4 of Lincolnshire’s Hidden Gems

2 December 2024

Lincolnshire is a wonderful place to visit, with the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offering plenty for all the nature lovers and plenty of enchanting and nostalgia-inducing seaside towns to explore.

But if you want to stray from the beaten path a little and discover some of Lincolnshire’s less talked about treasures, then this list might be for you – we’ve pulled together some of Lincolnshire’s hidden gems to give you a taste of the area’s best-kept secrets.

While now is not the time to be travelling, we are all thinking about the lovely places we want to visit once it is safe to do so, and life returns to normal. 

The Outer Trial Bank

Head to the Wash, and you’ll be able to see the Outer Trial Bank, otherwise known as the doughnut. This strange, circular island draws a lot of attention and was actually built by the government in the 1970s. 

The idea was for it to become a freshwater reservoir, and it cost £3 million to build, but the water very quickly turned salty and the island was abandoned. It still stands there today and has actually become an important breeding ground for birds, so while the costly experiment may have been a failure at the time, nature has reclaimed the site and put it to good use.

When visiting the Wash, be sure to stick to marked footpaths, as there are fast tides and dangerous muddy areas. The Outer Trial Bank can be seen from the sea defences of Gedney Drove End.

Bowthorpe Oak

This ancient oak tree may well be the oldest in England, estimated to be over 1,000 years old. You’ll find it at Bowthorpe Park Farm, near Bourne, and visitors are welcome to come and see the tree for themselves on a two-hour private tour that allows you to get up close to this famous tree.

The trunk of this incredible tree is hollow and its enormous interior has apparently been fitted with seating! Several short documentaries have been made about this tree, but nothing compares to seeing it in person. 

Bowthorpe Park Farm also holds a number of events throughout the year, so there’s plenty to see and do if you are planning a visit. They are currently closed until the COVID-19 crisis is over but are definitely somewhere you should add to your list of places to visit once we can all enjoy getting out and about again.

The Cottage Museum – Woodhill Spa

Upon the discovery of mineral-rich springs, the spa town of Woodhill Spa was formed, which resulted in an increase in popularity in the village. This drove the price of housing up, so in order to secure more affordable housing, a local spa worker named John Wield bought and put together a flat-packed kit house, sold by Boulton & Paul and constructed from corrugated iron on a timber frame.

The Wield family lived there from 1887-1965, and the house still stands today and is one of the best-preserved examples of a Boulton & Paul home that still exists.

It now houses John Wield’s photography collection, as he was a keen amateur photographer, and the photographs give a unique insight into what life was like in Woodhill Spa.

Woolsthorpe Manor

Did you know that the famous apple tree that prompted Sir Isaac Newton to formulate his law of universal gravitation is still standing in Lincolnshire? It is situated on the grounds of Woolsthorpe Manor, where Isaac did some of his greatest work.

If you visit the manor, you will have the chance to explore the house and gardens and learn a lot about the life and work of Sir Isaac Newton.

Kids will love the science centre, where they will be able to test Newton’s theories on gravity, motion, optics, and light for themselves.

We hope this has given you a few ideas of places you might like the visit in the future. We hope that everybody is staying safe and healthy during this difficult time.