Local nature reserve
Dog walks in Swanholme Lakes
Swanholme Lakes is a local nature reserve of 56 hectares in Lincoln, 2.6 km from the middle of North Hykeham. 23 walks in the app lie mostly in it. 6 of 23 are under 3 km and 6 are loops.
See every dog walk near North Hykeham, or across Lincolnshire.
Three walks in Swanholme Lakes
From the 23 walks that lie mostly in Swanholme Lakes, those that start nearest its middle: a 7.1 km loop, a 5.5 km there and back and a 2.3 km one-way walk.
Where these go is in the app
Create an account- Near Swanholme Lakes7.1 km · 121 min · A loop
- North Hykeham and back5.5 km · 94 min · There and back
- Hartsholme one-way walk2.3 km · 39 min · One way
The land and what it asks of a dog
- Site of Special Scientific InterestSwanholme Lakes SSSINatural England designations
- Open by right1 hectare of the woodlandWoods For All (Forestry Commission)
None of Lincoln council's orders mentions dogs (read 1 October 2026). Signs on the ground may say more.
What the walks in Swanholme Lakes are like
Every share is of the 23 walks that lie mostly in Swanholme Lakes, with North Hykeham as a whole marked on each bar.
How far they go
5 to 8 km: 9 of 23 walks in Swanholme Lakes, against 17% near North Hykeham.
Where the walks fall by length. The five bars add up to the whole, give or take the rounding.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | North Hykeham |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 km | 6 of 23 | 38% |
| 3 to 5 km | 7 of 23 | 22% |
| 5 to 8 km | 9 of 23 | 17% |
| 8 to 12 km | 1 of 23 | 12% |
| Over 12 km | 0 of 23 | 7% |
What shape they are
There and back the same way: 9 of 23 walks in Swanholme Lakes, against 49% near North Hykeham.
A loop brings you back without repeating a step. There and back retraces the way out.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | North Hykeham |
|---|---|---|
| A loop | 6 of 23 | 20% |
| There and back the same way | 9 of 23 | 49% |
| One way, ending somewhere else | 8 of 23 | 30% |
What is beside the path
Through a park or green space for a third or more: 20 of 23 walks in Swanholme Lakes, against 26% near North Hykeham.
Shares of walks where the ground beside the path is a given kind for the stated part of the way.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | North Hykeham |
|---|---|---|
| Under trees for a third or more of the way | 15 of 23 | 23% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 23 of 23 | 61% |
| On open access land for a third or more | 0 of 23 | 8% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | 20 of 23 | 26% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 1 of 23 | 11% |
| On roads or lanes for half or more | 15 of 23 | 69% |
| Through built-up streets for half or more | 0 of 23 | 8% |
What might stop you
Never beside a busy road: 1 of 23 walks in Swanholme Lakes, against 41% near North Hykeham.
Shares of walks with none of each thing on the way. A road counts when it runs within about fifteen metres of the path.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | North Hykeham |
|---|---|---|
| Never beside a fast road | 23 of 23 | 84% |
| Never beside a busy road | 1 of 23 | 41% |
| No busy road to cross | 7 of 23 | 46% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 23 of 23 | 94% |
| No steps | 23 of 23 | 93% |
What is on the way
Pass a busy beauty spot: 20 of 23 walks in Swanholme Lakes, against 30% near North Hykeham.
Shares of walks that start by, or pass, each of these.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | North Hykeham |
|---|---|---|
| Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road | 21 of 23 | 91% |
| Pass a pub | 18 of 23 | 44% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | 3 of 23 | 36% |
| Pass a public toilet | 16 of 23 | 16% |
| Pass a drinking-water tap | 0 of 23 | <1% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 20 of 23 | 30% |
Measured on 20 October 2026 from the map. How these figures are made
Walks in Swanholme Lakes, for your dog
If you live in Lincolnshire, it is your home county, and every walk in it is free, for good. Tell the app what your dog finds hard and it shows you walks that suit, with anything that might stop you shown first.
Anywhere in Great Britain, even with no signal.
Further is the Trekosa subscription. 15 of its 23 walks run under trees for a third of the way or more. It brings the Further map, 1:25,000, with contours, field walls and every right of way, while you have signal. Press Offline on a walk in Swanholme Lakes before you set off and its map stays on your phone until you remove it, for when the signal drops among the trees. Drift off the path and the phone buzzes. It also opens walks beyond your home county, if Lincolnshire is not yours.
The first 250 households have it for good. After that, £4.99 a month or £34.99 a year.
Questions people ask
- Do dogs need a lead in Swanholme Lakes?
- Lincoln has no dog order that mentions dogs, read on 1 October 2026.
- How many dog walks are there in Swanholme Lakes?
- 23 walks in the Trekosa app lie mostly in Swanholme Lakes.
Getting there
2 car parks and 1 pub within Swanholme Lakes or at its edge, from OpenStreetMap.