North Lincs Wolds Run 2026
Words by Derek Manders with link to Julian's video at the bottom. I think it would be fair to say that a good time was had by all on the 12th of August for our annual wander in the Wolds. As usual we met up at the Willingham Woods cafe at 10am for a 10 30 start, a nice selection of Velo’s with a couple of BMWs, a Honda & a Triumph thrown in, along with two cars, John Mundey’s Morgan and my Locost 7. Yes, I hold my hands up and admit to turning up on four wheels to a VOC run. The Wednesday previous to the event I had cataract surgery, and didn’t feel up to two wheels as my eye was still settling down. All good now though, no glasses for the first time since 1980! But they are still needed for reading. The ride was led by Geoff Kitchen this year, following my route sheet, whilst John & I picked a spot part way round to watch the procession of bikes ride past. A slightly different area to ride in was chosen for part of the route this year, just off the edge of the Wolds, through the village of Bardney to enter Woodhall Spa from the north, via Stixwould. Lunch stop this year, as it was a few years ago, was Archers chippy in Woodhall. Owned by John Archer & now run by his daughters, serving some of the best fish & chips in the area. John, a former member of “The Horncastle Hell Cats”, a band of rockers from the heydays of the Mods & Rockers, lives adjacent to the chippy, & also has a little shop, more as a hobby than a business, The Trading Post, where he sells lots of motorcycle related stuff from that era. Well worth a visit if you're in the area. John’s wife very kindly opened up her garden for us to sit in whilst eating lunch & one of their granddaughters took orders for tea & coffee, for which there was no charge. Lunch eaten, it was time to head for the next destination, some 8 miles or so away. To my pal Larry Riches place in West Ashby, the same place where we hold the Motorcycles at the Manor event. Larry had kindly offered for those interested to have a ride in a couple of his 100 plus year old Model T Ford’s, an offer which most folks did take up. Big smiles all round with everyone thoroughly enjoying the experience. Larry, who was the man behind the very successful motorcycle parts & accessory company LINTEK of the 1970s & 80s just loves his old cars & sharing them with people. He said of our visit “a very nice group of people – they are welcome anytime”. No doubt we will be returning again at some point. We did go there back in 2022 on a previous Wolds run to look at his car collection. It was this visit that inspired us to hold a dedicated motorcycle event in his private park down by the lake, hence Motorcycles at the Manor was born in 2023. 772 bikes came this year! See Old Bike Mart August 2026 issue. Make a note, August the 1st 2027. Back to the Wolds run. Following on from the ride in the cars it was time for the final leg, just a short one of about 16 miles to the ice cream parlour at North Willingham, just a mile from our start point. By this time our numbers had depleted as some had decided to head straight home from West Ashby, but those remaining were able to round the day off nicely with a lovely made on the premisses ice cream. Wolds Gold for me, two scoops! Thank you Alan Watkins, much appreciated.