Lincolnshire - Water Rail Way

Explore vast fenland landscapes with long views and expansive skies

Take a walk or cycle ride along the Water Rail Way, a purpose built trail linking Lincoln to Boston with a range of interesting artwork along the route. The mostly traffic-free route follows the River Witham from Lincoln to Boston.

Man and woman biking together in Lincolnshire

You set out from Lincoln, in the shadow of Lincoln Cathedral, and finish at the market town of Boston with the famous St Botolph’s Church, known as ‘The Stump’.

The route is 33 miles (54km) in length and passes through the village of Bardney where there's a heritage centre about 9 miles into the ride. The Water Rail Way features vast open fenland landscapes, with long views and expansive skies.

As you enjoy the fresh air, you can spot the commissioned artwork along the way, which depicts Lincolnshire’s assets and is inspired by the words of Lincolnshire's own Alfred Lord Tennyson. Other works along the route include Sally Matthews 'Lincoln Reds' and 'Lincoln Longwool Sheep'.

Also along the way, you'll find two viewing platforms over the banks of the River Witham designed by Belgian architects Robbrecht en Daem. The vision was to create innovative micro-works of architecture that provide viewing points to the public. Each structure supports a flight of stairs leading up to expansive views over the fens or the historic City of Lincoln.

This trail is good for cyclists and walkers of any fitness level as it's fairly flat and there are lots of good turnaround points if you don't feel up to tackling the full 33 miles.