Day 79 - Holbeach Hern to Skegness

 

 Date: Friday 8^th July  2011   Distance: 47.4 Miles

 

We started off on immensely long straight roads and it was beat the rain clouds sort of day and we lost. Huge fields were full of cabbages and some of these were absolutely enormous and several different varieties. We crossed the Fosdyke Bridge over River Welland.

 

We stopped at the Moores Arms in Frampton just as the bar lady was arriving to open up for 11. This was good as it was about to shower. It is a homely pub and we were sorry it was a while till we wanted lunch as we saw lots of fresh local produce going in and the menu looked interesting! We enjoyed our coffee anyway.

 

On our way through what I called Cabbage Central we passed lots of itinerant pickers loading cauliflowers and cabbages on to hand like scoops on a conveyor belt that took them to the back of the lorry for on- site packing. They gazed at us bemusedly brandishing their tools of trade, broad knives. The tractors whizzed up and down and we had to stop a lot to give them room. The sky blackened but we didn’t get too wet!

 

Bob had looked for a cycle shop on the internet as my baggy shorts had been rubbing my legs raw to bleeding. We found it easily, in Boston. I had to try on in the men’s loo but they, as everyone on the trip this week, had an easy friendliness. We left with a padded lycra pair and recommendations for the Bateman’s brewery.

 

Again pubs were thin on the ground and if open not doing food then just as it was about to rain again we found one with few customers and those seemed to be family or friends. They took pity on us and although they had run out of bread they found some potatoes and cheese to do jackets and charged us such a small amount it certainly felt like charity. Then the skies opened and it looked like flooding. The chatty folk in the pub told us it was 18 miles to Wainfleet, where the brewery museum was and it would be touch and go if we would arrive before it closed.

 

We left when the rain eased off a little and later it rained more, then much more, and we had to shelter under a tree despite a thunderstorm over head, while the cabbage pickers carried on with their task in their waterproof green or orange uniforms in more danger from the lightening than us.

 

Rain was seeping into the panniers of clothes and we were demoralised and cold. Wainfleet was 6 or 7 miles on and it might be a lost journey though Bob assured me we were still going in the right direction. Progress was faster as the wind was behind us.

 

We arrived at the brewery too late for a tour (2.30pm and it was after 3 now) but as the museum was still open not forgetting the interesting windmill bar, we had till 4 to chill out. After a pint we did the free audio tour made with tongue in cheek by the Gaffer, Stuart, grandson of the original Bateman. Lots to do even for children and friendly place- we were even introduced to the gaffer! It’s Bob’s favourite beer.

 

At Wainfleet co-op we waited for the rain to go again and then it was lanes and finally the main road to Skegness. After seeing a sign advertising the number of fatalities on the road we took the footpath until we needed to change direction into Skegness

The Great Western is a mile from the centre, south of Skegness but a nicer way there would have been a bridleway dirt track if it had been dry. We hadn’t yet seen the glitzy town.

 

We found it at the bottom of a quiet, modern cul de sac. The building itself had some history and the receptionist liked telling people about the skeleton found in the wall in the lobby when it was refurbished.  The gold buttons found with it indicated that it was a missing customs official sent there in the 1800s.It didn’t feel haunted and everyone was really helpful and, again, friendly.

 

Bob was able to put the bike out the back in a shed and we were grateful  for the lovely hot water showers. Our meal was good and I had homemade bread and butter pudding- real comfort food.