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Sewstern Lane, or 'The Drift', used as part of the Viking Way long distance path, can be traced from Long Bennington for about 20 miles south where it joins Ermine Street just north of Stamford. The southern part of the lane (south of its crossing of the Salt Way, Roman road Margary no. RR58a, at SK860298) corresponds to the Roman road Margary no. RR580 (Margary, 1955). According to Hoskins (1955) the track has been used from pre-Roman times, and was one of the main north-south routes before being superseded in the seventeenth century by the Great North Road to the east (current A1 between Long Bennington and Stamford). But the lane continued to be used as a major cattle-droving route ('Drift' = the driving of cattle or sheep), as it would have avoided the hard surface, lack of grazing, traffic and expensive tolls on the Great North Road.
Hoskins, W.G. (1955). The Making of the English Landscape. Pelican Books.
Margary, I.D. (1955). Roman Roads in Britain, Volume 1, South of the Foss Way - Bristol Channel. Phoenix House Ltd. (London).

The Way is so named because it crosses an area which was occupied by Norse invaders. From the banks of the River Humber it crosses the Lincolnshire Wolds to Caistor, then along the Bain valley to Horncastle from where the Spa Trail is followed along the trackbed of a former railway to Woodhall Spa and along the Witham Valley, crossing flat fenland to Lincoln. Turning along the limestone escarpment of Lincoln Cliff and over Lincoln Heath, the route of the prehistoric Sewstern Lane is traced to reach Woolsthorpe Locks on the Grantham Canal. Another section of Sewstern Lane and other old tracks are followed to Thistleton from where the Way takes field-paths and lanes past Greetham, Exton and Rutland Water. At Oakham it links with the Macmillan Way and the Hereward Way.
Paths are marked with a Viking helmet on a yellow disc.