To Flamborough

July 9, 2022

The day begins with another excellent breakfast, with service to match. Breakfast doesn’t begin until 8 but I head downstairs at 7 to sit in the lounge and see if I can talk my way into an early coffee. I do better than that - I’m welcomed into the dining room, shown to our reserved table, brought a pot of coffee and welcomed to the continental breakfast items, although I’m informed that the hot breakfast isn’t on until 8.

At 7:30 though a server comes around to inform me that the full breakfast is available now if I’d like. I call Rachael and she hustles right down. Nice hotel, the Kingston Theater!

Today’s ride to Flamborough is another 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 affair. For the first third we enjoy a surprisingly easy few miles through Hull and then a flat, relaxed ride east though terrain that reminds us of the Fens. Not the fastest going, but very relaxed.

East of Hull. For the first ten miles we biked a narrow trail, sharing it with walkers and their dogs.

Crossing a channel. The land here is pancake flat, on a low apron along the Humber that reminds us of the fens. I wonder if it is also a drained former marshland.

The first several miles after leaving town are an asphalt ribbon, pleasant but slow cycling because of the irregularities from tree roots.

After about five miles the pavement ends, but riding is actually easier and faster now because it’s not broken up by tree roots.

The second third is quite different. At first we’re excited to find ourselves back on pavement again, but within a few blocks we merge onto a B road - quieter than the horrible A roads that we avoid whenever possible, but busy enough that you have to keep your mind on the traffic instead of the surroundings. Safe enough today, but definitely not up to the high standard we’ve been keeping with lately.

Fifteen miles later it’s a real relief when we turn off to a lazy farm lane. Within a short distance we come to a bare patch of grass and sit by the edge of the road for our lunch break. Not long after that we come to a curious art work, silouhettes of a group of seven men. The information panels tell us that we’re standing at what was once the RAF Lissett Airfield, an important base for launching raids against the Germans in World War II.

The memorial, “Strength in Unity”, honors the 851 members of 158 Squadron who lost their lives in the war. It was placed here by Novara Energy, the operators of the wind farm that now occupies the site.

Strength in Unity represents a flight crew from 158 Squadron. On the front of their uniforms are engraved the names of the 851 members of the squadron who lost their lives in the war.

We spend some time reading the information panels and reflecting on the sobering memorial and history of this site, and then get ready to move on. Just then though we witness a near disaster as a solo woman cyclist speeds down the road toward us and then crosses into the oncoming lane, preparing to pull up at her parked car on the shoulder just ahead at the end of her ride. Right behind her, honking and swerving to avoid hitting her, a car races past at high speed. The look on her face made clear she had no idea the car was behind her and how lucky she was, this time.

The last third of the ride has a familiar feel, in a good way. After a modest climb we gain a couple hundred feet and are biking through spectacular country again - the Yorkshire Wolds this time, but it feels just like the Lincolnshire Wolds we just left yesterday. Ten miles later we’re dropping toward the coast again and before long we pull up to the Crab Pot Inn, our B&B for the next two nights.

In the Yorkshire Wolds. We’re just skirting the edge of them today but we’ll be back.

In the Yorkshire Wolds, which look a lot like the Lincolnshire Wolds - as they should because they they’re the same formation, split by the Humber.

Dropping from the Wolds to Bridlingtown, the next town shy of Flamborough on the coast.

Video sound track: Come Saturday Morning, by the Sandpipers

Dinner at a traditional English diner was nothing to write home about, but it did feature a nice selection of beverages to choose from.

After dinner we walk a mile down to the South Landing, the closest beach access to our room, and scramble around on the rocks beneath the chalk cliffs. We’ll be here tomorrow also and get a better look at these cliffs and the other surprises around Flamborough, so for now we’ll just take a quick peek.