Conisholme 15th March 2023

Cycling UK Louth Wednesday Wander to Conisholme, 15th March 2023:

We had been fortunate with a very mild 14 Degrees Celsius on the Sunday but Wednesday dawned cold and frosty. Never the less the sun was shining brightly and temperatures had recovered to a balmy 4 degrees for the 10 am departure. Ride Leader Tim Newbery was delighted to have the company of John Ambler, John Rickett, Steve Croton and Paul Linder on today’s meander to Conisholme for coffee, cake and for some an ice cream.

Our route today would take us through Brackenborough and the Covenham’s before taking Bull Bank Lane eastbound to Marshchapel Ings. An easy journey so far with pancake flat roads and a tail wind. Deviating from our prescribed route we took Butt Gate through the centre of Grainthorpe with the attractive ditch grasses lining the road.

Southbound now past Palmers Nook, arriving at Appleby’s Ice Cream Parlour in Conisholme exactly on schedule at 11 am. The owners had just opened up and we took the decision to take refreshments outside, sitting in the spring sunshine. Having missed out a few times, Tim was delighted to have taken up the option of a large serving of home-made ice cream. John Rickett remembers when ‘Farmer Wilkinson’ originally set up the Ice Cream Parlour with the milk sourced from his dairy herd.

Departing Conisholme we would meander through the narrow middle marsh lanes past Swancroft and Skidbrooke where a nagging headwind would test our resolve all the way to Manby.

Adjacent to the Church of St Mary's there’s a little known and very peaceful ‘Moat Field’ nature reserve, forming part of the Lincolnshire Coastal Marshes Grazing Project. Manby Hall dating to the 16th Century can be seen from here and was originally fortified with a moat.

Paul would head for home at Little Carlton which left Tim, Steve and both Johns to return to the Leisure Centre. Arrived at 1 pm with the Louth contingent having covered a distance of 30 miles.