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You are here: Hudson's > Tarr on the Road > Colsterworth to Harlaxton
12.1 miles
Image: Woolsthorpe Manor, the fomer home of Sir Isaac Newton, photo by Nicola Burford.
A short stroll brought me to Woolsthorpe Manor, modest buildings but of great historical interest as it was here on Christmas Day 1642 that Sir Isaac Newton, the renowned scientist, was born. Between 1665 and 1667 Newton returned to Woolsthorpe from plague-infected Cambridge for what is known as his ‘Year of Wonders’. It was there, in the garden, that he saw the falling apple that planted the seed for his hypothesis of the existence of gravity. Today, Woolsthorpe is run by the National Trust and the living quarters are much as Newton would have recognised. In the outbuildings are a number of scientific exhibits including a fascinating hologram of an apple from the orchard. I ended my visit with a quick bite to eat in the Newton’s Barn Coffee shop which stoked me up for the rest of the day’s walk.
I left Woolsthorpe and soon came to the point where the Great North Road and Ermine Street part company. I followed the old Roman road and soon, a little off the route, arrived at Easton Walled Gardens. The estate has been owned by the Cholmeley family since the Middle Ages and once a great Victorian mansion stood in the grounds. During the 20th century, the house became dilapidated and was finally demolished and subsequently the grounds became overgrown and uncared for. In 2001, with the assistance of family and friends, Ursula, the wife of Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 7th Baronet began the arduous task of reviving the gardens. Although this wonderful labour of love is very much an ongoing project the gardens today reflect the magnificence of their past.
Before Easton House was demolished, well known visitors included the architect Augustus Pugin, the actor David Niven and a local, young, future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. At the turn of the 20th century, Sir Hugh, 3rd Baronet, and Edith Cholmeley were friends with an American couple, James and Sara Roosevelt whose their son, Franklin Delano, visited Easton whilst on honeymoon in 1905. He would become the 32nd President of the USA and one of the world’s most influential figures during the Second World War.
I continued on Ermine Street before dropping down to Great Ponton with the tower of the Church of the Holy Cross dominating the skyline. I took the footbridge over the thundering A1 and was soon walking through tranquil countryside. As evening fell I approached the bustling village of Harlaxton where a meal, a pint of beer and a bed awaited me at The Gregory Inn.
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