Wednesday Woodthorpe 14-12-22

A Wednesday Wander to Woodthorpe

14th December 2022

No let up in the wintry weather but at least the freezing fog had cleared to leave brilliant blue skies. Trees and bushes which had been draped with lacy, feathery crystals glinting in the sunlight left a magical "Fairlyland".

It was indeed a cold and frosty start to the ride, Tim Newbery departing from Louth’s Meridian Leisure Centre at 10 am with the mercury still registering minus one Degree Celsius. Newly acquired heated socks and ‘Extreme Cold Weather’ Sealskin gloves were however keeping fingers and toes toasty warm.

With the minor roads affected by frost and ice, the outbound route would follow the salted and gritted A157 through Legbourne. Fortuitously, little traffic today and time to stop and admire the winter wonderland and the crib in the village of South Reston.

The B1373 at Castle Hill, Withern had also been well treated and it was a pleasant ride (with a freshening backwind) all the way to Woody’s Bar and Restaurant at Woodthorpe. Paul Linder had arranged to meet up with Tim at about 11.15 am, today riding his trike. Paul was running a couple of minutes late as he had suffered a puncture on one of his rear tyres.

Hot drinks and breakfast baps revived us both, and Paul was soon tackling the repair before departing back home. For Tim, a return to Withern but a deviation from the morning ride along New Lane to the Carltons and Manby which were by this stage, ice free.

Skies were now clouding over and a scattering of sleet and snow showers had been pushed inland from the coast. A swirling headwind drove the snowflakes into the eyes but the showers soon passed and Tim stopped at Ticklepenny Lock on the Louth Navigation.

Fascinating to read the Interpretation Board. The Trust informed the reader that this is one of eight locks which give the canal's total 20m rise, the lock being named after the Ticklepenny family who were farmers, lock keepers and toll collectors. Purpose built and fully operational by 1770, the Louth Navigation was a landmark in Louth’s development. The town’s population increased from 4,236 in 1801 to 10,467 in 1851 making it the second largest town in the county, just slightly smaller than the city of Lincoln.

A final leg back to Louth, arriving at 1.30 pm having covered 40 km (25 miles), the temperature a tropical plus one Degree Celsius.

In the Bleak Midwinter - Christina Rossetti

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow,

Snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter