First cycling holiday in Lincoln/Lincolnshire

[Amac]

Hi there,
Just starting to think about our holiday this year.
I want to take my wife on our first cycling holiday, centre based so staying in some self catering place.
I do a fair bit more cycling than my wife, so looking to do 30-40 miles a day, the most important thing for my wife is its not hilly!

After reading an article in Cycling Plus, Lincoln/Lincolnshire looks like it might have plenty of quieter lanes and villages, hopefully the sort of area to plod around at a nice steady pace.
Just wondered if anyone had experience of the area and any recommendations on where about to base ourselves.
Thanks for any help or pointers.
Alex

 

[avecReynolds531]

We thought of similar too, having never visited the area. Cycling UK- previously CTC- had a recent article: https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-mag...ls-flat-coastline-and-salt-flats-lincolnshire

 

[13 rider]

Lincoln it's self is not flat and the Lincolnshire wolds slightly north of Lincoln is rolling and hillier than you expect . Wood hall Spa would be a good base half between Lincolnshire and the coast it's not completely out in the fens where winds become an issue . Nice route into Lincoln via traffic free water rail way ,cafe at Bardney railway heritage centre worth a stop which is right on the water rail way . The lanes are Lincolnshire are pretty quiet if you avoid the main A roads to Skegness etc . If your into WW2 history loads of old RAF bases and the Dam busters memorial in Wood hall Spa itself

 

[KnittyNorah]

I'm thinking of Lincolnshire too, for a few days/long weekend maybe in May. Or the Cumbrian/Solway coast (the flat bit of Hadrian's Cycleway). Lincolnshire has a better chance of no rain, though ...

 

[Amac]

Cheers guys,
I will have a look at Wood hall spa, and see what cycle.travel comes up with, at least that starts to narrow it down a bit.
I think she will be ok with rolling hills, it the sharp ones I have to try and avoid.
I will also look at Solay coast as the coast is always popular with my "group" along with little villages, church's as the such like.
I had missed the cycle UK article, so that will be helpful.
I think I just need to pick somewhere and go for it

 

[DCLane]

Riding around Lincolnshire is nice; Woodhall Spa is a useful base.

Can't help much as most of my routes are an audax through Lincolnshire that passes through Woodhall Spa (Everybody Rides to Skeggy 300) plus riding to Lincoln from West Yorkshire to visit my eldest at university there.

My only suggestion is the route in/around Bardney where there is a water railway is decent.

 

[KnittyNorah]

I found some tempting ideas in this site https://www.visitlincoln.com/cycling

 

[Amac]

Cheers for all the tips, advice and links, its really helpful, and starting to make me confident this could be the place for our first cycling holiday.
Its so hard to pick somewhere, I just keep looking at maps and never getting anywhere so this is helping me.
Hers is what cycle.travel came back with, and I am guessing a trip into Lincoln via route 1 must be worth trying.

 

[Amac]

 

[Amac]

"I found some tempting ideas in this site https://www.visitlincoln.com/cycling"
Thank you, that link looks really helpful, just reading through with a glass of wine now

 

[KnittyNorah]

"I found some tempting ideas in this site https://www.visitlincoln.com/cycling"
Thank you, that link looks really helpful, just reading through with a glass of wine now

Hmm there's another very similar site which had some good and different routes - one visited a stately home and was about a 25mile round trip, I'll see if I can find it ...

 

[13 rider]

The route to Lincoln is along the water railway which is a traffic free 7 mile stretch and pan flat

 

[KnittyNorah]

Hmm there's another very similar site which had some good and different routes - one visited a stately home and was about a 25mile round trip, I'll see if I can find it ...

Here it is I think! https://www.visitlincolnshire.com/cycle-lincolnshire/

 

[wajc]

I'd agree with others suggestion of Woodhall Spa as a base. There is a lot to see and do in Woodhall itself and the local area (well for Lincolnshire anyway!).

As well as the extensive WW2 RAF history referred to above you have places such as

Kinema in the Woods with it's rare rear projection screen and old cinema experience

Jubilee Park with it's open air swimming pool

Another traffic free option is the Spa Trail to Horncastle, again using a disused railway line if this type of thing is important to you.

Otherwise the roads in the area are generally quiet and you will have no problem planning suitably quiet routes.

It's perfectly positioned within the mileage you mentioned to reach the hillier (but not that hilly) Wolds AONB beyond Horncastle to the NE. Every other direction will take you on very gently rolling or even pan flat roads if that is your preference.

 

[Blue Hills]

didn't know woodhall spa was so revered.
All i know it for is as the birthplace and childhood and early adult home of Robert Webb from Peep show.
Don't recall him making it sound captivating in his autobiog.