Hull and Beverley for Easter, part 4: to Gainsborough

Wednesday was to be a day of travelling, across the Humber Bridge by HF2 bus to Grimsby, thence by train to Lincoln and finally Gainsborough, where some of my ancestors were married. I was an hour ahead of schedule catching the bus, and the journey across the bridge was a thrill. We called in at the Humberside Airport and I got off by Grimsby station. The next train however was nearly two hours away, so i had a wander, bought a sandwich and a pint at the Wetherspoons right by the station, The Yarborough Hotel.

Across the Humber Bridge by bus

I also had time to kill at Lincoln, so wandered up and down the main street, but the view of the mighty cathedral was never as impressive as when we were coming into the station. At Gainsborough, it had started raining so I called Peter the B&B owner to pick me up. I had about an hour to catch All Saints open by my reckoning (I'm sure it said it closed at 5pm on the website) so he drove me straight there. But it was shut! I wasn't really expecting to see any Pipes evidence there but it would have been nice to see inside! It's a Georgian church, opened in 1744 - Samuel Pipes (waterman) married Sarah Cook there in 1796.

All Saints, Gainsborough

So I trudged back to the B&B, Eastbourne House, stopping off for a coffee at Cream, in the Marshall's Yard development. Now I rarely take a dislike to places but Gainsborough was an exception. The B&B was lovely, but I took a stroll by the neglected river that evening, and apart from the Old Hall, saw nothing of interest. The town centre was dead, populated only by street drinkers. I sought sanctuary in the Wetherspoons, The Sweyn Forkbeard, where I had a couple of pints and some sweet chilli noodles. Then it was back to the B&B for the final episode of Jamaica Inn.

Old Hall, Gainsborough

After a very nice breakfast, it was a lift to the station for a train to Kings X via Retford (transferring from the low level platforms to the high level). Caught the 73 bus to Victoria and had a final holiday pint at Victoria Wetherspoons, were the beer was three times the price it was Up North.

More photos on Flickr.