Grab your walking shoes and head over to the Gainsborough’s riverside walk to explore a much-welcomed and improved walkway.
Visitors can now enjoy an uninterrupted 1.7 mile stroll along the River bank from the historic Trent Bridge all the way to the picturesque village of Morton.
Enjoy a day out
The local church, St Paul’s, has also been described as one of the loveliest in Lincolnshire. It is a Grade 2* listed building and was richly endowed by Sir Hickman Bacon, the Premier Baronet of England. It also has 10 exquisite windows designed by the great Victorian artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones RA. They are believed to be the finest collection of windows by this artist of any church in the country.
Read more about the church here.
On the walk you will come across two popular pubs – The Ship Inn is open Monday to Thursday, 3pm to 10pm and Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 11pm and would offer an opportunity for a stop off for a refreshing drink or a meal. Trent Port at the start of the walk is also open everyday 9am to 10pm.
Historical Links
The River Trent also has some notable historical mentions including King Canute who stood in the River Trent in an attempt to hold back the tide. It was believed it was to demonstrate that power is vain compared to the supreme power of God. It was also here in Gainsborough that some of the Pilgrim Separatists fled from the town on a barge up the River Trent in search of religious freedom in May 1608. They met others at an isolated place along the coast near Immingham where they boarded a Dutch ship to Amsterdam. Some would later return and board the Mayflower in Plymouth in 1620.
Parts of the walk are also featured in the Gainsborough heritage trail, a self-guided walking tour that takes you around some of the town’s most notable locations and attractions. It also includes the Pilgrim Woman, a bronze statue located at Whitton Gardens that was installed to commemorate Gainsborough’s link to the Mayflower story.
The extension to the Riverside Walk was carried out by West Lindsey District Council in partnership with Acis Group and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnerships (GLLEP).
