Viking Way - History

History

The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincolnshire County Council; it was to be opened by the Chairman, John Hedley-Lewis, but he was ill, and died the following December. Hedley-Lewis was President of the local Ramblers' Associations, and a memorial stile was made for him on the route at Stenwith, a half-mile north of the Rutland Arms in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir.

The Countryside Commission recognised the significance of the Viking Way as a high quality long distance walk linking other major routes in Eastern England, these being the Yorkshire Wolds Way at the northern end, the Hereward Way and Macmillan Way from Oakham and indirectly via the Hereward Way, the Jurassic Way from Stamford and the southern end of the Peddars Way from Thetford. Most of the route is designated as part of the European long distance path E2.

Many prehistoric settlements were established on dry ground in the Lincolnshire Wolds and on the Limestone Heath. The route passes sites of early settlements. There is evidence that the Vikings exercised influence over the county (Danelaw) in the 9th century: e.g. the place names ending in by, Scandinavian names recorded in documents and also names marked on coins. Much of the Viking Way is classified as a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) and is thus a vehicular right of way.