Wainfleet St Mary

Enjoy a walk from Wainfleet through the surrounding countryside crossing the Steeping River, the site of the medieval village of Wainfleet, walking along a medieval drove road before returning to Batemans Brewery Visitor Centre.

4.75 miles (7.5 kilometres)
2.5 hours

1. Leave the Visitor Centre car park and turn right.
2. At the T-junction turn left and after approximately 100m, opposite All Saints’ church, turn left onto a public footpath. Follow the path beside the houses and then straight on between two ditches. Cross a bridge and continue ahead between two fields to another bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the field edge ahead to a road.
3. Turn left and follow the road for approximately 75m before turning right onto a public footpath around the back of some houses to rejoin the road.
4. Turn right and follow the road to the river. Cross the river over Crow’s Bridge. You are now in the parish of Wainfleet St Mary.
5. Immediately after the bridge turn left and then right along Wainfleet Bank. Follow the road for approximately 0.75 miles (one kilometre).
6. Turn left onto a public footpath heading towards St Mary’s church. Cross the bridge and continue ahead keeping the hedge on your left. After approximately 150m and at a large gap in the hedge, go through the gap and carry on in the same direction but with the hedge now on your right.
7. Cross the bridge into the churchyard and walk straight ahead to join the church path to the road.
8. Here you have a choice of routes, one along a quiet county road and the other along a public footpath.
   Country lane route: Turn left along the road (Church Lane) and follow it for approximately one mile (1.5 kilometres) to a T-junction. Turn right and at the second T-junction turn left, signed Wainfleet. Rejoin the walk directions at point 10. 
   Footpath route: Cross the road and follow the public footpath opposite, along a track. Continue along the track as it passes a cottage and becomes a surfaced lane.
9. At the road turn left and at the next road junction keep right towards the village.
10. Follow the road for approximately 600m , past the windmill and St Michael’s Lane.
11. Turn left onto a public footpath, opposite the playpark. Cross the small field and follow the path between two hedges, to the right of the house, and then straight on behind the houses to a road.
12. Turn right and at the T-junction turn left to walk alongside the river.
13. At the next T-junction turn left over Salem Bridge to return to Wainfleet All Saints. Take the first left, Mill Lane, to return to the starting point.

Wainfleet St Mary route map

Suitable for families with older children.

The walk uses pavements, field paths, roads and tracks.  There are stiles and you may encounter livestock.

• linked to public transport
• parking
• refreshments
• toilets
• village/town

• historical interest
• river
• wildlife interest