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.

RAF Waddington Air Show

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

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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

Places to visit in Lincolnshire

There are many places to visit in Lincolnshire, one being the historic capital of the county, Lincoln.

As you approach, the city, crowned by its magnificent cathedral, seems to grow out of the flat lands surrounding it.

The main Ring road gives excellent access to whichever side of the city you need to enter by. Once there, the visitor will find there is so much to see and do – aside from shopping, eating out or visiting a friendly pub, there are plenty of interesting historical sites well worth a look.

If you are looking for places to visit in Lincolnshire one place not to miss is the cathedral is most definitely worth seeing, as is nearby Lincoln Castle. William the Conqueror built the original Lincoln Castle in 1068 in the south- west corner of the then crumbling Roman walls at the top of the hill. While the castle has been besieged several times over the years, in 900 years it has been used as a court and a prison

Visitors can also enjoy a boat trip on the river Witham and the Fossdyke Roman canal around historic Lincoln. The Museum of Lincolnshire Life is the county’s largest museum of social history, and the Jews House on Steep Hill, now a restaurant, is amongst the finest example of early architecture in the country.

Places to visit also include the popular family amusement attractions at seaside resorts Cleethorpes, Skegness, Ingoldmells, Chapel St Leonards and Mablethorpe, a trip along the magnificent coastline is well worth the effort. You can stop off at sleepy towns and hamlets, or drive through the Wolds, with its fine market towns and its popularity for walking and cycling activities.

Or perhaps you might consider visiting one of the many antique centres dotted around the county for which it has become world-renown. There are also many heritage sites of interest throughout the county.

Lincolnshire also has a very strong RAF heritage, and many of the airfields are world famous - the Red Arrows are based at RAF Scampton near Lincoln, and the famous 617 Squadron - the Dambusters - were first formed at RAF Scampton. It was from here that Wing Commander Guy Gibson, in Operation Chastise, led the attack on the dams in the Ruhr Valley during World War II.

The fishing port of Grimsby is in the North East of the county, and while the fishing fleets are not what they once were, the legacy and heritage of this major industry is still very much in evidence.

A trip to Hessle and the banks of the Humber River means a look at the very impressive and fifth-largest single-span suspension bridge in the world, the Humber Bridge, which connects North Lincolnshire to the East Riding of Yorkshire. Remember to take your camera!

Other interesting locations include Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, the house where Isaac Newton worked, is managed by the National Trust and is one of their conservation, heritage and learning sites. Fans of literature can also racing the roots of Alfred Lord Tennyson, poet laureate, who was born in Somersby. And for nature lovers, the South east of the county is predominantly fenland, giving homes to many species of bird.

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