Discover Bradley

The Church of Saint George in Bradley is a Grade II* listed building. You can therefore first consider whether church architecture, woodland history, walking or cycling should be the focus of your stay.

Church of Saint George: building phases and layout

The tower, nave and blocked northern arcade of the Church of Saint George date from the 13th century. The porch and a south window in the chancel date from the 14th century. The specified building elements therefore span two centuries. The churchyard cross at the church is considered a good example of a 14th- or 15th-century cross and is preserved in good condition. Its total height is approximately 3 m. The dating of the cross thus includes the 14th century, when the porch and chancel window were also built, and extends into the 15th century.

The layout comprises a west tower, a three-bay nave with a south porch, and a single-bay chancel. The number of bays makes it possible to compare the structure of the two areas: the nave has three bays, while the chancel has one. A further alteration took place in 1776, when the north aisle was removed. On the north side, the blocked arcade and the removal of the aisle therefore represent different architectural features; the porch is on the south side. This distinction helps you tell apart the church’s individual parts and alterations.

Walking and cycling compared

The Bradley Barnoldby Loop is a 5¼-mile (8½ km) walking route that starts at Bradley Woods Car Park. This gives you both a specific distance and a named starting point for planning your trip. If walking is one of your travel interests, you can consider these two details together.

The Bradley Wolds Loop is a 23-mile (37 km) cycling route. After Binbrook, it joins the route of NCN Route 1. This named connection along the route complements the stated distance. The Loop is therefore characterised not only by its distance but also by this link to another route.

The two routes can be compared by their mode of travel and length: the Bradley Barnoldby Loop is the walking option at 8½ km, while the Bradley Wolds Loop is the cycling route at 37 km. When weighing up the tours, you can consider your planned activity and the respective distance together. These details distinguish the options without presenting them as equivalent outings.

Bradley and Dixon Woods: a long woodland history

Bradley and Dixon Woods is an ancient woodland with a history going back more than 1,000 years. This is a different timescale from that of the dated parts of the Church of Saint George: there, features from the 13th and 14th centuries sit alongside the alteration of 1776, while the woodland’s history extends back more than a millennium. If you are comparing historical topics as you plan your trip, you can distinguish between specific building phases and a woodland history reaching far back in time.

This gives you a clear choice of interests when deciding what to focus on during your stay: the church’s layout and history, the churchyard cross, the long history of Bradley and Dixon Woods, or a particular walking or cycling route. The two routes differ both in activity and in their stated length. These features can help you choose Bradley according to the travel theme that suits you.

Discover more destinations: North Somercotes, Winteringham, Gainsborough, Lincoln, Greatford, Wainfleet All Saints, Eastoft, Skegness.

Go to the main travel guide: Lincolnshire.