Goulceby 20th August 2025

Tim Newbery was joined by club stalwarts Ty Harness and John Rickett for the ride to Goulceby to take refreshment at the Three Horseshoes public house. Although a modest distance of 32 miles it would be a hilly ride with about 1600 ft of ascent.

 

Onwards to the Bluestone Heath Road via Hubbard’s Hill, the North Road eventually taking us to an altitude of 470 ft AMSL. We were fortunate in that loose gravel on the recently re-dressed road had either been cleared or had settled on its own accord. 

 

Views of the Bain Valley are always rewarding from here with majestic swoops up and down through Welsdale Bottom to take us to Donnington on Bain. For once we passed on by Jenny’s ‘open all hours’ and continued past the former railway station at the junction with Manor Hill.

 

Crisscrossing the Viking Way which runs through Goulceby we were soon to arrive at the Three Horseshoes. The village has its origins rooted in Old Norse language and settlement patterns, the name Goulceby deriving from the Old Norse family name "Kolkr" or "Golk”. It was first recorded as "Colchesbi" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and later as "Golckesbi" in 1185. 

 

The Three Horseshoes is the first and only pub in the country offering a self-pour bar experience. With our arrival well before 12 noon, we would instead enjoy mugs of coffee whilst our hostess rustled up freshly baked croissants. Delicious. The pub with its campsite will be bursting at the seams over the Bank Holiday Weekend with Cadwell Park’s British Superbike Championship in full swing.

 

Suitably refreshed our next climb awaited with a ten percent ascent of Rowgate Road through Scamblesby, back up to the Bluestone Heath Road reaching today’s highest altitude at about 490 ft AMSL. John had decided to tackle the climb with the least amount of effort. He made it look easy.

 

A pleasant ride along this ancient drove way followed, passing by woodlands with intriguing names such as Guy Faux Plantation and Churchbell Plantation. Soon enough we’d reached the Massingberd Arms with a short hop along to the Sheep Dip Paddock to see if could procure another hot drink courtesy of South Ormsby Estate. We were in luck and John and Ty had come suitably prepared with energy bars and bananas. 

 

We didn’t dwell too long as spots of rain and drizzle were once again falling from thickening cloud layers, so onwards to Swaby and more ascending to Meagram Top with the undulating ‘Top Road’ taking us back to Little Cawthorpe. Ty had indicated that free apples and plums were available from homeowners on Pinfold Lane. Very generous. 

 

Arrived back at Base Camp at 2 pm having covered about 32 miles; many thanks go to John for providing one final cuppa and freshly baked scones.

 

Tim’s ‘Relive’ video: https://www.relive.com/view/vMv8LPENgPv