Woodhall Spa Festival 2022

Sunday 10th July 2022 - Woodhall Spa Festival.

The Woodhall Spa Festival had been cancelled for the last two years so it was a welcome return for Cycling UK Louth to this popular event.

With the weather having put a big dampener on last week’s ‘picnic ride’, all change today with a forecast of clear blue skies and summer-time temperatures. A high of 24 degrees Celsius was predicted for Louth and 26 degrees for Woodhall Spa.

Meeting up with Ride Leader Tim Newbery at Louth’s Leisure Centre were John Ambler, John Rickett and Paul Linder. We had also hoped some members would join the ride at Horncastle. Apologies had been received from Chris Owen and Rob Cook.

With watches and thermometers synchronised and the mercury reading 18 degrees we set off for the climb through Hallington and Raithby up to the Bluestone Heath Road.

Views across the Wolds were magnificent on this July day, golden colours of the ripening wheat and barley indicating that harvest time was approaching.

Unusually our route through Goulceby took us along Shop Lane and the Viking Way, noting how much water was running through the tributary to the River Bain. Continuing through Hemingby we arrived in Horncastle a little ahead of schedule with plenty of time for some welcome refreshments. For some a coffee sitting outside in the Market Square, others a visit to the very fine ‘Just One More Bike Café. John Ambler had looked forward to his bacon sandwich which scored a high rating. At this stage we were also delighted to meet up with Alan Hockham and Reg Bagshaw who would join us on the ride to Woodhall Spa.

The ‘Spa Trail’ (the former Horncastle to Woodhall Spa Railway) would take us past several locks of the Horncastle Canal. Sir Joseph Banks, whose family owned estates at Reevesby, was the driving force behind the building of the canal which was opened to much acclaim on 17th September 1802. Indeed, a public holiday was declared so that the townsfolk could celebrate in style with a ‘festive’ repast held in the Greyhound Inn with free food and beer! The Horncastle to Kirstead Junction (later Woodhall Junction) Railway opened in 1855 which would signal the death knell of the canal.

The final stretch into Woodhall Spa saw increasing numbers of pedestrians streaming into town and we also noted a number of vintage cars. John Rickett had seen an assemblage in Louth ready to depart on the rally and a magnificent Ford pulled up in Horncastle Market Square for us to admire. A highlight of the festival was perhaps the impressive number of vintage cars and bikes. Fords, Austins, Vauxhalls, a rare example of a BSA Airborne Parachute bike and a splendid 1909 ‘Lincoln Elk’. We missed out on a BBMF flypast but the 40’s Festival seemed to have been a big success and well worth the visit. Temperatures 26 degrees.

Following further refreshments at the ‘Lido’, time to return to Horncastle via Old Woodhall. Peaceful, attractive lanes once more. The group split up at this point and Tim and John would return back to Louth via the prescribed route. On ascending to Fulletby and Belchford we met an increasingly fresh easterly wind and this made for a very pleasant return journey. Temperatures back down to 24 degrees. 50 miles covered.