Despite its low population (and no motorway), Lincolnshire is England’s second biggest county (after Yorkshire). Dominated by fertile marshy Wolds and Fens, it’s home to nearly all our homegrown food. If you order an organic veg box, there’s a fair chance that most of the items are grown here.
Also here is a beautiful sandy coastline, home to many resident seals. Along with seaside resorts (Skegness is not as pretty as some, though it has all the natural potential), and the historic walkable city of Lincoln (ancient walls, medieval buildings and the remains of a castle). There are also two nature reserves at Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shoare.
Boston is a rich heritage market town (home to the Pilgrim Farmers who sailed to Massachusetts in 1620, which is why the American city is so-named). The other main market town is Grantham (its most famous export was grocer’s daughter Margaret Thatcher).
Home to Many Historic Windmills
Like Norfolk and Suffolk, you’ll find many wonderful windmills in Lincolnshire.
- Maud Foster Windmill is a five-sail and 7-storey windmill in Boston, at 80 foot tall. The granary next door is a Grade 1 listed building.
- Heckington Windmill is the only 8-sail windmill left in England. It even has its sails intact. Located between Boston and Sleaford.
Home to Many Of Our Resident Seals
The mild sandy beaches means that Lincolnshire is one of the most popular places for seals to give birth (on land, they are mammals), raise their pups, and rest when not swimming.
Always leave seals alone (pups cannot survive if spooked back into the sea, as their blubber is not thick enough to prevent freezing/drowning). Keep dogs away from seals, as seals often hide their pups in sand dunes (especially during breeding season). Read how to help our grey & harbour seals.
Home to Protected Sand Dunes
Lincolnshire is home to sand dunes at Saltfleetby and Gibraltar Point (near Skegness). The King Charles III England Coast Path is not fully open here, until a bridge is built over the River Steeping, to protect the dunes.
Sand dunes occur when sand and seashells blow onto the coast, then get trapped by sea plants, to anchor in the sand. Home to endangered natterjack toads, walking on them is like trampling on flower beds.
Keep to main paths when crossing sand dunes (this helps dogs and you from invasive pirri pirri burr attaching to skin, fur, clothes or laces). Keep dogs away from toxic coastal flowers.
The Marshy Wolds & Fens of Lincolnshire
The Wolds (a 216 square mile Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) consists of low hills that run along the North Sea Coast) can be walked in their entirety (147 miles from Humber Bridge to Oakham).
The Fens is one of England’s most unique landscapes, an area of wetlands mostly found in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. The ancient peaty land covers around 600 square miles. not just wetlands, but rivers and drainage systems, in a low-lying region that offers a unique ecological habitat for birds and native wildlife.
Formed during the Ice Age (when glacial meltwaters creating extensive marshes), over centuries the clay land that holds water well, has created unique ecosystems. It not only supports migrating birds, otters and amphibians, but also many wading birds and rare plants.
Years ago, many people would grow barley and wheat here, and cattle and sheep would graze on lush grasses. The fertile soil and abundant water supply led to The Fens being a vital agricultural hub. In the 17th century, much of the land was drained to create arable land, but this began to disturb the agricultural balance.
The best way to protect The Fens is to support local organic farmers that don’t use pesticides. Also choose peat-free compost (keep fresh compost away from pets as it contains mould – read more on how to make your garden safe for pets).
A Year of Rewilding on a Lincolnshire Farm
A Wilding Year is the personal journey of an artist who celebrates the return of an astonishing variety of wildlife, as she returns her Lincolnshire farm to nature, as she and her husband undertake an ambitious rewilding project.
The book explores how one family embrace the beauty of untidy landscapes, to herald the return of skylarks, meadow pipits, hobbies, polecats and more species.
The land was originally claimed from marshy wetlands, and leans into the land’s natural inclination to be wet, for yielding also amazing ponds and pond life. Both a journal and sketchbook, with a visual record of the incredible variety of species she finds.