Welbourn Walks
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Welbourn is situated at a prominent point on the dramatic scarp of Lincoln Cliff. This ancient settlement, which boasts several Roman finds lies close to the Jurassic Way, a prehistoric track runs for many miles along the English limestone edge from the Mendips of Somerset to the Humber estuary. To the east of the scarp, the Southern Lincolnshire Edge lies between two gaps carved by large glacial rivers, the Trent at Ancaster (long since diverted) and the Witham at Lincoln. Pottergate runs just east of Welbourn and is the name given to the Jurassic Way south of Lincoln, while to the north it is called Middle Street.
The once extensive limestone grasslands and scrub of the Lincoln Cliff and the Heath have long been ‘improved for agriculture’ but many varieties of limestone flora linger in the wide roadside verges and especially along Ermine Street itself.
These grasslands only develop on shallow, limy soils. The rich and distinctive plant life they support make it important for a large range of insects, particularly butterflies, such as the rare Dingy and Grizzled Skipper, and declining birds, including skylarks and barn owls.
