Lincolnshire – A county of Coast and Countryside

LINCOLNSHIRE INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the most commonly held idea of Lincolnshire is of fens and tulips – and possibly sausages! The County of Lincolnshire is a vast area of interest: chequerboard fenland with fantastic skyscapes; rolling peaceful countryside in the Lincolnshire Wolds; leafy lanes twisting their way from one picturesque village to another; miles of golden sand on the coast, combined with the fun and thrills of Skegness and Cleethorpes, or peace, solitude and a wealth of wildlife at Gedney Drove End and Gibraltar Point. It is a place to drift through gently, relaxing and enjoying the space it has to offer. The City of Lincoln at the heart of the region is a city of enormous and varied interest, beckoning you from afar with the huge towers of its magnificent Cathedral perched on top of the hill. The region is more or less naturally bounded by water; the North Sea and the Wash on the eastern side, the River Trent on the western, while the Humber Estuary is the limit to the north and the Rivers Welland and Nene to the south.

HISTORY & HERITAGE
By 2000BC, Neolithic man was farming on the Wolds, as finds of flint tools and stone axes at Blandford suggest. The Iron Age hill-top fort at Honnington is well-documented and the largest of its kind in the county. An Iron Age settlement known as ‘Lindon’ inhabited by the Coritani tribe greeted the Romans when they arrived in Lincoln in 48AD. A garrison was built at the intersection of Ermine Street and the Fosse Way. Many remains can be seen today. The arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and subsequent settlement laid the foundations for the pattern of settlement and there are as many as 47 Anglo-Saxon Churches or their remains in Lincolnshire. The Norman Lincoln Castle was built on the site of the Roman garrison and the cathedral was started in 1072. The mediaeval period was not kind to the county. Grantham and Stamford were sacked and both Lincoln and Boston lost much of their trade and population. Unrest over fen drainage and the Civil War meant further decline but not for long and the prosperity of the present time dates from the dredging of the silted rivers which especially benefited the superb Georgian townscape of Stamford.

CUSTOMS & CULTURE
Architecture plays a magnificent role in any tour of the county. The churches of the area are especially grand reflecting wealth earned from the wool trade since Saxon times. England’s largest parish church at Boston with its famous ‘stump’ and Lincoln Cathedral are fine examples. Stamford’s Georgian architecture is quite stunning and beautifully preserved and nearby Burghley House is lovely. Belvoir Castle stands on the edge of the county and for elegance Fulbeck Hall with its Edwardian gardens takes some beating. Religion continues as a theme for this is the home of the Pilgrim Fathers and the birthplace of Robert Browne and the Congregationalist Church and also John Wesley the founder of the Methodist Church. Alfred Tennyson is the county’s best known poet and the men of science are led by none other than Isaac Newton, and who can deny the political influence of Margaret Thatcher who was born in that famous greengrocer’s at Grantham.

LANDSCAPES & LANDFORMS
The narrowing and , in the north, rather surprising Jurassic limestone ridge on which Lincoln stands, provides wonderful sky-filled panoramas extending in every direction. The chalk Wolds on the other hand provide a more intimate scenery, weathered over the centuries to give lovely, smooth, gently rounded hills. As they fold into one another, valleys nestle in-between in which you will find a wealth of beguiling villages. The present fens offer a totally man-made scenery but there are still miles of untouched marshes, especially the Wash Bank so much beloved by the late Sir Peter Scott. Erosion of part of the coast near Hutoft Bank has revealed a fossilised sunken forest, whereas deposition in the area of Gibraltar Point provides a mecca for the study of dune formation and evolution. The glorious sands of the coast provide a playground for all.

PLACES TO VISIT & EVENTS
Springtime reveals thousands of hectares of Daffodils which make a dazzling display. Very few tulips are now grown in the fields but there are still sufficient for the spectacular, internationally famous Spalding Flower Parade. In order to understand how this area has become the richest farmland in Britain you should visit Ayscoughfee Hall with its Museum of South Holland and the Pinchbeck Engine and Land Drainage Museum. The tourist centres at Skegness, Ingolmels and Mablethorpe just have to be visited by every child in England, but parents will find solace in virtually every one of the beautiful Wolds villages. Lincoln Cathedral is a must, Gainsborough in the north and Stamford in the south are splendid and every able person should visit Boston to climb the ‘stump’. These are just a few ideas, but there really is a lot more to find!

SPORTS & LEISURE
Walking trails, nearly all offering a particular theme, are laid out all over especially in the Wolds. The Wash has huge marshes which stretch for miles around the coast providing perfect solitude for wildfowlers and birdwatchers alike. The flat countryside also favours other pursuits such as horse riding and cycling. The vast network of waterways offer limitless opportunities for boating and fishing. For the more active water sports enthusiasts there are facilities for water skiing, jet skiing, windsurfing and sailing.