve just realised I’m on an old rail track. The railway that finished off most of the river traffic. It took a package boat six hours to get to Boston; the train took one and a quarter hours.
Easy going and I reach the old railway station, cosed 1940, where I cross the ditch into a small park. There are a few animal statues to look out for, and then I’m on the main road through Washingborough, right next to a bus stop with the first steeple for tomorrow visible up the hill.
A good start to the trip, and I finished before it became dark.
As I explained in my introduction https://bowlandclimber.com/2024/12/06/spires-and-steeples/ I am booked into a pub in Metheringham for a few days and aim to use bus transport to the ends of each stage.
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PS. This walk was completed on December 3rd – I’m not crazy enough to be out in Storm Darragh.
You picked exactly the right time of year to see Lincoln cathedral. It’s magnificent in the late autumn.
Few visitotrs at this time of year, which is an advantage.
And the Christmas trees added to the atmosphere.
A good start. That cathedral door is mightily impressive. I counted eleven layers of its intricate borders. I overnighted in Lincoln in June 2014 on my Viking Way trip but approached from the east where I think the finish of your route may coincide for a short while back into Lincoln? At the bottom of Steep Hill I turned right in the opposite direction to your route.
Correction. The viking Way continued south from Steep Hill.
Oops! I’ve misunderstood thinking you were walking circular but I reckon you have already done that bit of the Viking Way out of Lincoln then heading south linear. I will have to download the route from LDWA.
I’m confused now. I did see a Viking Way sign at some point.
An interesting small city, Lincoln. I stopped off there for a few hours one hot, sunny afternoon, on the way to a client for a job a few years ago BC (before Covid).
That sculpture on the side of the venue looks very similar to the “Face of Wigan” in our town centre. I wonder whether it’s by the same artist. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5395389
Yes it is by Rick Kirkby. Well spotted.
The west door, and the western facade generally, are amazing. I haven’t been inside the Cathedral for years, so am looking forward to when you get around to posting about that. Although I think of Lincoln as quite a familiar place, I must admit to being surprised about how quickly you were able to get out into the countryside from the centre. The part of town I’m most familiar with is St. Giles where my mum grew up.
That facade of the cathedral is indeed amazing. I’d never been before so I was completely awestruck.
Will get around to a view inside, but the trail is to be written up first.
Once onto the Witham canal it was easy walking.
Looks nice. I like the photos of the little streets and the cathedral is beautiful.
The Lincoln area is definitely worth a weekend visit.