With restrictions easing, destinations and attractions are gearing up to welcome back visitors safely, in line with the Government’s roadmap. Travel will be back on the agenda for 2021… so, for when the time is right, here are a few new treats to welcome visitors back to Lincolnshire.
Make a splash at a brand new wellbeing centre
Nestled on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, the Ocean Walker Academy is a purpose-built swimming and wellbeing centre featuring a seven-acre lake with four islands, three acres of landscaped garden, and a multi-use activity barn with an indoor endless pool for swim technique training/water therapy plus gym. The barn, which includes a café, has glass fronted sliding doors and outside seating. Formerly a goat farm, the new centre offers open water swimming, kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding. Behind the scheme is record-breaking ocean swimmer Adam Walker, the first British person to complete the toughest 7 ocean swims in the world and founder/creator of the Ocean Walker Technique.
Get impish in Lincoln
Hidden in the upper reaches of Lincoln Cathedral you’ll find a symbol of the city surrounded by myth and legend: the Lincoln Imp. Head to the Cathedral and you can spot the petrified little Imp high above the Angel Choir – there’s even a spotlight to help find him. But in 2021, you’ll have no trouble discovering the impish little fellow, thanks to a new trail of 30 colourful Lincoln imp sculptures throughout the city, designed by local and national artists.
Sip a cocktail as the sun sets over a Victorian pier
Lincolnshire’s iconic visitor attraction, Skegness Pier, which this year marks its 140th anniversary, is set to be restored to its ‘former glory’ after a £3m-plus sale. The family attraction – which has been a landmark in Skegness since opening in 1881 – is one of only around 50 seaside piers left in the UK. Now, after being sold by the family who have owned it since 1976, the new owners say they want to bring fresh investment to the Victorian structure. New for 2021 is the ‘Playa at the Pier’, a new pop-up venue with an ultra cool bar where people can dip their toes in the pool water while enjoying a cocktail. Two other new attractions are set to open in 2021
Discover a “lost garden” in its 20th anniversary year
Lincolnshire’s very own “lost gardens” celebrate 20 years of restoration in 2021. From dereliction to a nationally important garden, the revival of the 450-year-old Easton Walled Gardens is a story of determination and survival. Owned by the Cholmeley family for over 400 years, by the 1900s the original Tudor styled gardens had become so admired that they even drew praise from future US President Franklin D Roosevelt, who described the gardens as ‘a dream of Nirvana…’. The gardens were abandoned to nature for 50 years, until in 2001 Ursula Cholmeley began restoring them to their former historical importance, but with contemporary twists.
Take a Big Sky break… on an American School Bus
The Big Sky Hideaway is a renewable energy-powered oasis near Boston. Opening Spring 2021, Big Sky Hideaway is a peaceful community-driven oasis tucked away in central Lincolnshire offering unique glamping, camping, alpacas and fireside events that harness the ‘magic of nature’. Plus, there’s a chance to stay in two unique bus conversions, an amazing American School Bus and also the YesBus double decker, with profits from the latter helping the YesTribe continue to put on free events bringing people together around the UK
Experience a surprising coastline…
The National Trust’s first coastal nature reserve in the Midlands and a new glass-fronted cafe and viewing platform are set to raise the profile of one of Lincolnshire’s best kept secrets, its natural coastline. Lincolnshire’s less recognised natural coastline often comes as a surprise, just a few miles from some of Britain’s most popular family seaside resorts is a coastline of wide-open beaches and wildlife rich reserves (). Now a former golf course at Sandilands has become a new National Trust all-year nature reserve (), while a new beachfront attraction, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, a café and rooftop viewing deck will open a few miles along the coast. Less than 50 metres from the beach at Huttoft, The Boat Shed Cafe will also host ‘pop-up’ summer food and other events ().
Uncover hidden history at Lincoln Cathedral
A £16.5m project to bring new visitor facilities to Lincoln Cathedral, one of Europe’s finest Gothic buildings and once the world’s tallest, is set to open in summer 2021. The Old Deanery has been transformed into a state-of-the-art visitor centre, with a shop and café. On display will be some of the Cathedral’s many treasures, including some unearthed during the major construction and renovation works. The newly landscaped Dean’s Green will also open to the public for the first time in decades
Be a guest at a refurbished iconic seaside hotel
Cleethorpe’s iconic seaside hotel The Kingsway, which re-opened after refurbishment in late 2020, is set to reveal new boutique-style sea view rooms this spring as part of ongoing renovation. After almost a century in the hands of the Harris family, the Kingsway Hotel – a much-loved seafront institution since opening in 1926 – is now owned by the Christian family, and already completed are renovations of the restaurant, lounges and bars. Refurbishment upstairs will create new-look en-suite bedrooms, many with sea views, which are set to welcome guests in May 2021. The Kingsway has earned a fine dining reputation, and the new-look lounge, bar and a la carte restaurant, overlooking the sea, aim to continue that tradition. The hotel is a short walk from the resort’s sandy beaches, and stylish Sea View Quarter with cafes, bars and boutique stores.
Not forgetting…
Lincolnshire offers a county of contrasts, from rolling countryside with historic market towns and villages, to an award-winning coastline and Britain’s Best Small City. For more details, visit www.visitlincolnshire.com.
