Three Churches at Fleet and Gedney - Lincolnshire

Interesting walk based around three churches in this fenland part of the country. Starting at Rose and Crown, Fleet Hargate, the three churches are in order: Fleet Church, Gedney church and Fleet Baptist Church in Fleet Hargate. This forms the basis of the short walk, but is extended by a country lane south of Fleet and then following Delph Bank to rejoin the shorter walk close to Gedney.

(S/E) Start at the Rose and Crown pub car park, Old Main Road, Fleet Hargate (PE12 8LH). Grid ref. TF 39453 25008 Tel: 01406 422165. Exit the car park, turn right and proceed to the roads on the right.

(1) Take the second road on the right, Eastgate. Stay on Eastgate, which changes further to High Gate. After 1.3 km, you reach a junction with a path on your left.

(2) At this point, you can leave the main walk for a shorter route and carry on at waypoint (6). Otherwise, continue down Hallgate.

(3) Reaching Fleet church (St. Mary Magdalene) on your right. Take time to visit the church, it is usually open. Exit back onto the road, turn right and continue straight along the road, now Church End. As the road bends to the right, carry straight on South on Maisdlike Lane in open country. As the road bears right again, go straight on over the dyke to the footpath sign.

(4) Turn left following the dyke East-South-East.

(5) At the next signpost, turn left again, still following the dyke (Delph Bank) and walk about 2,6 km.

(6) At the junction, turn right away from the dyke. (If you have taken the shorter route at (2), you join at this point and turn left).

(7) Just past a telegraph pole, turn right again and then left over a footbridge and eventually through a wood, turn right to follow the track.

(8) Then, at a driveway, turn left and you will see Gedney Church. Continue to the main road (Top's Gate), where you turn right and then left into the churchyard.

(9) At Gedney (St. Mary Magdalene), take time to look around, the church is usually open. Then, return to the main road. Turn right and follow the main road North all the way back to Fleet Hargate.

(10) At this point, the now closed Fleet Hargate Baptist church is on your left. You will pass Eastgate on your left, then on to the Rose and Crown, where the walk ends.(S/E)

Boots are advised.
At waymark (3), the church at Fleet, there is a portaloo which is kept well.

The church St Mary Magdalene at Fleet, Lincolnshire, has a rich history dating back to its foundation in 1681. It was originally a meeting house for a congregation that originated in Holbeach in about 1681. The first chapel on the site was built in 1764, and it underwent several enlargements in 1782, 1803, 1830, and 1842 before being replaced by the current building in 1876. The new structure features a tall three-bay gabled front of brick with stone dressings and tall round arched bays enclosing two tiers of windows. The chapel, Sunday School, and burial ground were visited in 2010, and the chapel was built of red brick with gault brick and ashlar dressings, and features a gabled roof with a slate covering. The raised gable has stone copings and kneelers and a stepped cornice in gault brick. The last service at Fleet Baptist Church was held in early 2025, and the building is now closed.

The Church of St Mary Magdalene in Gedney, Lincolnshire, is a significant historical site with a rich history dating back to the 13th century. It is renowned for its medieval architecture and has undergone several restoration efforts over the years. The church is a Grade I listed building and is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. It is located in Gedney, a parish that has been threatened by flooding from both freshwater and seawater. The church's history is intertwined with the local community and the landscape of the Fens region.