Rest Day 16

30/6/15

We woke to blue sky and a hot day ahead. A short ride to Norfolk Wildlife Trust visitor's centre where we had a bacon roll and coffee while looking at a group of Avocet feeding in the marsh pools. The centre's binoculars were better than Sue's pair that must have come from a Christmas cracker.

After a short walk to a hide for a closer look we went on to the Cley Windmill cafe and spent the afternoon in the shady garden looking at maps and planning the next few days.

The smokehouse and deli in Cley both provided excellent ingredients for our meal back at the beautiful camp site.

Figures:

Distance:- 5.7 km !!

Cycle Time:- 0 hours 33 minutes

Average speed:- 10.1 kph

Total Distance:- 4551 km

Cley next the sea

29/6/15

Keeping inland on the smaller lanes mean no traffic but no sea. We reflected on our journey and conclude that this is the best way for us- I just get angry at motorists!

The Sustrans stickers on sign posts are more reliable than arrows that can be rotated by those that want to wind up the tourists. This is a more amusing sign post  that had been tampered with!

Our determined approach to bash down the east coast came to an end today, the hot weather and desire to get back to a bit of sight seeing got the better and we stopped at Horatio Nelson's local pub in Burnham Thorpe for lunch.

Continuing our tourist theme we then squeezed through the gates to Holkham estate for the grand drive to the great hall. I did wonder if Sue had secretly booked us in for the night.

Finally arriving at the coast at Wells, we then braved a bit of main road to Blakeney and our lovely quiet camp site at Cley.

Figures:

Distance:- 56.5 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 51 minutes

Average speed:- 14.6 kph

Total Distance:- 4546 km

Ingoldisthorpe (Sandringham)

28/6/15

Getting out of Wisbech was worse than leaving Boston, we completed a 5 km loop without making any progress and it was raining! When we finally did escape we progressed in to Norfolk through the last of the flat land- Sue was suprised to find the route hilly as she had been looking forward to 'flat' Norfolk.

We arrived in King's Lynn via one of the world's largest newsprint paper factorys, the German built plant produces 2000 metres of paper per minute from 100% recycled paper. The historic centre has been preserved well, in about 1220 the Great Ouse was redirected by flood and human hand to King's Lynn (then called Bishop's Lynn) and it is now one of the fastest growing ports. Marriot's Warehouse restaurant was a good place for lunch.

Arriving in Sandringham, we experienced the need for lower gears for a few inclines and enjoyed our first freewheeling for some days. We paid a visit to Royal frequented St Mary Magdalene church with its sumptuous internal decoration and silver pulpit.

We had a warm welcome from Maureen and Alex at Pencob B&B with tea on the lawn in their lovely garden.

We walked 2km to the Rose and Crown in Snettisham for an up-market pub meal (2015 pub of the year). Snettisham is famed for its golden torc (neck ring) and several hordes have been found dating from 75 BC.

Figures:

Distance:- 55.9 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 36 minutes

Average speed:- 15.4 kph

Total Distance:- 4489 km

Wisbech

27/6/15

Church spires are the only thing that punctuate the skyline but it is nice to wheel away with minimum effort for a change.

There are plenty of small lanes to avoid the likes of the A17 but Sustrans have done a particularly good job at curving around the Wash on the NCN 1. Occasional glances at the map on my bar bag are all that is needed and the only reason to stop is to regain the circulation in the extremities.

Holbech has the fantastic Caffe Aurora which served amazing coffee and the lime on the cake was more a delicious deluge than a drizzle.

We arrived in Wisbech just in time to visit Peckover Garden but too late to get into the house. This Georgian building was home to a Quaker family for over 150 years, perhaps this has had an effect on the town as it was almost impossible to find a beer after our visit!

Wisbech marks our brief excursion through Cambridgeshire before Norfolk, it seems remarkable that we were in Edinburgh a fortnight ago.

Figures:

Distance:- 62.6 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 35 minutes

Average speed:- 17.4 kph

Total Distance:- 4433 km

Boston

26/6/15

It is predicted that a serious North Sea storm would put Boston under water and leave Lincoln as a coastal town.

Cycling along the heavily fortified River Witham, with farmland lower than water level, makes this prophecy rather real.

Our NCN 1 route was, however, the jewel of Lincs, the disused railway with civic sculpture and benches to rest were a perfect way to cross the flat land.

Lincoln cathedral was never out of sight on the distant horizon but soon the gigantic Boston Stump (St Botolph's church) came in to view as our track arrived right into the heart of Boston and the White Hart hotel.

Figures:

Distance:- 51.4 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 15 minutes

Average speed:- 15.7 kph

Total Distance:- 4371 km

Wragby

25/6/15

Whilst Glastonbury 2015 is just beginning to shape up, the Lincolnshire Show of agriculture, food and entertainment reached its climax today.

The good thing about moving inland for a few days is you can find peace and quiet in the rural heartland. Our lanes had a traffic density of no more than one car an hour so perhaps they were all at the show. We left our guest house, which felt a bit institutional, and whisked along the beautiful lanes in the Lincolnshire Wolds. I thought it would be all Tarmac today but an unexpected grassy farm track took us across the end of the landing lights for the runway of Humberside International Airport- we witnessed the plane taking off!

Back on the road a cyclist with at least a decade on me pulled along side for a chat and we shared experiences. We mentioned our leisurely pace but he assured is we were not slow. We said our goodbyes and he whizzed off as if we were stationary!

Pretty soon the Wolds fell away to reveal the vast flatlands ahead and mountains were a distant memory.

Market Rasen provided a good place for lunch and we bought food for dinner before continuing to a Camping Club certified cite just south of Wragby. We were texted a combination for the gate and had a small secluded field by a lake with a tap and a loo. While thousands pack their tents in to Worthy Farm in somerset we have a place to ourselves, I can't remember the last time we pitched our tent in such solitude and we cooked a very nice meal.

Figures:

Distance:- 58.0 km

Cycle Time:- 4 hours 6 minutes

Average speed:- 14.1 kph

Total Distance:- 4319 km

Barnetby le wold

24/6/15

215 miles to Southport. We turned our backs to the sea in Hornsea and found the start of the Trans Pennine cycle way.

Southport for us was a distant memory of strong winds in March and we had just cycled 1000km so the distance from Hornsea to Southport was about 2000 miles for us!

Disused railways are a lovely efficient way to travel across country but we have noticed that many hours on these are more tiring than on Tarmac. This is especially true on the approach to Hull where the tree roots have spread like an alien just beneath the surface resulting in a corrugated bone shaking experience.

The Humber bridge spans 2.2km so was another stress for Sue as we wound our way gradually towards it through the complex signage in Hull. The builders had to take into account the curvature of he Earth in it's construction in 1981 with 36mm difference in distance between the top and bottom of the suspension towers. Our crossing was in calm sunny conditions but in high winds the bridge bends more than 3 metres. Sue rode the full span comfortably.

This is my first visit to Lincolnshire. I am afraid we have opted to stick to the NCN 1 which cuts inland and bypasses the coastline from the Humber to the Wash. We will return to visit Grimsby another day.

We found the Flute and Whistle next to the station in our small village. This is another great example of the transformation of the British pub as a great place to eat and focal point for a community.

Figures:

Distance:- 57.4 km

Cycle Time:- 4 hours 19 minutes

Average speed:- 13.3 kph

Total Distance:- 4261 km

Hornsea

23/6/15

The road out of Scarborough definitely showed its best side. With promise of a dryer day and armed with yet more spare chains we set off to short cut Flamborough head and go straight to Hornsea.

This deviation from the NCN 1 turned out to be very pleasant and made easier by a northerly wind. With few tea shops our main focus was on finding a bench to eat oatcakes cheese and apple. This we found and were quickly joined by 2 men from East Riding who were out council cutting the grass verges. The quiet lanes over the Yorkshire Wolds gradually flattened out as we approached the sea and after a brief stop at Mr Moo's ice cream parlour we were soon in Hornsea and Beachside B&B.

Figures:

Distance:- 56.0 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 29 minutes

Average speed:- 16.0 kph

Total Distance:- 4204 km

Rest Day 15

22/6/15

After a substantial morning of planning and accomodation booking we ventured out in the blustery rain falling on Scarborough. We joined the small toddlers and tourists on the miniature railway across the north bay and, after failing to find a tea shop in the sea life centre without paying to get in, we resorted to the pub.

The highlight of the day was the lovely Coffee Bean tea room close to our hotel which served good low price food until 8pm and was doing a roaring trade.

Scarborough

21/6/15

Our breakfast was brought to us in a wicker basket by Vanessa. She had been brought up in Staithes and told us how the town had changed. It seems it is another casualty of the holiday lets where a fisherman's cottage could set you back half a million.

We had a not too bad main road experience to Whitby where the sun was shining and there were no signs of any Goths. We paused for tea and toastie's in the Pavillion tea room before finding the Cinder Track.

This was our friend for the rest of the day, a long gradual clime to Ravenscar with great views down to Robin Hood's Bay.

We sat in another tea room in Ravenscar and were amused to hear a man ask the waitress which was the best way to the beach. This Victorian town was built with the intention of rivaling Scarborough as a resort at the turn of the last century but when developers looked at the 300m cliffs to the sea they were somewhat reluctant!

The decent to Scarborough was continuous for the best part of 20km and we checked into Park Lane hotel, budget of course, before heading over to South Bay for some food. The town retains much of it's elegant past but perhaps the impossible tasks proposed in the song about it's historic trading fair could have an additional phrase. Tell her to close all the amusement arcades ... Then she'll be a true love of mine!

Figures:

Distance:- 53.2 km

Cycle Time:- 4 hours 17 minutes

Average speed:- 12.4 kph

Total Distance:- 4148 km

Staithes

20/6/15

We were all set for the transporter ferry across the Tees in Middlesbrough as all the web site information suggested it was open to foot and cycle passengers. There are only 2 of these in the UK and, since our attempt to cross the other in South Wales was thwarted, we were excited about the experience.

A last minute phone call brought bad news that the gondola was being repaired and no crossings will be made for another week.

This resulted in the most appalling urban cycle journey yet. The additional 20km in the rain along busy dual carriage ways, housing estates with Sustrans signage rotated or stolen. It became a joke as the one track was so overgrown I considered resorting to the low-slung tactics adopted by John Wayne while fighting Apaches. This overgrown track around the prison then crossed a disused airstrip along the prison wall and eventually crossing on the Tees on the Barrage.

We eventually escaped the city and got back to the sea at Marske and Saltburn.

Entering the North York Moors national park brought appropriate weather however!

And hill climbing late in the day was hard but we got to Staithes and the sun came out. Our World War One barrack accomodation was fine and after a quick wash and brush-up we decended to the quaint cove enclosing old Staithes.

Great sea food and good beer in the Cod and Lobster made the world seem a better place. It was no surprise that Captain James Cook found inspiration for his sea voyages while working in this little village.

Bizarrely, for the east coast, we were treated to a lovely sunset.

Figures:

Distance:- 69.6 km

Cycle Time:- 5 hours 28 minutes

Average speed:- 12.7 kph

Total Distance:- 4095 km