The Nev Cole Way, Stage 10

 Our walk today took us from Beelsby of the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds to the tiny village of Cuxwold.  We left Beelsy via a narrow path between cottages and then passed through the farm run by the Fenwick family.  From the farm the path led across fiels to the village of Hatcliffe.  I have often driven and cycled between the two villages but this path gives a totally different perspective.  Having walked through Hatcliffe the Way heads across fields to Croxby Pond.  In wet weather this section would be very muddy but today was dry with good going.  However, we could see where heavy farm machinary had sunk deep into the soft ground.  Just before reaching Croxby Pond we crossed a superb little chalk stream which rises in ponds in Thorganby.  There came a short road section from the pond, first climbing 'Heartbreak Hill' the scene of many desperate struggles at the end of the locally famous Croxby Crawl races organised by Cleethorpes AC.  I once heldboth the V40 and V45 records for this course but that was more years ago than I care to remember; today I was happy to walk up it with only a couple of stops.  The road section over, the Way took us through Lake Farm with its seemingly abandoned buildings and derelict houses.  Ideal nesting sites for barn owls.  We climbed steeply up from the farm with dramatic end of the day skies and then back down to the car at Cuxwold.  Another excellent stage.

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Nev Cole Way, Stage 9. From the Flat Land onto the Wolds.

 Today saw the last of the flat lands as we moved up into the Lincolnshire Wolds.  The first part of our route took us along an old farm track, now metalled, across to the Laceby Manor Golf Club.  An interesting new development is the new solar farm that has been built on the edge of Bradley Woods.

After the golf club we crossed the A18 (Barton Street) and began the climb up the scarp slope of the Lincolnshire Wolds, passing a wood, marked on the map as earth works. Research by Brian revealed that it was a civil war era fortified manor with a gun emplacement at each corner.  The manor was held by royalists to defend Barton Street against parliamentarian raids.

Walking along fram tracks we climbed steadily until we were at the top of the scarp slope with expansive views across to the coast.  We passed a field left fallow to go to seed.  It was reminiscent of the maize field at North Cave Wetlands but here is probably cover for pheasants.  Whatever, it certainly attracted large numbers of linnets which was good to see.  We were soon dropping down into Beelsby and then settled into the Sautaion Inn at Nettleton for our evening meal.

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