Enjoy Lincolnshire’s Coastal Path

You’ll find vast sandy beaches backed by coastal marshes and the rolling Wolds, fun-packed resorts like Skegness and Cleethorpes, but mainly the path goes past beautiful nature reserves - a haven for birdwatchers. 

The Path is book-ended by two historic bridges, the mighty Humber Bridge in the north and in the south the still operational swing bridge at Sutton Bridge. In between, the Lincolnshire stretch of the England Coast Path traverses historic towns and villages, seaside resorts and miles of empty beaches. Expect startlingly big skies giving a wonderful feeling of space and freedom. 

The medieval port of Boston was wealthy, reflected in its many fine buildings. Visible for miles is the tower of St Botolph’s Church, known locally as the ‘Boston Stump’. Maud Foster is the tallest working windmill in Britain, and yes, there was a real Maud Foster, she was an astute local businesswoman in the 16th century. Boston Massachusetts may be better known but Boston, Lincolnshire was where the story begins. 2030 sees the 400th anniversary of its founding, expect to see celebratory events both sides of the pond. Boston is on the River Witham and The Wash so a great place for a boat trip. 

Skegness was just a village in 1873 when the Earl of Scarborough decided that the popularity of the seaside could only grow, he commissioned plans for a 'model watering place’ with tree-lined streets, promenades and a pier. 

The Earl was right, and in 1908 the Great Northern Railway commissioned the ‘Skegness is So Bracing’ poster featuring the Jolly Fisherman, to promote a three-shilling excursion. Skegness continued to make history, in 1921 travelling showman Billy Butlin set up his hoop-la stalls here and by 1935 had built the iconic Butlin’s Holiday Camp. 

Situated on the East Atlantic Migration Flyway there is a constantly changing seasonal scene for birdwatchers. Enjoy real rarities or the sheer spectacle of thousands of birds taking to the skies. 

Here you’ll be treated to a string of wonderful nature reserves, large and small, the entire length of Lincolnshire’s Coast Path, from Waters’ Edge by the Humber Bridge to RSPB Frampton Marsh near Boston. With reedbeds, mud flats, saltmarsh, dunes and wet grassland, each reserve is unique  – look out for huge whirling flocks of waders in the autumn. 

Bitterns can be seen at Far Ings, RSPB Frampton Marsh is a wader honeypot with many birds of prey too. More than 10,000 black-tailed godwits were counted on the grassland at RSPB Freiston Shore and nearly 340 species of birds have been recorded at Gibraltar Point. Some of our reserves have excellent cafes attached, so absolutely no reason not to visit! 

As autumn is a good time for birdwatching, a visit to the reserve at Donna Nook should be on your list too.

From mid-October to early January grey seals come here to give birth. This is a noisy and joyous spectacle with over two thousand pups being born. 

Local experts from RSPB and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have put together a handy guide on ‘where to go, what you will see and when’. It’s hard to say whether there is a best time, just a whole series of brilliant opportunities. What’s more, both organisations run children’s activities during the holidays. 

Some of our beaches have lots of facilities, whilst others are wild and empty. Regardless, kick off your shoes, wiggle your toes in the sand and enjoy the picnic you hopefully remembered to bring along!