The Grantham Canal Walk 2006

During the early summer months of 2006, my friend Barbara and I began talking about the prospect of walking the entirety of the Grantham Canal which follows a meandering thirty-three mile route from the River Trent in Nottingham to its eventual destination in the Lincolnshire town of Grantham.

A long-distance walk having been of appeal to both of us, but as yet little deed, the old industrial coal barge route of the canal which enjoys a passage through a green corridor winding through the attractive Vale of Belvoir and no less than three counties, seemed an ideal journey to undertake as an initial project. The route appeared to offer tranquillity and interest, through the thoroughly well-named vale, and  an ideal pastime for the summer which would offer a  little achievement too.

As with all these things, some amount of planning was required, predominantly of course as the route is basically a linear one and transport to and from the various points along the canal would be a problem that needed addressing.

As we began the first few faltering steps of the walk from nearby Lady Bay Bridge on July 25^th 2006 in the summer heat, our early solution had been to simply leave a car at the day's destination. Maybe circular routes employing sections of the canal would be used wherever possible however to keep life simple and so that the main focus would remain on the walk itself.

This is the story of our walking adventure, we hope you enjoy it!

Stu