Tuesday Trundle to Donnington-on-Bain 10th October 2023:

With the forecast for Wednesday looking very unpromising with spells of heavy rain and fresh winds, Tim had volunteered to lead an ADDITIONAL ride on Tuesday to take advantage of the ‘Last of the Summer Wine’. Temperatures were forecast to rise to a very mild 21 Degrees Celsius with hazy sunshine.

The route chosen was up and over the Wolds to Donnington-on-Bain with a cuppa at Jenny’s Village Shop and then onto Claythorpe for lunch at the Water Mill. Hilly with a total ascent of around 1600 feet (500 m).

Meeting up at the Meridian Leisure Centre were Tim Newbery and John Rickett. Apologies had been received from Steve Croton and Paul Linder.

Outbound, it would be a ride past Flint Hill and the fine views of Louth ‘Spire’ and then along North Road to the Bluestone Drover’s Way. We’d see a number of Buzzard and also a fleeting glimpse of a Roe Deer with its distinctive white rump.

Sharp ascents and descents through Weldsdale Bottom would give John’s new bike a good test of the gears, as would a ride up to the Bluestone again from Scamblesby later in the day. A surprisingly large gear ratio and John made the hill climbing look effortless. Either that or in addition to electronic shifting, there’s a battery in the frame somewhere.

Soon into Donnington-on-Bain where John very kindly provided the hot drinks. We shared a table with a fellow cyclist on a Giant Mountain Bike who was on holiday from Reading. Basing himself in Horncastle, he was thoroughly enjoying the Wolds scenery.

Scamblesby is a picturesque village, the name deriving from an Old English term for shelf ’Sceamol’ or ‘Shamble’ and indeed there are ancient cultivation terraces set into the hillsides nearby. The large Roach stone outcrops looked majestic in the Autumn sunshine. Finally, we reached the Bluestone Heath Road where a sign had indicated a gradient of 11 percent. Time for a drink.

A steady ride would follow along Oslear’s Lane to Maidenwell and Burwell. A short section along the A16 would take us past the former butter cross, dovecote, chapel and village hall which has been intermittently up for sale since 2017. What is visible today is a much-altered remodelling of the original open-sided medieval butter cross, originally dating to the 13th century, serving the local Wolds villages with fresh produce.

A pleasant ride now to Meagram Top and Belleau to reach Claythorpe Watermill exactly on schedule at 12.30 pm. We sat outside in the warm sunshine enjoying a final round of drinks with John ordering a ham sandwich platter for lunch. We were in complete shelter and it did indeed feel like a summer’s day and decided on a longer route back to Louth via Authorpe and the Carltons.

Back at the Leisure Centre a little after 2 pm. A great day out and thanks to John for his company. He was good enough too to report a case of fly tipping (amazing how some will drive for miles into the countryside to ditch a fridge!).

37 miles covered for Tim with the temperature in his front garden registering 22 Degrees Celsius on his return.