To Skegness, Louth and Into Yorkshire
The weather was pretty ordinary as I left King’s Lynn. I headed north though some rather uninteresting countryside.
I stopped for lunch in a pub in a place called Sutton Bridge. Given the weather did not like improving I decided to stay overnight in the pub.
Very Busy Road
The next morning, I headed north towards Boston. The Sustrans Route 1 is supposed to head in that direction, however, I could not find any Sustrans signs and I was forced to ride on a very busy road. It was not pleasant at all, in fact it was very dangerous.
Foreign Farm Workers
Finally, I saw a Sustrans sign that had led me onto small lanes across flat farming country towards Boston. The farms were all growing vegetables including cauliflowers. I stopped to a photograph and video some farm workers picking cauliflowers and loading them on to a conveyer built attached to a tractor. The workers were definitely not British citizens. I wonder if they will still be working there after Brexit. I suspect not.
Stopping in Boston for Lunch
I stopped in Boston for lunch at a very nice hotel. Residents of Boston are known as Bostonians. Emigrants from Boston named several other settlements around the world after the town, most notably Boston, Massachusetts in the United States.
Into Skegness
After leaving Boston, I continued on to Skegsness. I had booked into B&B not far from the seafront. It turned out to be really good. The owners told me that the building had been a family home and the previous owners had converted it into B&B with 10 rooms. It was a bit like Dr Who’s tardis, in that it did not look possible that 10 rooms with ensuites could fit into the building.
Skegsness is another English seaside resort town that is probably seen better days.
The town is famous for being the site of the first Butins Holiday Resort. The resort is still operating. I passed it as I headed up the coast out of the town. This part of the coast is also dotted with numerous ‘Caravan’ Parks that are actually full of mobile homes. Many of these seemed to be being used as full-time residences.
Heading in Land
Leaving the coast and heading inland, the route took me into the Lincolnshire Wolds. This is another Area Of Natural Beauty (AONB), albeit that it is mainly farmland.
As I rode along, I saw a sign to a Waterwheel. I thought that could be interesting and followed the sign.
The place turned out to be a café that was in an old waterwheel building. Next to the café was a small enclosure with some animals, including otters and some wallabies. It seemed rather strange to see wallabies so far from home. The otters seemed to be very curious animals and ran up to me as I approached. They may just have been expecting to be fed. The café served a reasonable Welsh Rarebit – not as good as Fortnum and Mason’s Rarebits, but not bad.
Big Rain
I had planned to camp on a farm just outside of a town called Louth. As I approached the town the heavens opened, it was really heavy rain. I noticed a sign saying ‘Royal Oak Hotel 400 yards’ and peddled furiously to get there. When I arrived, I found that the hotel also had a accommodation. They had vacancies, so I decided to stay the night.
It was a very good place to stay.
Leaving Royal Oak
Leaving the hotel, noticed that the name of the name of the small road I was on was, ‘Watery Lane’. I soon found out why – there was a small creek riding across the lane. It made the lane very watery.
Into Louth
I rode the short distance into the town of Louth. This is a very nice little market town. I stopped briefly in a small pub, where I chatted with the owner. He told me that he used to work for a company that operated a large number of pubs. He had decided to go out on his own and bought this small pub. His plan was to start a microbrewery.
Leaving the town, I headed west into more of the Lincolnshire Wolds. This part of the country is a wheat growing area, most of the fields had just been harvested.
Waltham
The route through the Wolds took me north then east towards the Humber river. I decided to stay in town called Waltham that is not far from Grimsby.
The hotel I stayed in was basic but all I needed.
Up the Humber and Over the Bridge
The next morning, I rode through Grimsby and then onto the Humber to bridge that crosses the river west of Hull.
It is a very impressive suspension bridge. Check out the Flickr photographs.
By-passing Hull
I had wanted to stay in Hull however there was no accommodation to be had. Hull is the European Centre of Culture for 2017. As a result, accommodation has been fully booked for most of the year.
It was late in the afternoon as I pushed on along Route 1 towards the tourist town of Beverley.
I had already booked a campsite on farm close to Beverley. As I pitched my tent, one my neighbours came over and asked if I wanted “something to eat and drink”?
I ended up having a meal a couple of beers with him and his family. He turned out to be very interesting bloke. He was an ex Special Forces Soldier. One of his sporting hobbies now days is diving. He dives all around the British Isles coast. He told me that diving is very popular in the UK. This somewhat surprised me.
The bloke and his wife also gave me some breakfast in the morning. I then headed into Beverley.
Flickr
Skegsness
https://www.flickr.com/photos/twwilko_photos/albums/72157685944761453
Louth
Garmin
Leaving Kings Lynn to Sutton Bridge
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1946937490
Through Boston to Skegsness
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1948855710
From Skegsness to near Louth
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1950654482
Through Louth to Waltham
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1953182155
Waltham to near Beverley
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1962011462
billrider2013 