There is much of interest in the village itself, but the route first explores the surrounding farmland. You leave the village heading south on the road towards Kneesall, with the medieval strip fields in view to your right. These are Mill Field and South Field, which each cover areas of around 600 acres, while the other two, East Field and West Field, are about half that size.
After leaving the road on a bend, the route continues through generally rolling arable farmland. You walk along wide, grassy tracks used for centuries to gain access to the narrow strips of land in the open fields, to the village of Kneesall.
Like Laxton, this is a farming village, built mostly of red brick, and in Old Hall Farm possesses one of the oldest brick houses in the country. It was built in the early 16th century as a hunting lodge by Sir John, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, the chief butler of England. Although it has been much altered since, its mellow red brick and terracotta details still command attention.
A little way up the road is the parish church dedicated to St Bartholomew. Its tall tower, dating from 1425, is a local landmark and features angels where most would have gargoyles. Inside, there are fragments of an Anglo-Saxon cross and some old wooden bench ends.
You return to Laxton through a more familiar rural landscape of small fields separated by hedgerows, a system that seems timelessly and quintessentially English, though it is almost entirely the creation of the last 250 years.
Just outside Laxton, you leave the road to take a footpath across to the Church of St Michael, whose best feature is its clerestory, built at the end of the 15th century by Archbishop Rotherham to mark his short tenure as lord of the manor. Inside there are monuments from the 13th and 14th centuries, dedicated to previous lords of the manor, the de Everingham family. In the north aisle is a lovely screen dating from 1532, the gift of Robert Trafford, vicar of Laxton.
Opposite the church, a lane leads to the remains of Laxton Castle, which includes the largest and best-preserved motte and bailey in the country. The motte stands 71 feet (21 metres) high and has a circumference of 816 feet (248 metres). It is still possible to see the remains of a dry moat and some of the ground plan.
Little is known of the history of the castle, though it is thought to have been built by the Norman John de Caux, empowered to build a castle here by William I. It was probably at its best in the 13th century. In 1205, it was visited by King John, while in 1290 Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I, stayed here as a guest of the de Everingham family on her way from Rufford to Lincoln. It fell into disuse when the de Everingham line died out towards the end of the 14th century.
From the castle, it is a short walk back to the village where the Dovecote Inn is worth a visit. It is here, towards the end of each year, that the manor's Court Leet meets, with much of its procedure based on medieval precedent. The court appoints juries to inspect the fields and ensure the farmers are not encroaching, calls the manorial roll, appoints officials, agrees fines, and discusses general business. At other times of the year, the inn is simply a good place to relax after a walk.
