Edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds,” on Friday, 14Th September, 2018
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Recycled ride to the “Edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds,” on Friday, 14th September, 2018. Cyclists from Beverley: Dave Berger, Derek Clark, Ian Metcalfe, Sheila Mullen, Bob Watson, Steve Superman Watts & Dave Big Wheel Williamson OYB (leader) Cyclists from the Humber Bridge: Martin Bell, Adrian Benson, Nick Hart & George Sweeting. Distance from Beverley: 46.09 miles Weather conditions: Blustery westerly wind with low, dark clouds; a few sunny intervals in the afternoon. The poet A. E Houseman had his blue- remembered hills when he looked westwards towards Wales. I sense that Big Wheel feels the same way about the Lincolnshire Wolds, his eyes glinting with the anticipation of another ride when they’ve rested on those hills at the other side of the estuary. Last week with his usual enthusiasm and easy charm he persuaded us that we should go over “to the other side” for this week’s ride. Today, we are taking the first steps in exploring the immediate hinterland of Barton upon Humber which includes the four Wolds villages of Horkstow, Saxby All Saints, Bonby and Worlaby. Locally, these villages are called “low villages” because they are all roughly half way down the edge of a steep chalk scarp slope. 1 Higher up, on top of this escarpment – 100 metre or so – and running roughly northwards parallel to the road running through the villages is a narrow meandering lane like a ridge. Hillside lanes link this lane to the lower B 1204. Even from the lower road there are fine views for miles and miles across the carr land of the wide Ancholme valley which was once wooded and liable to flooding. Now, it is almost all arable with many acres of farmland and miles of drains and dykes which make it a haven for wildlife. Visible too are the blast furnaces and cooling towers of Scunthorpe steelworks which are tucked away just behind a dip slope of the limestone Lincolnshire Heights. Our constant companion today in this land of the Lincolnshire Yellowbellies’ are the Humber estuary and Humber Bridge. Also, very distant, are the westerly escarpments of the Yorkshire Wolds and the Vale of York. “Three miles cycling and I’m eating lemon drizzle cake,” commented Nick Hart. A stop for refreshment at the Old Ropery had been mainly for the benefit of the seven stalwarts who had started at Morrison’s roundabout in Beverley. Four others had met up at Humber Bridge car park. It’s a steady climb out of Barton and this continues on Horkstow Lane where we cycle in a westward direction in a strong, blustery wind towards the first village of Horkstow. For a short while a high hedge provides some shelter. Otherwise, the rolling landscape is open and exposed. A reminder that this is chalk country is a huge quarry the size of Wembley Stadium that has been gouged out of the hillside folds. Plumes of smoke rise from the cement works at South Ferriby. 2 Still into the wind there’s a short downhill ride along Piggery Hill into our first village of Horkstow which is well known for the Roman Pavements discovered in the Georgian Horkstow Hall in 1796. The mosaic, depicting a chariot race, was lifted in 1927 and is now on display in the Hull & East Riding Museum. Also, George Stubbs RA, the famous painter of horses, lived in this village from 1756 to 1760 and gave some paintings to local families. Here, he commenced his gruesome work of dissecting horses to help understand how the animal functioned for his paintings and book “Anatomy of the Horse.” On sloping ground half way down this Wolds escarpment and in a cluster of trees and slanting gravestones is the small 12th century church of St Maurice’s which dates back to the 12th century with its short stubby tower and low nave and chancel. It was planned by Big Wheel to make a short detour in Horkstow to Horkstow Bridge but those in front had forged ahead so it was missed. This unusual small suspension bridge over the River Ancholme was designed by Sir John Rennie in 1844 following the final drainage of the Ancholme Valley and its enclosures. Saxby, the next village, derives its name from a farmstead or village of a man called Saksi, an old Scandinavian person’s name. The village’s imposing church is on sloping ground and is surrounded by a low brick wall which enclose slanting, weathered grave stones. Beyond it is a backcloth of mixed woodland. All Saints Church, Saxby has been described as a beautiful edifice. It was designed by the prolific English Gothic architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, who was associated with the design, building and restoration of many churches and cathedrals in the 19th century. The unusual pyramid roof tower was added in 1873 and the church clock was also added in 1893 to commemorate the coming of age of Henry John Hope- Barton a member of the local aristocracy 3 Next to the church is a small and whitewashed village hall which was the village school from 1846 until 1961 when it was gifted to the community by other two members of the Hope-Barton family, Miss Diana & Miss Alice. This philanthropic act is recorded on a blue oval wall plaque on the side of the hall. What were they like these two maiden sisters? Were they born at the turn of the century and perhaps denied the chance of marriage because of the massive loss of men in the First World War? Did they teach in the village school? Were they devout and religious, seen by the villagers climbing the steep steps to All Saints every Sunday? Were they progressive in outlook, demanding better opportunities for women through women’s suffrage movements? 4 Clearly the Hope-Barton, lords of the manor, and living in Saxby Hall played a prominent part in village affairs. Do they still, I wonder? In the 1880s, the national school was supported by the trustees of the late John Hope-Barton. In 1905, Henry John Hope-Barton was lord of the manor and in 1913 he became High Sherriff of Lincolnshire. The church living included a rectory and glebe lands was in the gift of the Barton family and estate. Next to the hall was an imaginative village project- the Bluebell Wood Amphitheatre - with three Astra turf tiers for seating: an enchanting setting on a warm, still summer evening for music and theatre with the furnace glow of a setting sun spreading over the silence of the Ancholme valley. Beyond the church and hall, an uphill track leading through mixed woodland. 5 On to Bonby and Worlaby where we turn off and climb Middlegate Lane up a short, steep escarpment of the Wolds. On the top, along a crest of the Wolds we change direction and cycle northwards back to Barton upon Humber. The views become even more impressive. In the estuary there’s Reads Island. My gaze rests again on Scunthorpe steelworks with their four blast furnace stacks and cooling towers which I could see from my bedroom window when I was boy in the town of birth. The other yellowbelly in the group today is Martin Bell who was born in Cleethorpes but lived in sunny Scunnie during his early years. Martin’s local knowledge navigated us through Barton and clearly, he knows the area of these four Lincolnshire Wolds villages. (A yellowbelly is a person from Lincolnshire. The origin of the name is disputed. One origin is that the officers of the Royal North Lincolnshire Militia wore bright yellow waistcoats on the battlefield. Another is that the coach that ran from Lincoln to London had a bright yellow undercarriage. Locals would call out: “Here comes the Lincolnshire yellowbelly.”) It’s a long downhill freewheel into Barton and the Old Tile Works Cafe for a late lunch. From the cafe windows we can see a steady stream of traffic crossing the Humber Bridge. Although it is now only the 7th longest single span bridge, it is still the only one that can be crossed on foot or on a bicycle. The others must reflect sometimes as I do now that it continues to be a wonderful experience to cross it on two wheels. There’s 44,000 miles of cabling supplied by Scunthorpe steelworks holding this bridge in place – enough cabling to go around the earth twice! 6 Big Wheel the man behind today’s ride looks pleased with the outcome: it’s opened up the possibility of future rides in North Lincolnshire. He takes a satisfying gulp of his blonde beer, starts his scrambled egg and thinks about the prospect of finishing it in his customary way with an ice cream. Looking around the table there are others with cast-iron digestion like him – I conclude it must be something to do with the cycling! A mighty bridge – an engineering wonder; a Roman mosaic; a church described as a beautiful edifice; “carr” land once liable to flooding now drained for agriculture; a famous painter of horses; 150 years of steelmaking in a local town; two maiden sisters – Diana & Alice Hope Barton who gifted a building to a village; rolling chalk countryside and hillside woodlands...so much to admire on this ride in just one part of our beautiful, sometimes troubled, but very creative country – don’t you agree? George Sweeting 18th September 2018 7 8 .