Mother's Day Ride 10th March 2024

The forecast of the positioning of a band of rain had been problematical all week and, in the end, it was set to remain almost stationary across Lincolnshire for most of the day.

 

Never the less Tim Newbery pedalled to the Leisure Centre in the anticipation of a cup of coffee before heading back home. Rather surprisingly eager beavers Paul Linder and Sven Livesey had arrived for a club outing - regardless of the rain, low temperatures and brisk easterly winds.

A compromise plan was devised for a shortish ride to the Mother’s Day ‘Pop Up’ Bakery at Grainthorpe Mill www.facebook.com/lentoncatering/

 

Departing Louth’s Meridian Leisure Centre at 10 am in steady and persistent rain, the trio headed northbound through Brackenborough and to the outskirts of Covenham Saint Mary where we’d battle with the blustery east winds along Newbridge Lane to Fen Bridge and the Louth Navigation. The warehouse which in its latter years was used for processing honey, is said to date to the 19th Century but might be contemporary with the opening of the canal in 1767.

 

Arriving at Grainthorpe Mill, Chef Pete and Baker Shell greeted us warmly (it was indeed lovely and warm and cosy inside) and we were tempted with bacon and egg buns and a wide assortment of cakes. Some were packaged carefully for transportation home. Tower Mill dates from the early 19th Century but was damaged in 1895 and largely rebuilt. It finally ceased work in 1930 and became sail-less a few years later.

With the rain remaining steady and persistent, we’d now make our way home but this time the ‘the force was with us’ and a tail wind barrelled us along Fen Lane back through Austen Fen and then to Yarborough and Brackenborough.

 

Tim arrived home about 1 pm having covered 20 miles. Paul would have covered an additional 30. The rain remained steady and persistent but there was a strange sense of achievement!

 

Optional additional ride tomorrow, Monday 11th March. 10 am from the Meridian Leisure Centre.