Before I start, just to let you know, that I have started a Google Map of the route that this blog has taken. Start from Gravesend and follow the black line. It can be found HERE.
In the last post, we had a pretty decent pub crawl of Stamford and now it's time to move on, northwards to a former station and junction on the East Coast Main Line. The village is in Rutland and here is the station in GNR times.
In 1925, a former GCR 4-4-2, no. 6101, calls on a 'parly' (an all stations service). Photo by the Late W Ashton.
Essendine station, looking north, 1930s. One could change here for branches to Stamford East and Bourne.
Built to serve the railway, the Essendine Hotel doubled as a petrol station. It has long been closed.
Our first pint will be at Little Bytham, in another pub constructed to cater for an adjacent railway station, the Willoughby Arms. It's a renowned free house and it's where I once found this enormous moth.
To the rear was the Newby Wyke Brewery, photographed in 2003. It has since moved to Grantham.
The Midland & Great Northern used to cross the ECML near Little Bytham, so we'l follow that westwards to South Witham.
Here we find the Blue Cow, still open today, but no longer brewing, I'm told.
Back to the ECML and we soon arrive at Corby Glen station, GNR.
Corby Glen station served the Lincolnshire village of Corby, where the Late Les Flint once found this old Leyland bus.
To the west of Corby is Colsterworth, where Gem Coaches (Blankney) had a depot.
To the northwest is Skillington, where the Cross Swords can provide refreshment.
Back to the ECML once again, to watch a couple of LNER expresses pass Great Ponton.
Across country now to Old Somerby, for the final pint of this post, in the Fox & Hounds, a pleasant free house.
From here it's only a short distance to Grantham, where we'll be going in the next post.
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