A visit to Tattershall Castle could leave you fighting for your honour in fancy dress, gazing at stars that puncture the vast, inky night sky or searching frantically for hidden Easter eggs. A recent trip was rather more peaceful, and simply involved a walk around the glorious grounds in the warming sunshine.

We have been visitors to this National Trust owned property many times before and in every season there is something to revel in. The scarlet and ochre leaves fall gracefully across the mounds in autumn and the smell of pale pink blossom wafts across the walkways in spring. We love visiting outside of the busy summer season to really take advantage of the castle that scales 130ft into the Lincolnshire skies, so our visit was well-timed.

Each floor offers a different perspective and vista across the Wolds, with information posted within the rooms about the building and what would have existed when it was built. The highlight is the spectacular viewing terrace at the top of the castle, where the sensation of being master of all you see really shines through. On this particular visit, the azure backdrop to the rolling clouds was a sight to behold, and that we did for quite some time.

A picnic lunch of homemade lemonade and a slice of quiche was bravely devoured outside in the now quite chilled air, before we made the obligatory visit to the gift shop. Pink National Trust wellies purchased, we were on our way again.

Images by Eleanor Holmes

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When you think of sandy beaches, blue skies and waves softly lapping the shore, the Lincolnshire coastline doesn’t usually spring to mind. Leave behind the tourist trail though, and you’ll find hidden dunes, a menagerie of coastal wildlife and treasures discarded by the sea.

Theddlethorpe Beach, seemingly infinite in the early morning haze of sunshine on the day we visited, is flanked by ancient dunes which began forming in the thirteenth century. We explored their nooks and hideaways for a short while before making our quarter of a mile journey across the sands, stopping once we reached the waves to splash with Bella, the dog. We sipped our lemon and ginger tea from a flask and had the vast expanse to ourselves; a refuge from the real world.

Another hour sped past and we meandered some more, fascinated by the debris left behind by the tides: crab’s claws, starfish, razor shells, seaweed and even a ship’s mast. The sunlight glistened on the droplets left behind in the rivets of sand. Sea birds sang with delight and flew swiftly across the haze of blue on the horizon. We left feeling rejuvenated and ready for whatever the rest of the week had to throw at us, content in the knowledge that we’d spent so little but gained so much pleasure from our morning.

Image by Eleanor Holmes

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Nestled in the heart of Lincolnshire on the edge of the picturesque Wolds is a small wood where you can crunch crisp autumnal leaves and wander beneath the vast canopy of trees to your heart’s content. Usually a spot heralding the start of a biking route, Willingham Woods is actually a small slice of countryside where you can escape and explore all year round, though it holds a particular ethereal beauty during the autumn months.

The russet and honeyed hues of nature can lift even the gloomiest of skies, but we were lucky enough to choose a day to revel in these seasonal joys when the sun sat still all day long, and warmed us through our many layers of clothing. The rolling fields of the Wolds stretch out like a muddied patchwork quilt in the distance, but inside the wood everything is dense and earthy. Scarlet berries lace the branches that lead you down windy paths, and you are followed only by the rustle of pigeons as they spring from their perches high above the ground.

You can choose a walk length to suit your energy levels, and can even venture further afield to pass through kissing gates and amble through the ploughed paddocks. We left the confines of the wood for a short time, but soon returned to lose ourselves once again before finally emerging in the falling light of the late afternoon sun.

Images by Eleanor Holmes

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Others like to go out for dinner or drinks; we like to go out for breakfast, and by far the most delicious that we’ve tried in Lincolnshire is at Sunnyside Up, a small farm shop and eatery on the outskirts of Market Rasen. Offering a choice of breakfast and other delights, the focus is very much on local and home-made fare and our last visit did not disappoint.

Sunday brunch is a time for reflection, a brief, snatched moment in your hectic working week to breathe and take stock of the past few days, and Sunnyside offers the ideal backdrop for these musings. Using free range eggs and local meat, the tastes are wholesome and fresh and the service is impeccable, with the owner of the farm often joining her serving staff to welcome customers.

If you’re lucky enough to visit on a sunny day, be sure to sample the ice cream and listen out for the soft sounds of a herd of cows in the distance. Whatever the weather, the well-stocked farm shop is bound to tempt you with a profusion of local tastes and products including: a host of home-made cordials; shelves jam-packed with preserves; locally-milled flour; and a vast stock of meats and cheeses that you simply won’t be able to forgo.

Images by Eleanor Holmes

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