Alford 21-12-22

Cycling UK Louth - A Wednesday Wander to Alford 

21st December 2022

On this ‘Winter Solstice’, with not a cloud in the sky and sunshine beaming down, club members looked forward to a ride to Alford. Meeting up with Tim Newbery at the Magna Vitae Leisure Centre were Paul Linder John Rickett and Reg Bagshaw.

The prescribed route would take us initially to Stewton. With the wind now gusting up to 25 miles per hour Reg would return home. We wished each other all the best for the Festive Season.

The low angle sunshine and wet roads meant a careful, steady journey along the country lanes through Authorpe, Claythorpe and Aby. Aby best known for having the shortest place name in the county; á (Old Norse) A river and bȳ (Old Norse) A farmstead.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Cycle Route C4 would now take us all the way to Ailby and Alford where Paul guided us to the Wool Factory’s Crafty Café. Paul had already been in to reserve us all a seat. Opened only a few months ago, the owners gave us all a warm welcome and we enjoyed hot drinks and snacks. John Ambler would be pleased to learn that they serve rather fine bacon sandwiches.

Refreshed, a return route would take us past the Market Place (all the bollards having been decorated with knitted Christmas figures) and along to Well Turn. Forest Wood looked picture perfect but no time for a walk along the leafy tracks today, instead a climb to Miles Cross Hill. Famous, notorious even for its place in history as Paul pointed out.

In 1630 Alford was isolated by the plague, some 35 years before the outbreaks in London. At this cross roads, a ‘plague stone’ was left and was where people from the surrounding countryside sold goods to the ‘plague affected’ town’s inhabitants, who were in danger of starvation from being trapped. Having placed money at Miles Cross Hill, the townsfolk then retired while the countryfolk exchanged food for the cash. A hollow in the stone was filled with vinegar to purify the coins.

Onwards now in happier times and the sunshine was making if feel warm. Actually, temperatures were a seasonal average at 7 Degrees Celsius but a marked difference from the past few weeks.

Paul would head back to Alford at South Thoresby which would leave Tim and John to pedal onto Meagram Top and along the ‘Top Road’ to Muckton and Little Cawthorpe with views of the grade II listed wind and water mill at Legbourne and as always, an uninterrupted vista all the way to the coast.

Arrived in Louth at 1.30 pm having covered close to 50 km (31 miles). Many thanks to all for the company.