The Annexe guide of where to eat and what to do locally.
Food scene
The Black Bull
7 Market PlaceLovely pub with great food only a 5min drive from our door.
The best afternoon tea, lunch, brunch, breakfast around !
Love this place and nothing is too much trouble. Open Mondays,. This is now located within the Birchgrove Garden Centre in Pinchbeck which also has a unique vintage shop in addition to the normal garden centre, so you can have a wander around and look at the plants or buy something unique.
Something Special
Surfleet RoadThe best afternoon tea, lunch, brunch, breakfast around !
Love this place and nothing is too much trouble. Open Mondays,. This is now located within the Birchgrove Garden Centre in Pinchbeck which also has a unique vintage shop in addition to the normal garden centre, so you can have a wander around and look at the plants or buy something unique.
The nicest cafe in Grantham for toasted sandwiches, amazing scones and milkshakes. Gorgeous setting in their garden with lots of pots and plants to buy. The local robins are hopping between the tables hoping to pick up crumbs, it's all really quite wonderful.
The Garden Yard
Union StreetThe nicest cafe in Grantham for toasted sandwiches, amazing scones and milkshakes. Gorgeous setting in their garden with lots of pots and plants to buy. The local robins are hopping between the tables hoping to pick up crumbs, it's all really quite wonderful.
This is a favourite pub of ours as the food is great and they offer 2 or 3 good real ales, which my husband loves. A short walk around the village will take about 30mins and it's very pretty.
9 locals recommend
The Green Man
Main StreetThis is a favourite pub of ours as the food is great and they offer 2 or 3 good real ales, which my husband loves. A short walk around the village will take about 30mins and it's very pretty.
Great food and perfect place for lunch or dinner, but they don't open Mon & Tuesdays. Lovely large garden with covered gazebo's that have sides, heating and lights for winter days.
The Chequers of Weston
97 High RdGreat food and perfect place for lunch or dinner, but they don't open Mon & Tuesdays. Lovely large garden with covered gazebo's that have sides, heating and lights for winter days.
Lovely local tea room that serves great breakfasts and light lunches, cakes, scones etc., closed on a Monday though please note.
Victoria House Tearoom
Lovely local tea room that serves great breakfasts and light lunches, cakes, scones etc., closed on a Monday though please note.
A lovely place to buy but more importantly, to eat !
Famous for their Boston Sausage and Pulled Pork, plus lots of gorgeous menu items that regularly change with the season, definitely worth a nice lunch or dinner here.
Abbey Parks Farm Shop
A lovely place to buy but more importantly, to eat !
Famous for their Boston Sausage and Pulled Pork, plus lots of gorgeous menu items that regularly change with the season, definitely worth a nice lunch or dinner here.
Firstly this is a farm shop selling all local produce including vegetables, bread, cheeses, meat, cakes etc,.
Secondly this is a great place to have a Lincolnshire cooked breakfast or lunch !
Third and finally, a wonderful place to watch the alpacas or goats jump about as you eat outside.
Ivy Farm restaurant
Firstly this is a farm shop selling all local produce including vegetables, bread, cheeses, meat, cakes etc,.
Secondly this is a great place to have a Lincolnshire cooked breakfast or lunch !
Third and finally, a wonderful place to watch the alpacas or goats jump about as you eat outside.
Sightseeing
Nice market town with South Holland centre for cinema, theatre, local shopping, pubs and restaurants.
9 locals recommend
Spalding
Nice market town with South Holland centre for cinema, theatre, local shopping, pubs and restaurants.
The tower of St Botolph’s in Boston, the Boston Stump, is the tallest medieval church tower in Britain, 272 feet high (83m) and a prominent landmark for sailors on the Wash. It would have been a familiar sight to the Pilgrim Fathers for it was from Boston, in 1607, that religious separatists William Brewster and William Bradford and their followers first attempted to sail away to the Netherlands to escape persecution. A lonely memorial marks the site beside Scotia Creek south of the town where they were captured, having been betrayed by their ship’s captain, and the prison cells in Boston Guildhall where they were held awaiting trial can still be seen.
19 locals recommend
St. Botolph's Church (Boston Stump)
Church StreetThe tower of St Botolph’s in Boston, the Boston Stump, is the tallest medieval church tower in Britain, 272 feet high (83m) and a prominent landmark for sailors on the Wash. It would have been a familiar sight to the Pilgrim Fathers for it was from Boston, in 1607, that religious separatists William Brewster and William Bradford and their followers first attempted to sail away to the Netherlands to escape persecution. A lonely memorial marks the site beside Scotia Creek south of the town where they were captured, having been betrayed by their ship’s captain, and the prison cells in Boston Guildhall where they were held awaiting trial can still be seen.
Crowland, 15 miles to the east, is home to Britain’s only three-way triangular bridge, constructed in the 14th century with three converging stairways and left high and dry when the River Welland changed course. Grand Crowland Abbey claims to be the first church in England to have had a ring of bells, installed in the 10th century, and the present bells were the first ever to be recorded on radio, by the BBC in 1925. The bell ropes, 90 feet (27m) in length, are the longest in the country.
Crowland Abbey
46 East StCrowland, 15 miles to the east, is home to Britain’s only three-way triangular bridge, constructed in the 14th century with three converging stairways and left high and dry when the River Welland changed course. Grand Crowland Abbey claims to be the first church in England to have had a ring of bells, installed in the 10th century, and the present bells were the first ever to be recorded on radio, by the BBC in 1925. The bell ropes, 90 feet (27m) in length, are the longest in the country.
Woodhall Spa is a beautiful Edwardian town set in the Lincolnshire Wolds with long high street full of boutiques and bakeries, the Kinema in the Woods is a must visit if you want to take in a movie, it's amazingly original and before the film the organ rises up from the stage and plays a tune, great fun.
Lunch or afternoon tea at the Petwood Hotel, and a visit to the museum are both highly recommended. You’ll need a full day to explore.
66 locals recommend
Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa is a beautiful Edwardian town set in the Lincolnshire Wolds with long high street full of boutiques and bakeries, the Kinema in the Woods is a must visit if you want to take in a movie, it's amazingly original and before the film the organ rises up from the stage and plays a tune, great fun.
Lunch or afternoon tea at the Petwood Hotel, and a visit to the museum are both highly recommended. You’ll need a full day to explore.
Lincolnshire, England’s second largest county, is used to breaking records. For over 200 years from 1311 until 1548 Lincoln Cathedral, ‘the most precious piece of architecture in England’ according to John Ruskin, was the tallest building in the world, with a central spire 525 feet high (160m) – the first structure in 4,000 years to top the Great Pyramid. Alas, the spire blew down in a storm.
Near to the cathedral stands a third-century Roman arch, the oldest in Britain still used by traffic, while the aptly named Steep Hill, a winding cobbled street lined with houses dating back to the Normans, and leading from the cathedral down into commercial Lincoln, is the fourth steepest street in England.
186 locals recommend
Lincoln Cathedral
Minster YardLincolnshire, England’s second largest county, is used to breaking records. For over 200 years from 1311 until 1548 Lincoln Cathedral, ‘the most precious piece of architecture in England’ according to John Ruskin, was the tallest building in the world, with a central spire 525 feet high (160m) – the first structure in 4,000 years to top the Great Pyramid. Alas, the spire blew down in a storm.
Near to the cathedral stands a third-century Roman arch, the oldest in Britain still used by traffic, while the aptly named Steep Hill, a winding cobbled street lined with houses dating back to the Normans, and leading from the cathedral down into commercial Lincoln, is the fourth steepest street in England.
Open 7 days a week from 10am - 5pm this is a great place to visit, you can walk the ramparts and take a look at the original Magna Carta signed in 1215. Only 50mins from our house, Lincoln is a great day out and also has lots of shops and lovely places to eat.
163 locals recommend
Lincoln Castle
Castle HillOpen 7 days a week from 10am - 5pm this is a great place to visit, you can walk the ramparts and take a look at the original Magna Carta signed in 1215. Only 50mins from our house, Lincoln is a great day out and also has lots of shops and lovely places to eat.
Grimsthorpe is open for both house and gardens or just the gardens but in the Winter the opening times change so always check for latest times. The house only takes an hour to walk around but you can spend hours in the formal and informal gardens, we like to take the long walk down to the lake and picnic down there.
19 locals recommend
Grimsthorpe Castle Park & Gardens
Grimsthorpe is open for both house and gardens or just the gardens but in the Winter the opening times change so always check for latest times. The house only takes an hour to walk around but you can spend hours in the formal and informal gardens, we like to take the long walk down to the lake and picnic down there.
A great day out at Belvoir as the house is really worth the visit, we've been 3 times now and every time we go we learn something new from the guides, it's so interesting. They've recently added The Engine Yard, which has gorgeous shops, restaurants, clothing, gifts, ice-cream, plants and delicatessen. It's under an hour's drive from our house.
87 locals recommend
Belvoir Castle
Woolsthorpe RoadA great day out at Belvoir as the house is really worth the visit, we've been 3 times now and every time we go we learn something new from the guides, it's so interesting. They've recently added The Engine Yard, which has gorgeous shops, restaurants, clothing, gifts, ice-cream, plants and delicatessen. It's under an hour's drive from our house.
Recently visited this place for their monthly craft fair and it was gorgeous. A lovely village, great to walk about and has a very decent pub. The craft centre has a lovely cafe and serves very good food at reasonable prices, plus the craft shops and artisans who work there are definitely worth watching.
Manor Stables Craft Centre
Lincoln RoadRecently visited this place for their monthly craft fair and it was gorgeous. A lovely village, great to walk about and has a very decent pub. The craft centre has a lovely cafe and serves very good food at reasonable prices, plus the craft shops and artisans who work there are definitely worth watching.
Shopping
Take the 30min water taxi from Spalding town centre to Springfields to enjoy the scenery and learn all about the history of the town. Great outlet for shopping and has all the big retail chains at outlet prices, plus lovely places to eat.
23 locals recommend
Springfields Outlet Shopping & Festival Gardens
Camel GateTake the 30min water taxi from Spalding town centre to Springfields to enjoy the scenery and learn all about the history of the town. Great outlet for shopping and has all the big retail chains at outlet prices, plus lovely places to eat.
Lovely town with beautiful architecture and shopping. Market day is Saturday every 2 weeks the Farmers Market is on, always worth visiting. and of course The George is a must visit for any meal, but you do need to book first as they are always busy.
134 locals recommend
Stamford
Lovely town with beautiful architecture and shopping. Market day is Saturday every 2 weeks the Farmers Market is on, always worth visiting. and of course The George is a must visit for any meal, but you do need to book first as they are always busy.
Leisure
A great place to visit for the day as it's a lovely walk around the lake and you can have lunch also, plenty to do and see.
12 locals recommend
Tallington Lakes Leisure Park Ltd
Barholm RoadA great place to visit for the day as it's a lovely walk around the lake and you can have lunch also, plenty to do and see.
We love in Bourne Woods, it's a 20min drive from our house with plenty of parking and lots of shade. There are side paths through the woods or a main one like this photo that goes all the way to the lake. Depending on your dogs stamina (and yours!) you can take a short trail of around 1 hour or anything up to 3 hours walking. It's really peaceful here and not far from Bourne market town which has lots of great places to eat.
8 locals recommend
Bourne Wood
We love in Bourne Woods, it's a 20min drive from our house with plenty of parking and lots of shade. There are side paths through the woods or a main one like this photo that goes all the way to the lake. Depending on your dogs stamina (and yours!) you can take a short trail of around 1 hour or anything up to 3 hours walking. It's really peaceful here and not far from Bourne market town which has lots of great places to eat.
Great place to wander around and look at the artists whilst they work, there is a mosaic studio, pottery, art studio, stained glass, sewing and embroidery, printing. It's a really creative place and you could also sign up for a class. I adore this beautiful studio complex, it's a lovely location and ideal place for eating either inside or out in the tranquil gardens.
Unique Cottage Studios
Fulney LaneGreat place to wander around and look at the artists whilst they work, there is a mosaic studio, pottery, art studio, stained glass, sewing and embroidery, printing. It's a really creative place and you could also sign up for a class. I adore this beautiful studio complex, it's a lovely location and ideal place for eating either inside or out in the tranquil gardens.
A beautiful church that's been converted into an all round venue for crafts, leisure, classes and also serves fabulous breakfast, lunch, cakes, teas etc., and really nice to pop in for a visit. Check out their website to see what's on.
The Beonna At All Saints
Main RoadA beautiful church that's been converted into an all round venue for crafts, leisure, classes and also serves fabulous breakfast, lunch, cakes, teas etc., and really nice to pop in for a visit. Check out their website to see what's on.