Get Lost Mountaineering

Hartsholme Lake, White Bridge, White House, Coot Major, Sanctuary & Dragonfly Lakes

Start/Finish

Car park just inside the entrance to Hartsholme Country Park. The entrance is off Skellingthorpe Road between the level crossing and Birchwood Avenue. If coming from the level crossing, go past the school and shops; the entrance is a little further. If coming from the A46 Lincoln bypass, it is about a mile. Go past the petrol station at the start of Birchwood Avenue. The park is after the houses on the right, you will see the lake before you reach the entrance. The car park can be muddy and soon fills up. There is a cleaner alternative on the other side of Skellingthorpe Road about 100 m towards the bypass

Distance/Time

5 km/3 miles     About 1 – 2 hours

Introduction

Hartsholme Country Park and Swanholme Lakes are separate entities but are adjacent, joined by several paths and occupy the undeveloped area bounded by Skellingthorpe Road, Birchwood, Doddington Road and the railway line behind Tritton Road. Hartsholme Country Park is a former stately home so its grounds are well laid out; the former hall is no longer standing. Swanholme Lakes was formerly a series of gravel pits (common in this area). Work ceased in the 1960s and the land has gradually reverted to wild with some management in recent years. The gravel extraction left a number of fairly shallow lakes with very irregular shapes making for very pleasant walking. There are three major lakes: Dragonfly Lake, Sanctuary Lake and Coot Lake which has major and minor sections; there are many more unamed lakes some of which are quite large. There is an abundance of wildlife including swans, ducks, geese, squirrels and deer.

Route

(1) From the main entrance, take a path which shadows the Skellingthorpe Road. This soon reaches the lake. Continue ahead, still alongside the road, on what is probably an old promenade. At the end of the promenade, follow the path left around the lakeside. A bank soon blocks views of the lake but look for paths going left which give better views before rejoining the main track. Follow the main track around the edge of the lake until White Bridge is reached.

(2) Cross over White Bridge then turn right so you are following the “river” away from the main body of the lake. Once clear of the White bridge and the main track going towards the Visitor Centre, stay with the track alongside the “river”. Pass a path labelled “Top Cut Through” which is written on the fence itself and not very obvious. Continue to pass the “Middle Cut Through”. Continue to reach the “Bottom Cut Through” which is by a black litter bin and a red dog bin. If visibility is good, you may be able to see Black Bridge from here. Take the “Bottom Cut Through” path and follow it to join a major track. Turn right towards the white house. Go through the gate into Swanholme Lakes just before the house with Coot Major Lake soon obvious and there is also an information board.

(3) Turn right and follow the track until a “shack” is reached just around a left bend. Coot Major Lake is on your left and Dragonfly Lake on your right. Take the track left by the shack which follows Coot Major Lake. Soon Sanctuary Lake appears on your right. Follow the track round to reach a meadow then continue round; You are essentially walking around Sanctuary Lake. Stay with the good track, past Sanctuary Lake to join a good track. Turn right and soon reach the shack again with Dragonfly Lake on your left.

(4) Go past the shack but before reaching the gate to exit Swanholme Lakes, take a path which goes straight ahead and follows the edge of Coot Major Lake. Soon, you over looking a sports field so descend the bank and walk across the field aiming for the corner of the wall around Lincoln United Football Ground. From the corner, an obvious path heads towards the tower block and soon joins the main track from the white house. Follow this track, passing the cricket ground and campsite, on the right, to pass the Visitor Centre, off to the left, and reach the main car park.

Notes

(a) This walk took place in January, 2021.