
A long-distance footpath that marks historic links with Viking invaders has undergone a £370,000 upgrade in the run up to its golden year.
The Viking Way, which runs 149 miles from the Humber Bridge to Rutland, marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, and over the last two years the Lincolnshire stretch has seen a host of improvements as part of a major investment.
Crossing through the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the historic city of Lincoln, the route is famously marked with signs bearing a Viking helmet on a yellow disc.
Keen walkers can tackle the whole route or choose from 13 separate walks.
And for those looking for a more leisurely stroll, Viking Way Shorts offer circular trails varying in length from one-and-a-half mile sections to three-mile hikes.
Now that works are complete, visitors can take advantage of new additions aimed at making the footpath easier to navigate.
Among improvements are new surfaces, foot bridges and boardwalks, while stiles have been replaced with easier access gates. New waymarking is also complete throughout the Wolds.
Along with physical improvements to the route, Lincolnshire County Council has also invested in a revamped visitor guide to the Viking Way on its destination website, visitlincolnshire.com.
As well as providing more details about the walks, circular trails, and the history, it offers tips on the best places to visit and features a new promotional video.
The Viking Way was officially opened on 5 September 1976 at Tealby, in Lincolnshire, and as its name suggests it reflects the area’s connections to Norse invaders who occupied the area in the 9th century.
The Vikings also left a legacy in the names of villages and towns of Lincolnshire, with many ending in ‘by’, meaning village in Norse, and ‘thorp’ for hamlet.
For more on walking the Viking Way, see www.visitlincolnshire.com/things-to-do/viking-way/
For tourist information about visiting the county, see www.visitlincolnshire.com