Lincolnshire Coast 

The tiny village of Somersby, near Horncastle, merits a mention as Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born here in 1809. He was baptised in the Parish Church, where his father was rector. To the east is the low-lying resort of Mablethorpe where row upon row of bungalows and caravans line up in neat little lines. This low centre of gravity makes good sense in a place that can be ravaged by strong winter gales.

You will find clean, sandy beaches with donkeys trawling their length and the usual seaside funfair and amusements. At low tide look out for tree stumps, rising from the sands; they are all that remain of a forest and village that was submerged in the 13th century.

To the north west of Mablethorpe is the charming market town of Louth, which has some of the best preserved late Georgian and early Victorian architecture, the finest examples being in Mercer Street, Westgate and Bridge Street.

The Church of St. James dates from the 16th century and has a magnificent spire that soars 295 ft, which Sir John Betjeman described as ‘one of the last great medieval Gothic masterpieces’. As well as offering its own attractions, Louth makes a great base for exploring the Lincolnshire Wolds. According to local folklore Grimsby was founded when a Viking fisherman named Grim came ashore, built houses from the timbers of his boat and started selling fish to the locals. Whether this is strictly true or not, it is certain that the town takes its name from a person named Grim as’–by’ is a common Norse ending that was used to mean town or place and is found commonly in the east, as at Whitby.

Though the Grimsby fleet is much diminished because of the Icelandic Cod Wars and European quotas the town’s principal industry remains fishing and it is home to the National Fishing Heritage Centre, though these days it is also a major food-processing centre.