The sun was shining this morning as I set off on my alternative trip. For those of you who follow my blog you will be well aware of my decision to cancel my trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand just two days before leaving due to the Corona virus. Although it meant a big financial loss it was the right thing to do. So instead of arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam today, I packed my car with clothes for every eventuality from mountain climbing in the Lake district to chilling out with family and friends and left London. Before leaving I had booked somewhere to stay this evening in Lincoln, a city I had not visited before but somewhere I was keen to explore.
The drive North was very pleasant. Being a Sunday there was not much traffic on the roads and I was not in a rush to get anywhere. For a number of years I have driven backwards and forwards to the North and as the years went on the sightings of kestrels flying/ hovering by the motorways had decreased. Today I was delighted to see 8 different sightings of Kestrels hovering close to the road. A good start to the trip.
After a couple of hours driving I stopped at the small town of Spalding. The only thing I knew about this town was that many spring flowers and bulbs are grown here. I did see fields of daffodils in bud but I couldn't stop to take a photo. Just outside the town was a shopping outlet and landscaped gardens. So I had a pleasant wander around.
I then walked along beside the river into the town.
The local cinema.
There has been an inn on this site since the 14th century.
Chatterton Water Tower built in 1955 is capable of storing 3.4 million litres of fresh, clean water.
The River Welland that flows East to West through the town.
Ye Olde White Horse is a 16th century Inn with a thatched roof. Sadly it closed down at the end of last year.
Almshouses.
Parish church of St Mary and St Nicholas.
Can't resist taking photos of stained glass windows. The top one shows the potato growers.
Ayscoughee Hall. The house, which is now a museum was built for a local wool merchant in the 15th century and is very much as it was when built.
I returned to the car and continued my journey across the Fens to Lincoln. The Fens we
re drained several centuries ago and are now a flat, damp agricultural area covering much of Lincolnshire.
The drive North was very pleasant. Being a Sunday there was not much traffic on the roads and I was not in a rush to get anywhere. For a number of years I have driven backwards and forwards to the North and as the years went on the sightings of kestrels flying/ hovering by the motorways had decreased. Today I was delighted to see 8 different sightings of Kestrels hovering close to the road. A good start to the trip.
What a lovely looking town and seems so remote from the now not so crowded London.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the photos and narration. Can’t wait to see where you go next.
ReplyDeleteI hope Ye Olde White Horse is renovated (if necessary) and opens up again soon. There aren't many original 16th century inns with an original thatched roof still intact.
ReplyDeleteIf indoor crowds are still banned because of coronavirus, put tables and chairs outside.
14th and 15th century, wow. I can only imagine it coming fro such a young country with only a couple of hundred years of european settlement.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made the right decision to cancel the trip. Many travellers can't return home as there are no flights anymore. And your country has a lot of beautiful things to explore I see. Enjoy your trip.
ReplyDeleteHello, I enjoyed this part of your trip. The town looks lovely, I like the views of the river and church. The stained glass is beautiful. Pretty flowers and fountains. Stay safe, healthy and happy! Enjoy your day, happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe stained glass is beautiful and nice to see potato growers have their place in the sun, as farmers are our best hope and hard workers we cannot do without.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will be able to find places to stay, as so many hotels and other places are closing. I sure enjoyed this part of your adventure, though. Thank you. :-)
ReplyDeleteAlmost looks like you had the place to yourselves. Glad you decided to stay close to home so to speak. Thanks for taking us shut-ins along with you. Stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to what adventures you got up into on this alternative trip.
ReplyDeleteWe are coping with staying put. Canceled our reservation for Wyoming in June. Unlikely we will drive north to New Hampshire to see granddaughters perform ballet. That will likely not happen anyway. Only think on the calendar is week long vacation with daughters etc in August. I hope that will be a go.
Beautiful place, looks very quiet but then I would expect that at the moment
ReplyDeleteA good start to your alternative trip. You made the right decision.
ReplyDeleteI’m intrigued by the church window with the potato growers. I wonder if anywhere else in the world there are humble potato growers on a stained glass church window! Gorgeous roof, too, and the fields of daffodils must have been a sight.
ReplyDeleteThat was a ver pleasant tour around a lovely little town. That wool merchant certainly had a very nice home.
ReplyDeleteI'm really happy that the church was kept as a b & b, we need to look after our historical buildings.
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