Get Lost Mountaineering

Walk 1: Old Wood W & SW of Wood House

Start/Finish

The end of Wood Bank, a minor road. From Skellingthorpe Co-Op, take the road towards Saxilby but soon turn left, on a right hand bend, onto Woodbank and follow it to its end near a pillar box where there is space for a few cars.

Distance/Time

4 km/2.5 miles About an hour

Introduction

Skellingthorpe Old Wood is one of the largest woodlands in the area and is relatively quiet to walk around. It contains a mixture of good tracks, boggy tracks and many footpaths. Boots are needed and gaiters after wet weather. The wood is very natural and, in March, white wood anemones abound. There is much to explore in this wood.

Route

(1) Fork right at the pillar box and walk up the rough road past some houses, including one called Blenheim, to reach a five way junction of mainly bridleways where there is a signpost. Go left, not the reverse left fork, and head towards Wood House on a decent track. Continue past the house. Ignore the two paths going off and stay with the track to reach a T junction. Go straight on, on another track, to reach a crossroads where there is a picnic site under the trees on the right. Left and right are major tracks but go across to take the grassy path. Just to the left of the start of this path is a fence post with a carving of a bird of prey on it. Follow the footpath to soon reach a T junction where a sign says go left. Continue of left path, sometimes muddy, to reach the edge of the wood on its western side.

(2) Turn left and follow a path close to the edge of the wood. Soon reach a wooden bridge on the right which is for a path to Carr Farm. Do not cross the bridge but continue along the path close to the edge of the wood. About 200 m further is an obvious path going back into the wood but continue past it. Further on, the path bends to the left with another bridge on the right. Stay with the path around the bend ignoring the left fork soon after. Follow the wide path/track which can be boggy. Reach a crossroads and turn right. After about 500 m, almost reach the edge of the wood again but follow the path which turns left and back into the wood. After about 200 m, there is a pool on the right. Continue to a T junction with a large open field beyopnd. Turn right and soon pass under a large wooden arch just before joining the sustrans track from Skellingthorpe to Harby.

(3) Turn left onto the tarmac sustrans track and follow it back towards Skellingthorpe. (To the right is Doddington Road old railway bridge). Pass the new sustrans track going to Doddington Hall. Across a large open field on the right is a wood called Ash Lound. Further on, there is a “picture” on the right. Soon after, a footpath goes left. Take this and follow it to a rough track which eventually crosses a flat bridge just before a T junction. Turn right and soon reach the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place in March, 2020.