NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE DELIGHTS

TOUR SCHEDULE

If you had ever thought that there is little to see or do in the towns of Barton, Grimsby and Scunthorpe then treat this as a challenge of your senses!

Throughout this schedule we hope to entice you with just a taster of what North Lincolnshire has to offer...you'll be pleasantly surprised.

DAY 1

10.00 we will collect you from your chosen location and take the 200 mile journey up the A1 arriving in time for check in at the hotel and a couple of hours to unwind before a delicious meal in the hotel's own restaurant, whilst relaxing to soft live music.

DAY 2 

Feast on a full English or a lighter option for breakfast, before our coach departure at 08.30 to the first visit of the tour, Normanby Hall.

Set in 300 acres of beautiful parkland, gardens and pleasure grounds, Normanby Hall has a great wealth of sights, scenery and history which we hope to explore this morning. One of the main delights of the hall and vast grounds is the famous Victorian Walled Garden. It offers a nostalgic step back in time to the heyday of kitchen gardening and many varieties of vegetables, flowers and fruit are still grown in the traditional way today. The farming museum continues the nostalgia of the working environment, then a final stroll through the parkland to the hall itself. 

From Normanby we will take a drive back towards Barton and visit the perfectly placed visitors centre, 'Waters Edge', which will be our stop for a buffet lunch.

The centre's target and mission statement is to care for the environment and look after the nature reserve on the humber estuary. Educational displays, live cameras of the birds and animals and a gift shop are all available for a walk around after lunch.

At approx 14.00 we'll depart for Thornton Abbey, a 20 minute drive towards the east of North Lincolnshire.

Founded in 1139 the Abbey was once one of the wealthiest houses of it's kind. The impressive 14th century gatehouse is considered to be one of the best in Europe. There are historic ruins to explore and there is an interactive education room newly opened in 2008.

In the evening you will have a couple of hours spare time to prepare for a rather ghostly night...dig out your white glove and best moonwalking shoes because tonight could be a 'Thriller'! 

The drive to Epworth where we start our ghost walk will be about 45 minutes and it may be chilly up in the North East so wrap up warm! Every town has it's history...but Epworths may be a little more ghoulish and grizzly than your home town. Whilst walking down dark back lanes and past silent graveyards the Epworth guides will tell tales of ghostly goings on in the North Lincolnshire area over the years. You may even be told of the 'little people', aka the 'tiddimun', who used to live among the rushes and marshland years ago...the very place where your hotel now stands! In the midst of the tales of the past we will find time to tuck in to a hopefully less scary dinner!

DAY 3

Today will be spent venturing throughout the delights of North East Lincolnshire and some undiscovered gems. First on the agenda is Waltham Windmill Centre where you can climb the full 5 floors of a genuine 100 year old mill and experience the daily work of a miller. Also on site is a charming little museum containing RAF artifacts from the RAF Grimsby Exhibition and memoirs of olden day rural life in Grimsby. Plus this is also the start of an afternoon of trains...the centre has a miniature railway on site which will whet your apetite perfectly for the next stop!

Welcome to the 'Cleethorpes Light Railway'. This is a must for any rail enthusiats among your group...I have to admit to being an amatuer enthusiast myself! This year they have completed a model railway within the small museum which you can see before boarding the short light railway trips along the coast. You can then stop for a coffee at the station cafe or alternatively join in with history as you order a pint in the worlds smallest pub, the Signal Box...trust me, it's tiny! 

Lunch will be at Steels restaurant in the town which has become famous for it's fish and chips in the area. If you're an avid weightwatcher, don't fret as they serve a super salad too!

Whether or not your into fishing, the 'Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre' is an exploration of much more than the art of catching cod. As you walk through the full scale exhibition of life size mock ups of the people and environments at sea in the 50's, you gain a real feeling of nostalgia and pride for the many that died in the harsh waters of the ocean. This will be our last visit of the day but there will be time for a laid back drink in the pig and pie cafe before the drive back to the hotel for dinner in the evening.

DAY 4

After breakfast it's time to check out and wave goodbye to North Lincolnshire. But not before we take a couple of hours to de-stress and indulge in some retail therapy in Scunthorpe. 'The Streets' has a wealth of independantly owned shops and boutiques selling unique gifts at excellent prices or there is the High Street and 'The Foundry Shopping Centre' where you'll find over 50 of your high street brand name shops. This will set us up nicely as a wind-down to the end of the tour before a smooth drive back down the A1 south.

Who thought North Lincolnshire could have this much to offer? Just shows how wrong we can be......