48 Hours in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
[AD] Collaboration with East Lindsey District Council
I'm being honest in saying that Lincolnshire Wolds isn't a place I would automatically have put up there as a must-see in the UK. Although it is within a 2-hour drive of where I live in the East Midlands (making it easy to get to!) the only places I know of here are the seaside towns of Skegness, particularly Ingoldmells and Mablethorpe. A lot of my summers growing up were spent at Skegness in my grandmother's caravan and they're definitely some of my fondest memories.
So recently when the East Lindsey District Council got in touch to send me on a trip to experience more of what this area has to offer I jumped at the chance! We headed up on a weekend trip during the Autumn and although it feels almost out of season for some areas, the area is thriving and it was an unforgettable trip for both me and my boyfriend. The place is full of rolling hills, endless countryside to explore and quaint little villages and towns to discover in between. I love areas like this so jumped at the chance to explore somewhere new.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR THE LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS;
For our trip we stayed in Self Catering accommodation on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds and just a stone throw from the lovely Georgian market town of Louth, the Brackenborough Hall Coach House. There are three different apartments available here; the Granary, Stables and Saddle Room all converted from the 18th century Coach Horse. The hosts Paul and Flora have created apartments which are comfortable, cosy and oozing with personality.
We loved spending our weekend here. You can enjoy making the most of the farm here and its surroundings. Paul gave us a fantastic tour of his home and the passion he had for it was really lovely to experience. Walkers, Cyclists and Dogs are welcome here - they are very adaptable to your party and making sure you had a comfortable stay (which we most definitely did!) Outside our apartment there was fresh produce to use at our leisure but also fresh eggs donated by their neighbours (which were at a small charge). The hosts, Paul and Flora also provided us with a lovely hamper full of local specialities and treats to get our stay started. Brackenborough Hall Coach House has games, books, toys and entertainment - we loved spending the early evenings having a table tennis match right outside our door. We've already decided on our revisit in 2020 and can't wait to return here.
WHAT TO DO IN THE LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS;
I couldn't quite believe the variety of things there is on offer in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Our itinerary was full of so many different activities it's quite difficult to choose what ones were our favourite!
Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre
Only a 45-minute drive from the Brackenborough Hall Coach House we headed on a trip to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. We stepped into historic times on our visit and experienced the largest Bomber Command museum in the country. The family-run centre provides a living memorial to the 55,500 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives during WW2. It's based on the wartime airfield of RAF East Kirby and obtains the original 1940's Control Tower. The museum's Hanger is also built on the original wartime hanger base.
Only a 45-minute drive from the Brackenborough Hall Coach House we headed on a trip to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. We stepped into historic times on our visit and experienced the largest Bomber Command museum in the country. The family-run centre provides a living memorial to the 55,500 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives during WW2. It's based on the wartime airfield of RAF East Kirby and obtains the original 1940's Control Tower. The museum's Hanger is also built on the original wartime hanger base.
It has loads of things you to explore and learn - it's a fantastic insight into wartime Britain. I was completely wowed by the size of the Lancaster Bomber as we arrived into the first area and reading stories of the men's lives who were lost. We also sat in the cockpit of a wartime aircraft and lived the sights and sounds, smells and atmospheres of a bomber airfield for ourselves. It costs us around £8-9 each to visit. It was a fantastic small activity for us to do during our trip.
Bolingbroke Castle
We visited Bolingbroke Castle, under 10 minutes in the car from the Aviation Heritage Centre. Here are the remains of a 13th Century hexagonal castle, the birthplace of the future King Henry IV. There is loads of information here about the Castle and it is situated in a petite village with a pub nearby and the market town of Spilsby, 3 miles to the west with a variety of shops and places to eat.
Visit Alford
This historic market town is situated on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds and just 7 miles to the East Coast. It's a very quiet and picturesque place with a working 5 sailed windmill, 17th-century manor house and a 14th-century church. There are few shops and cafes situated around the town but it was probably the quietest and most disappointing of the places we saw during the trip. We did come later in the afternoon so may not have seen it at it's best - I would definitely keep an eye on their tourist information website for events/future information.
Head to the Lincolnshire Coast
The Lincolnshire Coast is quite something with its length of more than 50 miles down from the North Sea Coast. The most popular of seaside towns in this area is Skegness which is one of the UK's seaside resorts but the area offers so much more with Mablethorpe providing seaside charm and Chapel St Leonards is a perfect place to blow away the cobwebs.
We drove to Chapel St Leonards to walk along the shore and head into the North Sea Observatory. This purpose-built marine observatory offers panoramic views of the dunes, sea and the many animals that call this place their home. It was a fantastic pit stop for us to enjoy a hot drink and a slice of cake after the cold walk along the beach. Not only is there a cafe in the North Sea Observatory but there's also a gallery for you to browse around and some great places for you to enjoy a go at finding some animals around the observatory. The beach is one of my favourite places to be and it oozed charm but also a sense of relaxation as we saw many people and their dogs walk along here. The surrounding area is just as fab - it's a popular seaside holiday village and somewhere alone I'd like to see more of next time.
North of Chapel St Leonards is Mablethorpe; a place which has been a family favourite for thousands around the year. Here there are two miles of golden sands stretched along the coast and everything you need for a traditional British holiday. There's plenty of places for you to eat, drink, relax and most importantly; have fun! We got stuck into visiting the Mablethorpe Illuminations and getting lost in the fun of an arcade for a couple of hours before tucking into some fresh hot doughnuts along the beach. A trip to the seaside isn't without some fish and trips and Salty's Fish and Chips was a fantastic spot. The range of dishes here was excellent and served very promptly too!
One of the other attractions along the Lincolnshire Coast is available at Donna Nook. Each year during November and December grey seals gather here to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes. This is a wildlife spectacle which attracts visitors from across the UK and we were gutted to have missed it during our trip. It certainly gives us reason to head back one year during that time!
Explore the market town of Louth.
Most definitely one of our favourite spots to have explored during the trip, and one definitely for your own itinerary is a trip around Louth. Louth is situated at the foot of the Wolds and is an excellent market town that you can lose hours exploring thoroughly. 70% of the businesses and retailers in this town are independently owned! This town hosts market days on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as a farmer's market on the fourth Wednesday every month.
Whilst in this market town you can head to the St James' Church where you can climb to the very top and enjoy spectacular views over the surrounding town and Wolds. We loved wandering around the church and hearing from a volunteer more about this beautiful building.
There's a lovely walk from Hubbard's Hill to the market town that you can enjoy too. Hubbard's Hill is a gorgeous place full of natural wildlife and beauty then once you arrive after the 15 min walk into the town you must make sure to pop into The Cheese Shop, it's a popular spot here and we loved some of the cheeses we've sampled from this place!
All in all, I have absolutely fell in love with this area of the UK and would love to visit again during the summer months to see more! Make sure you add the Lincolnshire Wolds onto your UK Travel bucket list pronto!
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