North Wold's Geology

About trip

Caistor’s origins are Roman, its name Castra meaning camp or fortification, and small fragments of the original encircling wall still remain in the vicinity of the church. Ermine Street passed close by, and a short hillside track joined Caistor to the important north–south route from the Humber to the Roman fort of Banovallum (modern-day Horncastle). Caistor town centre has several impressive Georgian houses, but sadly few from earlier times, since a disastrous fire in 1681 burnt down most of the town. Geology and Conservation. Caistor and Nettleton sit at the foot of the sharp western escarpment of the Lincolnshire Wolds, a modest but undulating series of chalk uplands in the county’s north east corner, which form the highest land on England’s eastern seaboard between Yorkshire and Kent. The high point is Normanby Top, just off the walk, at the dizzying height of 550ft (168m)! The main rocks of the Wolds – chalk, limestone and sandstone – were laid down during the Cretaceous era around 65 million to 135 million years ago. Overlying sands and gravels came later, during the ice ages of the Pleistocene era, around 1.8 million years ago. Although dominated by a thick band of chalk, the western fringes of the Wolds have deposits of ironstone which was mined during the last century near Nettleton Top. The ore was taken down the hillside and transported by rail to Scunthorpe for smelting. The machinery has disappeared, but the mounds and scars are still evident today. The high chalk Wolds have poor, thin soils, and are mainly, but not exclusively, grazed by sheep. However, in the south of the Wolds the chalk is covered with deposits of boulder clay, gravel and sand, which give rise to better agricultural soils. Although some villages even had their own brickworks, the chalk has also been quarried for building stone. The Wolds were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1973. The Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service aims to promote the landscape and its conservation, and improve opportunities for quiet recreation. They produce a regular guide and organise guided walks and events. Visit www.lincswolds.org.uk to find out more. While you're there: The walk follows some of the 147-mile (236km) Viking Way that runs north–south along the length of the Wolds. It crosses a region that was occupied by the Vikings from the late 9th century. Beyond the Wolds it loops west, then heads south to finish across the Rutland border. What to look out for: One of Caistor’s more unusual constructions is a brick shed built into the grassy bank at the foot of Plough Hill. It dates from 1869 and once housed the town’s horse-drawn fire engine. Apparently the call-out fee was £3 and it was summoned by the tolling of the church bells. Where to eat and drink: The Tea Cosy, off Caistor’s Market Place, is open daily (except Sun and Mon). The White Hart in Caistor serves good food and beer. The Salutation Inn at Nettleton serves food lunchtime and evening. Directions: Walk down the ramp from the car park and cross the road to the Market Place, then continue straight ahead down Plough Hill. At the foot of the hill, turn right along Nettleton Road. When it becomes Richards Row, look for a footpath along a passageway between houses on the opposite side of the road. Now thread your way left through a small estate, all the time following the Viking helmet waymarks for the Viking Way. Cross over Caistor bypass and go directly ahead through six fields towards Nettleton, veering diagonally left in the last to skirt a modern bungalow. Turn right into the lane below, and walk to the junction in the middle of the village. Go left on Normanby Road. In a little over 0.25 mile (400m), leave the lane for a private drive on the left, indicated ‘public bridleway’, by a house called Hazeldene. Follow this route as far as Nettleton Grange, then veer left with the track as it goes through a gate beside the Nev Cole Memorial Stile. On the far side of the gate turn right (the main track goes straight on) and for 0.5 mile (800m) follow a public footpath alongside Nettleton Beck, keeping the stream and ponds on your right. The path, which can be very boggy in places, eventually climbs a rough grassy hillside to emerge on a surfaced lane. Turn left and walk along the lane uphill for 150yds (137m) until a sign points you right for a track into woodland. Follow the undulating path past bricked-up tunnel entrances, the remains of former ironstone workings. Go through a gate and cross a stile to emerge onto open pasture and a route that again keeps to the left of Nettleton Beck. When the stream disappears into a spring, continue uphill to reach the final, upper part of the valley. Turn right at the top on to a farm track (bridleway) and walk along to the lane at the end near Acre House. Turn right, and follow this pleasant lane, via Nettleton Top, all the way back to the village of Nettleton. There are superb views over the flat plain of North Lincolnshire to South Yorkshire and the Humber, with the towers of the Humber Bridge visible on a clear day and the Yorkshire Wolds beyond. At Nettleton retrace your steps back to Caistor.