Local Area Information

Sample the delights....

Although maybe best known for our famous east coast resorts of Skegness, Cleethorpes and Mablethorpe, with their beautiful sandy beaches and 'kiss-me-quick' delights, Lincolnshire offers a multitude of lesser known but equally impressive attractions to suit all tastes. For many it is the 'unspoilt' nature of the county which is its main draw. Here you are unlikely to suffer from crowds, over-priced attractions and mass-produced 'tourism'.

Below I have attempted to give a brief overview of the jewels in Lincolnshire's crown (plus a few lesser known gems).

Digby...

Red Lion pub (serves food and only a five minute walk!), dating from the 1600's
Church of St Thomas a Becket with its well preserved Norman entrance arch and traces of Anglo-Saxon stonework

Lincoln...

Medieval cathedral (used as a location during filming of 'The Da Vinci Code' and for the coronation scenes in 'Young Victoria')
Lincoln Castle which houses one of only four surviving copies of the 1215 Magna Carta
Steep Hill - access to the historic core - boasts numerous independent and quirky shops selling Lincolnshire produce, second-hand books, craft items, fine wines, teas and coffees, good food and traditional sweets
Christmas Market, first weekend in December every year
European Steampunk Festival
The Collection - a state of the art museum and art gallery (www.thecollection.lincoln.museum) with FREE admission and a good shop and restaurant
The Theatre Royal (www.newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk))
Drill Hall (www.lincolndrillhall.com) host a range of evening entertainment in superb surroundings

Woodhall Spa...

A once fashionable Edwardian Spa town with an outstanding delicatessen and butchers, icecream parlour and independent book and coffe shop
The Kinema in the Woods, (www.thekinemainthewoods.co.uk), 2 screen independent cinema in a converted from a concert pavilion in the 1920s. Cheap and includes wurlizter at peak times
National Golf Centre (www.woodhallspagolf.com)

Stamford...

Picturesque Georgian limestone town 40 miles to the south
Museum, art gallery, brewery as well as plenty of shops and restaurants
Tolethorpe Hall to the south is the renowned Stamford Shakespeare open air theatre which hosts productions throughout the summer(www.stamfordshakespeare.co.uk)
Burghley house, south of Stamford towards the A1 (www.burghley.co.uk)

Shopping...

Downtown Superstore and garden centre, just under half an hour away, off the A1 near Grantham. The garden centre has a particularly impressive Christmas selection (www.oldrids.co.uk)
Springfields retail outlet, near Spalding (www.springfieldsshopping.co.uk)
Meadowhall shopping centre at Sheffield

Antiques...

Horncastle, an historic market town well known for its antique shops and Roman history
Hemswell Cliff Antique Centre, north of Lincoln, calling itself 'The Largest Antiques Centre in Europe' (www.hemswell-antiques.com)
Bi-monthly International Antiques and Collectors Fairs held at the Newark Showground, only half an hour west of Digby. Reputed to be Europe's largest antiques events there are up to 4000 stalls to visit (www.iacf.co.uk)

Historic Sites and Stately Homes...

Tattershall castle, church and Almshouses owned by the National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)
Belton House about 20 minutes away (used as a location for the BBC's filming of Pride and Predjudice)
Woolsthorpe Manor, the birth place of Sir Isaac Newton (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)
Grimsthorpe Castle in the south of the county (www.grimsthorpe.co.uk)
Belvoir Castle beyond Grantham (www.belvoircastle.com)
Doddington Hall, an impressive Elizabethan estate to the west of Lincoln, famed for its gardens, is well worth a visit (www.doddingtonhall.com)
Gainsborough Old Hall to the north-west is a magnificent medieval manor visited by Richard III and Henry VIII (www.gainsborougholdhall.com)

Nature...

Skegness famed for roller coasters and kiss me quick hats also boasts wildlife reserves where seals and birds can be viewed
Donna Nook, 2 miles from North Somercotes, you can see grey seals and their pups throughout much of November and December (www.lincstrust.org.uk)
Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park (www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/coastalcountrypark)
The Deep, over the spectacular Humber Bridge, is an internationally renowned aquarium (www.thedeep.co.uk)
The Wolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty (www.lincswolds.org.uk)

Aviation...

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirby (www.lincsaviation.co.uk)
Newark Air Museum (www.newarkairmuseum.org)
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitor Centre at Coningsby (www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/visitorscentre)
Cranwell Aviation Heritage Centre near Cranwell (www.cranwellaviationheritagecentre.com)

For further information on local attractions and facilities see www.visitlincolnshire.com.