Cycling UK Louth Sunday ride to Caistor and Wold Newton. 10th September 2023:

It had been some time since the club last visited Caistor and so it was with some anticipation that John Rickett, Steve Croton (having been issued with a special weekend pass) and Alan Hockham met up with Tim Newbery at Louth’s Meridian Leisure Centre to take part in today’s ride.

The weather forecast had indicated a top temperature of a humid 25 Degrees Celsius but with the caveat that there were likely to be thundery downpours from about 4 pm (a ‘Yellow’ weather warning for thunderstorms had been issued by the Meteorological Office). Hopefully we’d be home in time.

Departing on schedule at 09.30 am we’d head north to Little Grimsby before a climb up to Boswell via North Elkington and the Silver Lincs Way. So far so good with pleasant temperatures and a refreshing easterly breeze.

Our route would now take us up to about 130 AMSL as we made our way to Cick’em, giving us fine views of the Wolds. A number of descents and ascents through Thoresby to Croxby would benefit a good range of gears so it was unfortunate that John’s gears were malfunctioning (he seemed to be coping well never the less).

A big push on the pedals after Rothwell and we’d soon arrive into the ancient market town of Caistor. Today’s venue would be the Arts and Heritage Centre which was formerly a Primitive Methodist Chapel, which itself was built on the site of weaver’s cottages.

Caistor has a rich and varied history. Dating to at least Roman times when it was a fortified settlement or ‘castra’ – the origin of its later Saxon name ‘Ceastor’. The market town was hugely important in medieval times as a centre for the wool trade which lasted into the 19th Century. Even as late as 1858 it held the largest sheep fair in England and “when they were coming to the fair, the drovers and their sheep stretched the full length of the ‘High Street, from Horncastle to Caistor”. Following 1066, Caistor was also a Royal Manor for 500 years. The Lord of the Manor was once Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth I. She sold it to pay for the much grander Hatfield House in Hertfordshire.

Having consumed a rather fine mix of bacon buns and beans on toast, washed down by cups of tea and coffee, participants would reluctantly mount their bicycles for the next stage of the journey to Wold Newton. Great however to find that the route out of town was lined with attractive flowers and we met members of ‘Caistor in Bloom’ who were watering all the flower boxes. Great effort.

We’d return to Rothwell via the same outbound route, passing by the Blacksmith’s Arms (it was open for business but Tim resisted popping in for a pint).

Onwards through Cherry Valley passing by signs advertising feather pillows and bedding. There used to be a very active Road Racing Club sponsored by Cherry Valley.

A little further along we’d make a brief stop in Cuxwold where fields of sheep grazed amongst the backdrop of a Deserted Medieval Village. Cuxwold is recorded as Cucuate in the Doomsday book with 23 households, which put it in the largest 40% of all settlements recorded in Doomsday.

Our route would continue to ‘undulate’ through pretty villages of Swallow, Beelsby and Hatcliffe, the latter boasting a rather fine clear chalk stream running along the roadside backed by cottages whose gardens were in full summer bloom, a visual treat. The section of gated road at West Ravendale has been allowed to grow 'wild' but Tim remembers in the early days of the club when we used to enjoy summer picnic lunches on the mown grassy banks.

Gastronomic treats were to follow at Wold Newton Village Hall where a selection of cakes was still available although there’d been a huge demand in the morning. So much so that as we departed a little after 2 pm, the good folk were preparing to close an hour early as supplies were fast running out.

The final leg of about 12 miles back to Louth was pleasant enough and we were glad that the storms hadn’t yet materialised. Having completed close to 52 miles, Tim arrived back home at about 3.30 pm noticing skies darkening in the distance. An hour and a half of thunder and lightning, heavy downpours and gusty winds would affect Louth from 4.30 pm. Just made it back in time!