Blowing the cobwebs off - Part 1

Combination of the crap weather and then lack of opportunities meant the bikes not been out for any really serious use yet this year, so today its a round trip around Lincolnshire visiting windmills that have the sails still on - i.e they still look like windmills!!! As you know I like to have a theme for a day out, got the idea when I was out and about the other day and passed two windmills with sails turning that were reasonably local to each other - at Tuxford and North Leverton. After a bit of research, I've found the only 10 windmills in Lincolnshire that meet the criteria, all but one in working order and most have cafes or tea shops attached. As luck would have it, they form a nice circular route starting and finishing in Lincoln. Its going to be arounsd 175 miles, but teh suns shining and its a cracking day for a ride out.

• Hewitts Mill Heapham

• Mount Pleasant Mill Kirton Lindsey

• Wrawby Mill near Brigg

• Waltham Mill near Cleethorpes

• Hoyles Mill Alford

• Dobsons Mill Burgh le Marsh

• Sibsey Trader Sibsey

• Maud Foster Windmill Boston

• Pocklingtons Windmill, Heckington




• Ellis Mill Lincoln

First on the list is Hewitts Mill at Heapham near Gainsborough. However, no sails on it!! From the pics found on the internet there were sails in place in 2008 so they must have been taken down recently. Its situated on a farm and looks like its private. No cafe or visitors facilities, and it's really out in the sticks.

Only a couple of miles away is the next mill - Mount Pleasant at Kirton in Lindsey. I pass this most days on my way to work but never stopped and had a look. It does have a tea room but it's not open today.Like most of these mills they're not open everyday

A short hop over to Brigg to get to Wrawby Mill. Apparently this is a post mill rather than a tower mill like the previous two! No facilities but it is situated in a small paddock and you can walk around and up to it. Opening days in June & July only according to the info board but keys available if you knock on the house next to it.

Next up its Waltham Mill. A well established attraction it has an adjacent park, cafe, miniature railway - but all shut today as its out of season!!

Four down and six more to go. However on the way from Wrawby to Waltham I stop to check out this. It seems the secret location of International Rescue has been blown (previously thought to be Tracey Island somewhere in the Pacific) and due to the recession, Thunderbird 3 is now providing a scheduled service from Humberside airport. I wonder when the next flight is?