Hubbard's Hills to Welsdale Bottom - Louth Cycle Route 5

(S/E) Start from the car park at the southern end of Hubbard's Hills (TF 315 861) turn right from the car park, passing under the Louth bypass bridge. Continue climbing away from Hubbard's Hills towards Hallington.

(1) Taking care, make a right turn at Hallington fork. Continue up the hill to Hallington Peak.

(2) Stop at the highest point and have a well earned rest! Look for the triangulation pillar in the hedge line on the left. This was once part of a national grid that helped to accurately map the contours of Great Britain. Continue along and enjoy glorious views of the Wolds on both sides of the road.

(3) As you pass houses on your right you'll begin to climb towards the Bluestone Heath Road.

(4) Give way then continue straight across the Bluestone Heath Road. With views of Belmont Mast ahead, cycle steeply downhill to Welsdale Bottom.

(5) It's a steep climb out of Welsdale Bottom, cycle if you can otherwise prepare to walk! Continue out of Welsdale Bottom until the road starts to level out, look out for a bridleway sign to your left.

(6) Turn left onto the grass bridleway (muddy at times) and continue to meet a stone track. Enjoy the uninterrupted views to the west, can you see Lincoln Cathedral ? Continue on the track with RAF Stenigot to your left.

(7) Join the road and turn left pass the radar mast then stop at the crossroads.

(8) Cross over the Bluestone Heath Road. Freewheel downhill for the next 2.5 miles and enjoy the great views of the coast!

(9) After a short climb past the houses at Poke's Hole you will arrive at Hallington.

(10) Ignore the fork left and bear right up a short steep hill. Continue steadily downhill, under the bypass bridge, and to Hubbard's Hills the end of the route.(S/E)

Cycling is a great way to keep fit and appreciate the countryside. These easy to read leaflets provide useful information on mileage, approximate timing and gradient.
A simple map and points of interest are included – for those times when you need to catch your breath, admire the countryside or explore the area.

Good cycling code :
• Always follow the Highway Code and Countryside Code
• Be safe and be seen – wear a helmet and high visibility clothing and use lights
• Keep your bike roadworthy and carry a puncture repair kit
• Be courteous to other road users
• Take plenty of water and have a drink regularly
Route starts from the car park at the southern end of Hubbard's Hills (TF 315 861). Please check for parking restrictions.

The Lincolnshire Wolds is a National Landscape, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1973. Covering an area of 558 square kilometres or 216 square miles, the rolling chalk hills of the AONB have been inhabited since prehistoric times whilst the appearance of the countryside today has been greatly influenced by past and present agricultural practices.

The Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service helps to protect and enhance the landscape through partnership projects with local landowners, farmers, parish councils, businesses and residents of the Wolds.

Places of interest/refreshments:

Hubbard's Hills, Louth www.hubbardshills.co.uk
Please walk your cycles through Hubbard's Hills to gain access to the public toilets and cafe facilities at the northern end of Hubbard's Hills - no cycling permitted in the Hills.

Tourist Information: Tel: 01507 601111
Email: tourism@e-lindsey.gov.uk
www.lovelincolnshirewolds.com
FB@LoveLincsWolds X@LoveLincsWolds IG LoveLincsWolds

Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service, Navigation Warehouse, Riverhead Road, Louth,
Lincolnshire, LN11 0DA 01522 555780 www.lincswolds.org.uk
aonb@lincswolds.org.uk X@LincsWoldsNL FB@LincsWoldsNL

Hubbard's Hills
Hubbard's Hills is a spectacular steep sided valley on the outskirts of Louth. It is approximately 40 metres deep and was cut through the chalk by torrents of glacial melt-water about 40,000 years ago during the last ice age. In 1907 the Hills were purchased and then pledged to the people of Louth as a permanent memorial to the wife of Auguste Alphonse Pahud. Mr Pahud had been a teacher at the local grammar school and due to his generosity the natural beauty of the Hills continues to be enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year. Cycling is not permitted through Hubbard's Hills.

Welsdale Bottom
As you cycle into the hollow of Welsdale Bottom, take a break and look out at the steep sided field on your right - it looks like corrugated cardboard! This is what's know as ridge and furrow - or rigg and furrow as it is sometimes known. These long shallow trenches and banks across fields were formed by regular ploughing over many years with oxen and plough. Increasingly harsh and wet conditions by the 14th century led to many failed harvests. The population suffered through famine and the Black Death and over the years agriculture contracted and livestock farming increased, driven mainly by the demand for wool and the need for less labour. Marginal areas that were once arable were abandoned or given over for grazing, leaving the characteristic ridge and furrow marks that we see in pasture today.

Belmont Tower
From its location high in the Wolds, Belmont Tower is used to broadcast both analogue and digital television and radio to a large part of eastern England. Constructed in 1965, the tower has had many alterations, creating an overall height of 387.5 (1,271 ft) in 2008, and was considered to be the tallest man-made structure in the European Union. The height was reduced to 351.7m (1,154 ft) in 2010.

Stenigot
RAF Stenigot has played a key role in the nation's defence for many years. The original masts were made of wood and were built in 1938 to form part of the Chain Home Radar network which provided an early warning system against enemy aircraft. In the 1950's, at the onset of the Cold War, four large dishes were installed to form part of the NATO Ace High communications network. The site remained operational until the early 1990's. The dishes were dismantled and left in the nearby field in 1997 before eventually being scrapped. The mast is now a listed structure and still used occasionally in training exercises.