I've lived in or travelled through many parts of the UK but had never had cause to go to, or through, Lincoln, until recently. A weekend break based in a little place called Freiston Shore on the west coast of The Wash gave me the opportunity to put that right! This location was particularly pertinent as we have often been to Snettisham on the east coast of The Wash, so the idea of seeing it from the other side added to the appeal.
Our base for the weekend looked ideal. Uninterrupted views of The Wash, Fenland behind, the 'Boston Wash Banks' in front and designated an RSPB nature reserve for good measure. Even the B&B had lots of appeal too, having once been a grand 3-storey hotel in a small village, but which is now virtually isolated. Hard to believe but Friedland Shore was once one of the major holiday resorts of the Lincolnshire coast, with Skegness recommended as a quieter alternative! It was so popular that a daily omnibus service ran from Boston and two hotels were established - (one of which was 'Plummers', our base). The resort's popularity declined in the 1860's as the coast changed and the beach started to silt up with mud. However a new lease of life is being brought to the area by the Boston Wash Banks project, which links sea defence and benefits to people and wildlife.
On arrival, we took a healthy walk along the Boston Wash Banks and got our first view across The Wash to Snettisham, as we'd hoped. But as the sun began to set we got more than we could have hoped for - a 360 degree sunset (complete with a noisy 'fly past' by a gaggle of geese), which hasn't been matched, to date! When the spectacle was finally over the search for dinner was on - quite a challenge in such a sparsely populated area. However when we did find a pub serving grub, it was worth the search - neither of us has ever seen such enormous plated dinners. The Lincolnshire sausages were superb, but some of the 11 different vegetables that accompanied them on the plate were somewhat superfluous!
The next day we set off to explore more of Lincolnshire, starting with the historic and attractive market town of Boston. Boston's history is a rich one, littered with notable characters and events. In the middle ages the town grew to become an important port for traders of northern Europe and for a period in the 13th Century Boston was the leading port in England. In 1545 the town was granted it's charter and became a Borough. In the 1700's it become a centre of religious non-conformism, inspired by figures such as John Foxe and John Cotton. Many Bostonians, including Cotton, left to take up a new life in Massachusetts, in what became the British Colony of Boston, where tea was famously thrown into the harbour in political protest against the British Government ... but enough of history.
Boston is dominated by the 14th-century St Botolph's Church whose 271ft high tower is a landmark for miles around. After a walk around this famous town and an appropriate lunch stop in the Church Cafe we headed back towards the coastline, stopping en route to see and photograph two of Lincolnshire's many windmills, at Sibsey and Heckington. Then came the obligatory stop at the much acclaimed seaside resort of Skeggy for photos, fish, and chips on the beach. Not so much acclaimed by us though!
But further up the coast we discovered the wonders of Wolla Bank. We found it after driving down remote winding country lanes, and accessed it through a small gap in an otherwise thick wall of sand dunes. Wolla Bank must be one of Lincolnshire's best kept secrets! The wide expanse of clean soft white sand fringed with pale green Marram Grass is a pretty as a beach can be ... .
Travelling further up the coast we were attracted by some colourful beach huts at Sutton on Sea. Disappointingly these turned out to be seemingly the only attraction! However the next resort on the coastline offered an attraction that no other beach had ... motor bike racing! Well, Mablethorpe certainly attracted a lot of leather and helmets! But it was fun to watch for a while, except for the bit where someone fell off, broke his leg and had to be carted off in an ambulance. But a walk further along the beach revealed another attraction ... the quiet end of Mablethorpe! Once again, the sweeping soft white sands and Marram grass dunes gave this beach the thumbs up from us. But as the light of the day began to fade, and dark storm clouds rolled in over the sea, an eerie and moody light was cast across the whole landscape ... and as with our first day in Lincolnshire, so the second had ended with another magical performance in the sky.
Before we turned the car southwards and homewards, we made a final stop at the Seal Sanctuary just north of Mabelthorpe - home to all the rescued and lovingly-cared-for casualties and orphans from local shores and beyond. A happy end not only for the seals, but also for our short but memorable Lincolnshire experience.
Our base for the weekend looked ideal. Uninterrupted views of The Wash, Fenland behind, the 'Boston Wash Banks' in front and designated an RSPB nature reserve for good measure. Even the B&B had lots of appeal too, having once been a grand 3-storey hotel in a small village, but which is now virtually isolated. Hard to believe but Friedland Shore was once one of the major holiday resorts of the Lincolnshire coast, with Skegness recommended as a quieter alternative! It was so popular that a daily omnibus service ran from Boston and two hotels were established - (one of which was 'Plummers', our base). The resort's popularity declined in the 1860's as the coast changed and the beach started to silt up with mud. However a new lease of life is being brought to the area by the Boston Wash Banks project, which links sea defence and benefits to people and wildlife.
On arrival, we took a healthy walk along the Boston Wash Banks and got our first view across The Wash to Snettisham, as we'd hoped. But as the sun began to set we got more than we could have hoped for - a 360 degree sunset (complete with a noisy 'fly past' by a gaggle of geese), which hasn't been matched, to date! When the spectacle was finally over the search for dinner was on - quite a challenge in such a sparsely populated area. However when we did find a pub serving grub, it was worth the search - neither of us has ever seen such enormous plated dinners. The Lincolnshire sausages were superb, but some of the 11 different vegetables that accompanied them on the plate were somewhat superfluous!
The next day we set off to explore more of Lincolnshire, starting with the historic and attractive market town of Boston. Boston's history is a rich one, littered with notable characters and events. In the middle ages the town grew to become an important port for traders of northern Europe and for a period in the 13th Century Boston was the leading port in England. In 1545 the town was granted it's charter and became a Borough. In the 1700's it become a centre of religious non-conformism, inspired by figures such as John Foxe and John Cotton. Many Bostonians, including Cotton, left to take up a new life in Massachusetts, in what became the British Colony of Boston, where tea was famously thrown into the harbour in political protest against the British Government ... but enough of history.
Boston is dominated by the 14th-century St Botolph's Church whose 271ft high tower is a landmark for miles around. After a walk around this famous town and an appropriate lunch stop in the Church Cafe we headed back towards the coastline, stopping en route to see and photograph two of Lincolnshire's many windmills, at Sibsey and Heckington. Then came the obligatory stop at the much acclaimed seaside resort of Skeggy for photos, fish, and chips on the beach. Not so much acclaimed by us though!
But further up the coast we discovered the wonders of Wolla Bank. We found it after driving down remote winding country lanes, and accessed it through a small gap in an otherwise thick wall of sand dunes. Wolla Bank must be one of Lincolnshire's best kept secrets! The wide expanse of clean soft white sand fringed with pale green Marram Grass is a pretty as a beach can be ... .
Travelling further up the coast we were attracted by some colourful beach huts at Sutton on Sea. Disappointingly these turned out to be seemingly the only attraction! However the next resort on the coastline offered an attraction that no other beach had ... motor bike racing! Well, Mablethorpe certainly attracted a lot of leather and helmets! But it was fun to watch for a while, except for the bit where someone fell off, broke his leg and had to be carted off in an ambulance. But a walk further along the beach revealed another attraction ... the quiet end of Mablethorpe! Once again, the sweeping soft white sands and Marram grass dunes gave this beach the thumbs up from us. But as the light of the day began to fade, and dark storm clouds rolled in over the sea, an eerie and moody light was cast across the whole landscape ... and as with our first day in Lincolnshire, so the second had ended with another magical performance in the sky.
Before we turned the car southwards and homewards, we made a final stop at the Seal Sanctuary just north of Mabelthorpe - home to all the rescued and lovingly-cared-for casualties and orphans from local shores and beyond. A happy end not only for the seals, but also for our short but memorable Lincolnshire experience.
Hi mum. Hope you'll be able top see this comment.
ReplyDeleteThese pics are looking great and the gallery is really good. I bet Alec is getting jealous
:D
(sorry alec :D)
My site btw
http://utunlimited.beyondunreal.com
Lots of love
Gav