Haxey

Haxey

Route: Haxey

Area: North Lincolnshire

Date of walk: 11th November 2017

Walkers: Andrew Gilly and James

Distance: 4.3 miles

Ascent: 200 feet

Weather: Mostly sunny

Our son James lives in Westwoodside and after celebrating his birthday there last night we all looked forward to some fresh countryside air to clear away the cobwebs. We started today’s walk from Westwoodside but as James is unlikely to appreciate hikers parking on the drive I recommend that anyone following this route starts in nearby Haxey.

Haxey is in the Isle of Axholme, which is an excellent destination for walkers though it is often ignored despite having a fine network of well-marked footpaths. From the brow of Tower Hill, which commands huge views north, we followed a path through Coney Garth Wood which led gently downhill in the direction of Epworth

After walking across the fields we reached the far point of the walk and from here we climbed up to the railway embankment, part of the former Isle of Axholme Joint Railway. This was the first to be built under the 1896 Light Railways Act, which was enacted to encourage the spread of rural railway lines by avoiding payment of expensive Parliamentary legal costs. After 10 minutes or so we left the embankment to climb up some steps and cross a bridge back over it, and from here we completed our figure of eight circuit by climbing gently back up to Haxey

We’d really enjoyed our walk in this part of the world and look forward to returning to explore the area further

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