Louth to Barton-upon-Humber 31st August 2025.

Starting out on the longest (single day) ride of the year — an 80 mile round trip to Barton-upon-Humber.
Last year’s attempt was cancelled due to bad weather, but being the last day of summer, we were hopeful for a decent ride. And indeed, it turned out to be sunny, albeit cool and windy.

Riders: Tim, John, Paul, Alan, and Ty.
With a strong southwesterly wind, the ride out promised to be easy. We headed out of Louth via Cordeaux Corner, Fotherby, North Elkington, North Ormsby, Wold Newton, and Ravendale. The pace was very good, considering the hilly terrain.

We climbed the gated Wanderlust Way (Photos below John and Tim flying over the cattle grids) into Hatcliffe, Beelsby, and then Swallow by 11:30. Alas, we were too early for the Swallow Tea and Cake event, which didn’t start until 1 p.m. No worries — we’d come prepared for a picnic ride.

This 80-mile loop usually takes between 6–8 hours on a good day. However, with the return leg into a headwind — and the stretch from Swallow to Barton being fairly exposed countryside — the group decided to head back to Louth. Ty, however, chose to continue on the planned route.

With the tailwind behind him, Ty flew through Limber on Sustrans Route 1, being careful to turn off through Brocklesby and into Ulceby. He then reversed the loop, riding into Goxhill first and pausing for a water break and photo opportunity at Thornton Abbey.

Next stop was Barrow, famous as the home of John Harrison, the renowned clock and watch maker who created an extremely accurate chronometers, enabling sailors to measure longitude. Before that breakthrough, many ships were lost at sea.  Again a photo  opportunity at the rather magnificent bronze statue of the great man himself.  Also there's a wooden turret clock at Brockesby Hall designed and built by Harrison made from Oak and Lignum Vitae that needs no lubrication and incorporated innovations like the grasshopper escapement which improved the time keeping.  The clock still runs today and loses only 1 second per week.

A few miles on, Ty visited the Ted Lewis Centre. Ted Lewis — a local lad (moved from Manchester to Barton as a kid.)— was famous for his Jack Carter novels, one of which became the Michael Caine film Get Carter directed by Mike Hodges. (This may not be the forum to discuss early ’70s British heavy crime noir, but it’s worth noting that Ted also had connections to Mablethorpe and Theddlethorpe from this childhood.

As you enter the museum, Roy Budd’s iconic theme music was playing which sends shivers down your spine. Ty grabbed a coffee to recover and enjoyed an hour’s break from the ride.

The return route took him via Burnham, Wootton, and Ulceby, where Chums café was open, though Ty decided to push on to make it back to Swallow in time for cake. The cake and coffee were to die for (only £4 — or £6 with a glass of Prosecco!).

The final leg back to Louth was uneventful, and Ty rolled in at 6 p.m., bringing the ride to a close for another year.