Cycling UK Louth’s Wednesday Ride to Anderby Creek 13th September 2023:

The club’s last visit to Anderby Creek was back in September 2020 and who could forget the memorable occasion on the club’s Midsummer Day Picnic Ride to Anderby Creek in 2018 when Rob Cook donned swimming trunks and braved the waters for a swim.

Great then to have Steve Croton request a return visit and take refreshments at the Beach Café which has now changed hands and has been highly recommended.

Following on from a decidedly chilly day (14 Degrees Celsius) and persistent rain on Tuesday, today’s weather forecast was much more cheerful with plenty of sunshine and a top temperature of 17 Degrees Celsius, still a couple of degrees below the seasonal average.

Paul Linder met up with Ride Leader Tim Newbery at Louth’s Leisure Centre with Steve Croton and Alan Hockham indicating they would meet up en-route to Claythorpe Watermill. We’d be using Alan’s route he devised and led back in 2020.

Following on from early refreshments we’d follow in large part Lincolnshire County Council’s Cycle Routes C1 through to C7 through Alford, Farlesthorpe, Butterbump and Cumberworth Ings, all very familiar to Alan, Steve and Paul as it’s their local patch. Enjoying a backwind and pleasant sunshine we’d soon be approaching Anderby. An old Scandinavian settlement, the name refers to "village of a man named Arnthorr".

Tim was pleasantly surprised with how much improved the Beach Café turned out to be since his last visit and enjoyed a delicious scrambled egg and salmon bap. With the Seascape Café at Chapel Point and the Boat Shed Café at Huttoft there are now a fine selection of refreshment stops along this part of the coast.

Anderby Creek once had a medieval harbour but now boasts one of the top 20 beaches in the UK. Arguably, it’s currently most famous for the ‘Cloud Bar’, the world's first official cloud spotting area. The Cloud Bar is a combined project between artist Michael Trainor and the Cloud Appreciation Society, opened a number of years ago by Paul Hudson. The mirrors are designed to bring the sky and clouds to the ground. Tour complete, time for Tim to take a paddle. Come on in, the water’s lovely!

Alan by now had returned home for duties whilst Steve would soon depart for his homebound route. Paul would join Tim for one last drink at Woodthorpe and with winds slowly shifting to the east we’d once gain enjoy a helpful backwind.

Tim arrived back in Louth about 3.30 pm having covered 75 KM. Many thanks to all for their company.