Scunthorpe

Yes - the title is correct. Those who know the inland waterways will know that there is no navigable waterway through Scunthorpe so why the title?

Almost all navigable rivers are currently closed because of high levels or unsafe current flows. The high levels mean that most flood gates are shut to protect adjoining properties and cannot re-open until the water level falls below the section being protected. High flows mean that boats become uncontrollable - our experience yesterday demonstrated how careful one has to be.

As a result we looked at alternatives for today and began with a plan to move our car from West Stockwith to Keadby - not too far from our next stop-over when we return home. If we are able to gar anywhere in the next few days we do not want to spend too much of it retrieving the car!

Boat moored opposite us

The internet gave us a route involving three buses - with good connecting times - taking about two hours. The first leg was to Scunthorpe and from there it was to Gainsborough for the next connection.

However, the first and second services are hourly but the last one, to West Stockwith, is every two hours. We opted to take the extra time in Scunthorpe where we have never been before. Indeed, it is very likely that we would never have chosen to go there without some specific reason!

The bus station is right alongside the compact shopping district which has two new (ish) retail complexes, an indoor market and a myriad of small shops. As with Gainsborough, the dominant theme was that of discount chains and budget stores, but this town does seem to have made more of itself than we found in Gainsborough. It does, of course, have a larger population.

Scunthorpe Library

We wandered through the first section and found the market - noting a possible stall to pick up lunch. At the edge of the shops is Church Square, an sizable open area with a new, imposing, library building on one side and what we took to be the parish church on the opposite side.

Visual Arts Centre

We walked to where we expected the entrance porch to be but it was firmly shut although we could see lights inside. We had seen an entrance to a new visual arts centre building on the other side advertising a free exhibition so in we went.

Pedal Powered Love Boat

What we discovered is that the main building is no longer a church but a well adapted exhibition centre. The main exhibits were around a transport theme, mainly bicycles and related items. In addition there was a video project to do with disabled bodies. At least all this kept us amused for some while.

We walked up the main street and were surprised by how many small shops there were - we picked up a paper and some new reading specs for Mike. We also had morning coffee - around £1.60 for a latte!

Time was now speeding on towards our next bus departure time and we still had not bought lunch. We returned quickly to the market where a very friendly lass made us two huge filled rolls with an exceptional amount of filling - only £2 each!

We looked for a loo as the next trip was an hour but the little 20p cabin toilets at the bus station would not accept any coins and remained firmly shut. We checked the main stores without success and eventually had to resort to sneaking in to an almost deserted Vue multiplex!

The next bus was a double deck and we took the front upstairs seats to take in the views. The hour passed quite quickly as the bus wended its way through several small villages off the main road - at one stage the road was no more than a narrow lane and we wondered what would happen if anything came the other way. We never had an answer to the question.

There were just a few minutes to change buses at Gainsborough and we were off on our third leg with each one being efficient and on time.

Back at West Stockwith the main lock keeper who had guided us in a couple of weeks ago when we arrived was back on duty after a holiday (on a canal boat!) and we chatted for a while before eating our filled rolls sitting on the river bank.

Christine discovered from the map that a small town called Epworth, almost on the route back to Keadby, featured its connections with the Wesley family and that there might be a chance to visit the old rectory.

Epworth Market Square

We parked in a side street - it really is a small town centre - and followed the Wesley Trail signs first to the market square where John Wesley once preached, having been barred from his father's former church.

A little further came a modern statue of Wesley and then the Old Rectory. It turned out that they do guided tours - we were in a huge party: just ourselves. We were conducted around the rooms by a very informed guide who prided himself on his extensive knowledge, not only of the life of the Wesley family when living here, but of the subsequent impact of the foundation of the Methodist church.

John Wesley Statue

The rectory was built in 1709, one of only a few genuine Queen Anne rectories. Samuel Wesley, Charles and John's father) was rector here for about four decades. It replaced a former wood and thatch building which was destroyed in February that year but a tremendous fire which came very close to terminating John Wesley's life even before he went off to university. (His mother, Suzanne, educated her children at home and it is reported that she achieved better results than most of the fee paying schools around) To complete such a building in nine months must have been some achievement - especially as Suzanne must have been almost continuously pregnant. She had 19 live births with ten surviving.

Epworth Old Rectory

The house remained the rectory until 1950's when a new building was constructed and the old one sold off. Fortunately it was acquired by the Methodist church to be restored as close to its original state as possible, bearing in mind that it had been adapted for successive generations as new standards came along.

Epworth Parish Church

After our tour, which lasted about an hour, we adjourned to one of the pleasant tea rooms in the town centre and tried out Yorkshire Curd Flan - a sweet pastry case filled with curds and fruit, then baked.
Finally we walked to the parish church but it was closed - just about as welcoming as it was to John Wesley when he returned on the death of his father. He was barred from preaching in the church but stayed a week, standing on top of father's tomb delivering one or more lengthy sermons each day to whoever would come and listen to him in the open air. (to be fair, the closure may possibly have been because they had started work on re-ordering the inside but we saw little sign that it was normally open)

Time then to drive back to the boat - the afternoon had turned sunny and pleasantly warm and a fine evening.

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