Page:Over fen and wold; (IA overfenwold00hissiala).pdf/29

 ST. IVES BRIDGE.

See page 91.

OVER FEN AND WOLD

CHAPTER I

The planning of our tour—Ready for the road—The start—One of Dick Turpin's haunts—Barnet—A curious inn sign—In the coaching days—Travellers, new and old—A forgotten Spa—An ancient map.

Our tour was planned one chilly winter's evening: just a chance letter originated the idea of exploring a portion of Lincolnshire during the coming summer. Our project in embryo was to drive from London to that more or less untravelled land of fen and wold by the old North Road, and to return to our starting-point by another route, to be decided upon when we had finished our Lincolnshire wanderings. It was in this wise. The day had been wild and blustery, as drear a day indeed as an English December well