Birthday weekend in the Lincolnshire Wolds

Last weekend, my husband took me away for a mini-break in the Lincolnshire Wolds. It's one of the few places in the UK that we've never really visited, yet it's only two hours away from our home in Milton Keynes + it's such a lovely place, we will surely go back.

The Wolds don't have quite the same dramatic landscapes as Cornwall, or the Lake District - but there are plenty of lovely rolling green hills, sandy beaches and quaint little villages to visit. Plus: Lincoln is an interesting historic city, well worth visiting.

One of the beach walks we did was Skegness. For some reason (and I'm sorry, Skegness), I had always imagined it was a bit of a tacky, overly-built-up seaside town - but in fact it was a lovely, wide, long beach with very little right on the shore to spoil it. Dogs are allowed off-lead in the winter months and my two loved running up and down the sand and splashing in the waves (I'm sure the sea must have been freezing!). Great walk, really recommend it.

The cottage we stayed in was beautiful - thatched roof, wooden beams, modern amenities and really friendly owners who left us a basket of goodies including dog treats. Lots of character and extremely cosy - perfect for a romantic winter get-away. Find it on cottages.com, here > 

Lincoln is a lovely city to visit, with lots of history (including the signing of the Magna Carta). We had a look around the outside of the castle (dogs are not allowed inside so that's saved for a future visit) which looks very interesting, a wander around the shops and down to the river... but the most impressive thing for me was Lincoln Cathedral. It was started in 1088, and for 238 years it was the tallest building in the world! Couldn't go inside, but beautiful from the outside.

So: a highly recommended place to go for a long weekend or short holiday - we would very much like to return very soon :)

Big thanks to my husband Nathaniel for organising this for a birthday surprise x