Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve and Village

Today, Barnacks outstanding feature is the 'Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve', where this walk begins. The reserve, set up in 1976 and run by English Nature, is set in a complex area of mounds and hollows created by the medieval quarrying of Barnack Ragstone. Operations ceased in the 16th century.

Since then, the thin layer of soil over the limestone base has become home to colonies of rare plants, which thrive in these specialised conditions. There are nine species of orchid and the sunny slopes encourage the growth of the rare and beautiful pasque flower. The flowers encourage butterflies, including the marbled white, and glow worms can be seen in summer.

Barnack stone was first quarried in Roman times. Its high quality saw it used in Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals, the abbeys of Crowland, Ramsey and Bury St Edmunds, several Cambridge colleges and literally dozens of churches.

Some of the stone would have travelled along the Roman Ermine Street, which passes just outside Barnack on its way to Lincoln. The route follows the course of the Roman road, also known here as the Hereward Way, a long distance footpath which is followed on the road section of this walk beyond the nature reserve and Walcot Hall Park. At the start of this part of the walk there are good views of an 18th century windmill, preserved in 1961 and now open to the public at weekends.

A road leads through the hamlet of Southorpe. On the roadside, just before a telephone box, are two large lumps of Barnack ragstone, shaded by a copper beach. A notice tells how these fell from carts while in transit to the River Nene some time before the mid 15th century, and have lain there ever since.

The walk continues through rolling pasture land to Barnack. It is a very handsome village, built almost entirely from the local stone, which weathers to the gentle tones of grey and buff. Even the farm buildings look like stone fortresses.

Equally massive is the Church of St John the Baptist. This is a Saxon Foundation, the base of the tower is from the early 11th century, and there is a fine Saxon sculpture of Christ in Majesty that was found under the floor in 1931. The font dates through the 13th century, while the Lady Chapel was added by the Walcot family, from the nearby hall, in about 1500, and contains a beautiful contemporary carving of the Annunciation.

In the churchyard is a wealth of 17th century headstones. There is also a Victorian memorial in the form of a fallen palm tree.

Charles Kingsley's father was rector here, and moved his family into the rectory, now called Kingsley House, opposite the church. Young Charles Kingsley was then five years old as a boy. There, he supposedly saw the ghost of a former rector who haunts a room in the house.

From here, the walk returns through the village square and passed the old village school (dated 1796) which is now the Wilfred Wood Hall, to return to the Nature Reserve.