Lincolnshire Tourist Guide

Lincoln Christmas Market

Lincoln Christmas Market started in 1982 with just eleven stalls. Today it is a thriving traditional market with over 250 stalls attending and drawing in visitors of over 150,000 from all over the country.

With only a few weeks to go until Christmas it is the perfect opportunity to get in the festive spirit and get all your Christmas shopping done. There is so much to see, try and buy, from handmade jewellery, toys, paintings, glassware and ceramics to the delicious food halls where you can sample some of the local specialities and enjoy a glass of mulled wine.

There is a strong German influence on the market as the town is twinned with Neustradt an der Weinstrasse in Germany. It has a strong friendship and alliance which has been in place since 1969. Lincoln is steeped in history with the Gothic Cathedral and Norman Castle located in the popular Uphill area. It is always worth allowing time to explore the cobbled streets and take in all the amazing architecture that the city has to offer.

Be sure to wear sensible footwear to get around the bustling steep cobbled streets, though. It is always advisable to wrap up warm as it is often very cold with temperatures dropping in the evening. Last year the event was cancelled at the last minute due to severe weather conditions. Already this year due to its popularity all the stalls have been booked and there is a waiting list for stallholders.

Lincoln is just as stunning by night as it is by day. With the fully lit Cathedral and Castle towering above the city; this magnificent sight can be seen for miles around. The Christmas decorations twinkling and glistening in the winter air and the smells of roasting chestnuts makes for a truly romantic, warming and festive start to the month.

If you have time to spend the weekend in the city there are lots of other things to do and see including – Brayford Waterfront, the theatre, museums, boat trips, as well as lots of well established places to eat and drink. The market is open from Thursday 1st December to Sunday 4th December. Thursday 4pm-9.30pm; Friday and Saturday 10am -9.30pm and Sunday 10am-7pm. There will be park and ride locations around the city for easy access.

50th Anniversary for Best Kept Villages and Small Town Competition

Each year hundreds of individuals, groups and organisations come together to take part in the Best Kept Villages and Small Towns Competition. 2012 is the 50th Anniversary of the event and is set to attract even more villages and towns to the competition.

In 2011 127 villages in Lincolnshire entered the competition. Approximately 80 judges that travel hundreds of miles around Lincolnshire, marking each village or town that has entered and giving over 900 volunteer hours of their time. Each village or town is marked over six categories with a maximum of 20 points for each category and include some of the following: absence of litter, presentation of trees, ponds, streams, roads, paths, churchyard, business premises and the effort from the community.

Judging takes place over three rounds between May and August. The event is organised by Community Lincs and supported by the District and Local Councils, Pennells Garden Centre.  The CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England). The CPRE has been involved with the event since it started in 1962.

Teresa Palmer is the main organiser of the event at Community Lincs, and she is currently trying to get Lottery funding to enable the history of the competition to be put together. She said: ‘The competition has been evolving over the years as populations have grown and momentum for the competition has gathered. We are expecting even more entries for 2012 with it being out 50th Anniversary and there will be more publicity and hopefully more sponsors involved this coming year.

The competition gives a focal point for the villages and towns and cohesion amongst the residents who want their village or town to do well.’  The village or town doesn’t have to be picturesque or quaint; it is about involvement from the community and taking pride in the presentation of their local area. Villages or towns that win the competition often draw in interest and tourism from other areas.

My old home town of Holbeach came runner up in the Small Market Town Class in 2011. This is the fourth time it has been runner up in this class, which shows that the town is maintaining its standard of presentation. Also, only four miles from Holbeach is Moulton, which came third in Class 2 in the same year. It is always humbling to see the town during the judging period with all its full bloom of brightly- coloured hanging baskets, freshly-trimmed hedges and verges, manicured gardens and litter-free roads and pavements.

There is a choice of five classes depending on the size of the village or town: Class 1 – population of 100-500; Class 2 – population of 501-2000; Class 3 – population of 2001 – 7000; Class 4 – small market towns to a population of 7000 and a past winners’ Class. Applications are sent out to the Parish Councils in March and the closing date for applications in the end of April.

For more information visit the Best Kept Villages and Small Town website here.

RAF Waddington Air Show

The Red Arrows fly into RAF Waddington at their yearly Air Show.

Click here to take a look at our photos on Facebook.

Tea at Tealby

Nestling in the middle of the Lincolnshire Wolds, Tealby is said to be ‘one of the prettiest villages in the Lincolnshire Wolds’. Tealby Tea Rooms is located at 12 Front Street and just four miles from Market Rasen. The building dates back to 1880; double-fronted, it has a welcoming half-glazed green wooden door and a pretty swing sign hanging above one of the windows.

It was mid-morning when we arrived and we had planned our route to call in at the tea rooms for a snack and a pot of tea. We were greeted with a friendly smile by the owner, Mrs Glover. Being the only people in the tea room at this time, we chose a seat by the window. Our order of tea cake, cheese and ham toastie and pot of tea for two was taken by Mrs Glover.

Whilst it was being made we had time to leaf through the tourist information that was displayed on top of the piano and admire the local paintings that were hung around the room. The tea room was light and airing with a mix and match of chairs and tables adding to the quaintness and uniqueness. Our mid-morning snack was promptly served. Although the tea cake was slightly toasted more than I prefer it was still scrumptious and the pot of tea was a welcome refreshment. It had been a long time since breakfast. My friend was impressed with his choice and didn’t waste anything, finishing off his toastie.

Their menu also includes paninis, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, bacon rolls, homemade cakes and cream teas. Whilst clearing away our pots Mrs Glover told us how they make their own homemade plum loaf, which they sell at craft fairs as well as in the tea room. They are also expanding the kitchen and workshop into the adjoining room, which is currently a store room and a cut through to the visitor toilets.

Mary Bennett from The Teapot Trail said, ‘In such an unspoilt village one naturally hopes to find a good traditional tea room and the Tealby Tea Rooms are the very thing.’

We left the tea rooms and walked down Front Street towards the edge of the village; along Kingsway and crossed over a ford entering a public footpath. We met several other walkers with their dogs on the route enjoying the crisp morning air and taking in the open blue skies. We rejoined the public road at Beck Hill and walked up towards All Saints Church which dates back to the 12th Century. Being a clear day it gave panoramic views across The Wolds and beyond.

The village itself if steeped in history with connections to William The Conqueror and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The King’s Head is a 14th century thatched inn and is one of the oldest pubs in Lincolnshire.

We would certainly recommend stopping off at Tealby Tea Rooms and sampling some of their homemade delights. It is a great location to explore and enjoy some of stunning scenery that The Lincolnshire Wolds has to offer.

 

Information:

Website: www.tealbytearooms.co.uk

Telephone: 01673 838261

Prices: £1.20 - £4.75

Parking: On road

Disabled access: One step into Tea Rooms

Open: March – October, 7 days a week, 11am – 5.30pm.

Seats: Fifty

Groups: Welcome and talks on the Tea Rooms and local area available

Lincolnshire snow scenes

Visit out Facebook page to view some of the lovely snowy scenes around Lincolnshire.

 

Photo taken at Bourne Woods

A sanctuary of basking seals at Donna Nook

One of the places I had wanted to visit for many years was the Donna Nook Seal Sanctuary in North Lincolnshire, but there is only a short window of time each year to view this spectacular colony of grey seals.  This year I had made up my mind to go and it was well worth the wait to see these creatures basking in mud flats with not a care in the world.

 

After an hour and half car journey from the south of the county, travelling along single track roads that felt like we were driving to the end of the earth we arrived at the Sanctuary.  I’d purposely picked to visit on a week day thinking it would not be as busy but the car park was full.  Everyone was getting their winter coats, wellington boots, hats, scarves and gloves on as the wind was bitterly cold and fine drizzle had started.  Before we set off we had a hot chocolate at the mobile café to warm ourselves up.

We walked through the entrance and there in front of us was vast expanse of mud flats stretching for as far as the eye could see.  The sky was stormy, the tide was out and in the distance we could see the waves crashing down, the sky melted into the sea and a rainbow had begun to appear in the distance. 

As our gazed turned down from the sky to the land beneath and dotted all over were hundreds of seals, just lazing around on banks; in water filled creeks; snuggled up in a hole in the ground; tucked up against the wooden picket fence and pups huddled up suckling on their mum.  It was an amazing sight. Some of the bulls were charging at each other and making loud barking noises, raising up onto their front flippers against other males, in what appeared to be a display of terroritory protection. They certainly were not phased by humans watching and taking photographs of them and carried on with their business.

On the other hand the pups seemed very intrigued by us and appeared to be acting up to the camera.  One particular white pup, well he would have been white apart from some mud on him.  He had perfectly rounded black soulful eyes, a grey noise and a cute smile.  He was more than happy to wave his front flipper at us, roll onto his back, cover his eyes up with his flippers and then take them off as a child would do when it is playing hide a seek!  It was funny to watch and photograph.

Although the seals look cute, cuddly and harmless they are protected by a wooden fence as they will bite and have sharp claws, bulls can be aggressive and mothers may abandon their pups if they smell a human or a dog so it is important upmost care is taken when visiting.

As well as a reserve for seals it is also a bird watches paradise with an abundance of species to spot.  Neither the seals nor the birds flinched as two low flying planes zoomed overhead making us jump and duck at the same time.

A group of school children were eagerly firing questions at their tutors as they pointed out to the seals.  The children aged around seven to eight years old all had their clipboards with their pens tied onto it with a piece of string, so as not to loose it.  Their sheets of paper were blowing all over as they struggled to keep it flat and dry from the wind and the rain.  What a great school trip for them though I thought and wished we had been on trips like that when I was at school.

The bulls and cows (male and female seals) started to decend on 22 October this year at RAF Donna Nook Bombing with the first pups being spotted on 29 October.  By the time we visited on 22 November there were 339  bulls, 1047 cows and 953 pups already present, not that I counted them all, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust update their website each week with new births.  Typically over 1300 pups are born here each year.  Females can live up to 35 years and males to 25 years.  Two thirds of their time is spent in the sea hunting and feeding.

The Nature Reserve is managed by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust by dedicated volunteers and staff of RAF Donna Nook. It is reserves like this that have helped the grey seal population treble in British waters since 1960 to a population of 120,000.

Facilities are very limited at the Sanctuary with a small car park, a mobile café serving hot and cold drinks and minimal food.  Toilet facilities are located approximately a mile away and there isn’t any shelter from the sometimes harsh elements.  There are a couple of wooden huts which serve as information centres and sell gift products on behalf of the Sanctuary and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

The viewing walkway itself is wide and concreted, making it wheelchair friendly and the wooden picket fence separating the public from the seals is approximately three-four foot high so it is no too imposing.

Information:

Location:         North Somercotes, North Lincolnshire

Admission:      Free.  Donations accepted.

Parking:           Free

Toilets:            Located at a separate site approximately 1 mile away

Facilities:         Mobile café on site.  Small information huts selling gifts

Click here to visit the Lincolnshire Trust's website for more information

Famous people of Lincolnshire

There is an exceptionally long and impressive list of famous people of Lincolnshire from all walks of life  - historical, literature, science, entertainment, journalism and sport - who were born, or resided in the county.

Alfred Lord Tennyson, the Poet Laureate after William Wordsworth, was born 6 miles from Horncastle in the Wolds village of Somersby. According to local legend, Tennyson seemed to have quite a dislike for the town, and he said: "Of all horrors, a little country town seems to me to be the greatest."  James Fenton, poet, journalist and literary critic, was born in Lincoln.

Grantham, was the birthplace of celebrities as diverse as scientist and discoverer, Sir Isaac Newton, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and radio and television star Nicholas Parsons.

The actor Eric Thompson, who was perhaps best known for being narrator of the childrens’ 1960s TV series “The Magic Roundabout”, was born in Sleaford in 1929. He was the father of award-winning actress Emma Thompson. Jennifer Saunders, the actress, comedienne and writer (French and Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous) was also born in Sleaford while Jim Broadbent, the Oscar-winning actor was born in Wickenby in 1949. Bernie Taupin, Elton John's songwriter, was born at Anwick on the road to Horncastle. One of the UK’s finest actors, John Hurt, went to Lincoln School.  Jonathan Kerrigan, of ITV drama, Heartbeat fame, is from Lincoln, as is Jason Bradbury, stand-up comic and TV presenter.

Some famous people of Lincolnshire who attended Lincoln School include, Mark Byford, a BBC Deputy Director-General,  Peter Day, BBC broadcaster, Steve Race, radio broadcaster and host of the Radio 4 programme My Music,  Alex Henshaw, Spitfire chief test pilot and Sir Neville Marriner, the conductor who arranged and conducted the music for the film Amadeus.

Sir John Franklin, the sea captain, explorer and later, governor of Tasmania, was born in Spilsby, while George Bass who helped to map the coast of Australia in 1797, was born at Aswarby. Cecil Rhodes, the famous explorer and entrepreneur spent part of his boyhood in The Manor House, in Sleaford.

Sportsmen and women include footballers Joe Baker, Lee Chapman (Lincoln), Gary Crosby and Mark Wallington (Sleaford). Tennis star Daniel Cox, international cricket umpire Darrell Hair, equestrian and writer Marion Rose Halpenny and Olympic Swimming Medalist Paul Palmer all hail from Lincoln.

Some other notable Horncastle residents include Peter "Biff" Byford, lead singer of heavy rock band Saxon, Henry Simpson Lunn, religious leader and founder of one-half of the Lunn Poly chain of travel agents and William Marwood, public hangman.

The list is by no means exhaustive of famous people of Lincolnshire !

 

About Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire is set in the Wolds.  A motor racing circuit that features a steep-sided valley, allowing for rise to dips and crests, with sharp changes in gradient, including one section called “The Mountain” where bikes frequently become airborne. With challenging corners to the track, it has been nicknamed the “Mini-Nürburgring” after the tough motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany.

Cadwell Park Lincolnshire was originally established in 1934 by local man Mansfield Wilkinson, of Louth. The length of the track was almost doubled to 1.3 miles in 1953, and grew to its current 2.25-mile layout in 1962.  The circuit has seen 500cc motorcycle-engined Formula 3 class races.

It has three configurations – the Woodlands circuit, which is not often used, the short Club circuit, and the excellent, although rather daunting, full circuit. Some of the bends are named after family members e.g. Mansfield, Charlie and Chris.

Details of the track are:

• Full Circuit: Length: 2.173 miles (3.4768 km), clockwise direction with 11 corners
• Club Circuit: Length: 1.481 miles (2.3696 km), clockwise direction with 7 corners
• Woodlands Circuit: Length: 0.712 miles (1.1392 km), clockwise direction with 11 corners

The original track, and its fearsome, yet very photogenic Mountain feature, sees motorbikes frequently becoming airborne.  Every August Bank Holiday weekend, thousands of bike fans converge on the circuit when the track hosts the biggest round of the British Superbike Championship.

Nowadays, car racing tends to be confined to club meetings, although they are invariably very exciting events in their own right. The track's swooping nature and its striking mix of twists, cambers and gradients means the circuit is extremely popular and has, over the years, provided some fantastic racing.

However, it is now considered a little too narrow for the bigger car races. Club motorsport associations such as the BARC and 750MC still hold meetings there, and a growing number of car events are taking place as the reputation of this great circuit continues to grow. However, the layout is great for motorcycles, and the Bennetts British Superbike Championship round is by far the most popular event on the circuit's annual calendar.

Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire is now operated by MotorSport and offer Club Trackdays with the chance to test your car or motorcycle in a safe, controlled and professional environment on the course. Motorcycle enthusiasts may also test or prepare their car or bike for racing.

Several tests and feature clips for the television motoring program Fifth Gear have been filmed there.

 

British Superbikes at Cadwell Park

More information on nearly town of Louth

This coming weekend...The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2010

The origins of the The Land Burghley Horse Trials, are owned mainly to the Marquess of Exeter, an Olympic athletics gold medalist and International Olympic Committee member. In 1961 he heard the autumn three-day equestrian event couldn’t be held at Harewood House near Leeds, so he invited the British Horse Society to transfer the event to his estate. And the rest, as they say, is history!

In the meantime, it has established itself not only as one of the top six world equestrian events, but also the longest, continuous, running one, with no other international site succeeding in staging as many Championships.

In total Burghley has run two World Championships (1966 and 1974), six European Championships (1962, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989 and 1997) and one Young Riders European Championship (1978) – a quite enviable record.

The current Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is an annual three day event and is one of the three events in the Annual Grand Slam of Equestrian Eventing.

Since 1990, there has also been the Young Event Horse final to judge 4 and 5 year old horses on their potential and suitability as future Olympic mounts. Three disciplines combine to form the 3-day event.

Designed very much as a complete test of horse and rider, Thursday and Friday are the Dressage days and Saturday is Cross Country day, recognised as the most exciting day of the competition. The final day, Sunday, sees the Show Jumping Event, with a combination of elegance and skill of both horse and rider coming to the fore, as they compete for first place.

Click here for more information on visiting The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2010.

How many pubs in Lincolnshire?

According to the Pub Inn Guide, there are some 833 pubs in Lincolnshire!

However, as with any guide, there are bound to be plenty that have been missed out, so the chances of being too far away from a pint of ale or a glass of wine are quite negligible!

The county is certainly famed for its diversity and range of public houses, many serving, unusual, independent beers, fine real ales and unusual local and very tasty ciders. Food ranges from bar snack style, to good quality home cooking to gastronomic, so regardless of what your taste in food might be, you will have no trouble in finding a meal to enjoy.

While you will always find one of the company or chains, there are many independent free houses throughout the county. Some offer accommodation, making it an ideal base to centre you visit from. The landlord or landlady will be a mine of useful information, and will be only too delighted to help you enjoy your stay. They will also have unique and excellent local knowledge, the type of which you wouldn’t normally be able to find in a guide book.

Many of the smaller rural pubs in Lincolnshire in relatively out-of-the-way places will be the centre of village life after business hours. You will, for example, find traditional games played in these that you wouldn’t normally see in the more commercial or chain city-based. These will range from the well-known games such as darts, skittles, dominoes, cards and bar billiards to, strange sounding, and often localised versions of Aunt Sally, Nine Men's Morris and Ringing the Bull.

Great amusement can be had by all from joining in these wonderful, if not sometimes bizarre games. While some do at time remain the bastion of the adult, many are very family-orientated, offering special areas where you can relax and enjoy the hospitality, with children’s menus on offer and special safe play areas to keep them amused while you relax with a drink. Some will offer events and entertainment, including music, comedy and special themed nights.

Click here to view some of the pubs in Lincolnshire.