Weather: Fine and mild
Distance:
29 km (18 miles) Total Distance: 2809 miles
Margaret
and the boys were in Ireland so I decided
to make the most of having the car and took a days holiday. The previous day I had been in Lancaster at a
meeting, so I drove straight to Brigg and spent the night at friends.
I
headed off at about 7.30am and drove to Mablethorpe, parking back from the
front on a side street and therefore avoiding parking fees. Mablethorpe had a completely different feel
to it now out of holiday time and was very quiet.
It was
a mile or so along the promenade and then onto the beach where there was
fortunately a firm band enabling me to make reasonable progress. There was quite a number of people out
walking their dogs along this pretty beach.
The gas terminal was not in sight from the beach and it was only when I
travelled back did I see the place where 20% of the country gas is landed.
The
beach gave way to dunes and marsh. I
kept to the top of the sandy area where there was usually an OK path. After a couple of hours I crossed the two
rivers and into the village of Saltfleet.
No sooner than I entered than I left along the river and down to the
sea. A sharp left at the end got me back
walking northwards. I stopped at the PC
on the north edge of Saltfleet and then onto the marshes again. I met an elderly gentleman wading a river in
his wellies – fortunately I decided not to follow him and I kept inland on the
sea-defences. These took me North to
Donna Nook. Before getting down onto the
beach again I had a rest and lay in the sun for 10 minutes – great weather for
the end of October!
There was just one heavily pregnant seal at Donna Nook making its way back to the sea
and being looked at by lots of people. I
was told to keep on the landward side of the signs indicating another RAF
bombing range by a century shouting out of a viewing tower.
North
of Donna Nook things got peaceful again.
The path turned inland and up towards a disused airfield. I was pleased to see that there was a path on
the seaward side of the airfield even though there was not one on the map. I therefore carried on up to Stoneybrige
Farm. I was also pleased to see that
there was a footbridge over the river – again it was not clear on the map whether
this was a public footpath. I decided
not to cross it just yet but to finish
the walk there and leave entering Cleethorpes till next time – I was already
pretty shattered by this time.
I had
just over a miles walk then up to Tetney Lock but there was hardly any traffic
so I had to walk all the way to North Coates before I got a lift. Once on the main road, the second car to pass
stopped – a retired gent who used to work for Fisons and he took me to Grainthorpe. After that I walked again for a mile before a
bus stopped when I put my hand out and a kind driver charged me £1 to go to
Saltfleet. After a quick chat to the
driver I headed trying to get a lift but the main road through the village was
closed to through traffic so there was no cars for ages. Then on the other side of the village just as
I was getting downhearted an elderly gent stopped who took me all the way to
may car – very kind of him indeed.
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