Holiday rentals in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire’s abundant acres have inspired one of England’s most exciting foodie scenes, distinguished for its local produce as well as its sausages. Its myriad manor houses and market towns, from Grantham to Gainsborough and Caistor to Louth, are an attractive legacy of its farming and trading heritage. The skyline here is often pierced with one of the medieval towers, spires, and steeples for which the county’s churches are renowned, such as the famous St Botolph, known locally as the Boston Stump.

Lincoln, its principal city, is a historic gem whose major landmarks date back to William the Conqueror. From the north, the Wolds spill out in a rural loveliness, the low rise and fall of their hills dotted with sleepy hamlets. By the sea, family-friendly resorts like Skegness and Cleethorpes give way to quieter, wilder coastline, with undeveloped sandy beaches, or salt marshes that are sanctuaries for birdlife.

Lincolnshire’s beaches are best enjoyed when the temperatures rise in the summer and the seaside towns are at their liveliest, between June and early September. It’s also the time for Lincolnshire’s many agricultural shows, which are a big part of the local tradition: the Lincolnshire Show in June draws 60,000 visitors over two days. Spring is a fantastic time to spend your holiday in a Lincolnshire cottage, when its many historic homes open for the season and its gardens are in full bloom. The celebrations continue in autumn, when food and drink take centre stage at events like October’s Sausage Festival. There’s also a big steampunk scene in Lincolnshire; you can get a glimpse of its quirky style at the Asylum Steampunk Festival in Lincoln in August.

Anderby Creek

Backed by dunes, this long, unspoilt stretch of sandy beach can be found between Mablethorpe to the north and Ingoldmells to the south. It’s a perfect retreat from the crowds, with a pub, café, and shop in its tiny coastal village, as well as the Cloud Bar, not a place for drinking, but a platform for spotting clouds.

Gainsborough

Twenty miles north of Lincoln, this busy market town combines many aspects of the county’s rural, urban, and industrial heritage. On the banks of the River Trent, Gainsborough was historically an inland port. Its attractions include the timber-framed manor house of Gainsborough Old Hall and Marshall’s Yard, where a 19th-century manufacturing complex has been transformed into a shopping heaven.

Stamford

This quiet Georgian town in the south of the county is regularly used as a filming location, and it’s easy to see why: Its limestone buildings are some of the best preserved in England. Stamford’s pretty Town Meadows lie alongside the River Welland, while on its southern outskirts sits the impressive estate and grounds of Burghley House.