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Northern England: Call of the Wolds

LINCOLNSHIRE: Rambling in the Wolds

This was Lincolnshire, famously flat, and we were Pennine people, used to hills if not mountains, rocks, rivers and horizons that soar or swoop with the underlying geology.

Now we were perched on the edge of the Wolds - highest point 450 feet -with a beautiful but different landscape stretched out before use. Lovely villages, gentle paths, agriculture on an industrial scale but great walking country for those who want to amble rather than march, to savour rather than conquer.

And we were happy in our new world, or wold. You could see the storm clouds gather 20 or 30 miles away. A small detour and you could see Lincoln Cathedral perched on its own hill 25 miles away. And you could almost feel that magnificent view stretching to the far horizons.

But what else does Lincolnshire offer the discerning holidaymaker?

Well, the cottage itself was a delight, about a mile off the main road, quiet, comfortable leather furniture, a decent amount of space, high-class workmanship and all the kitchen you could wish for. Oh, and there is a sauna and a spa bath shared with other cottages, an excellent food pack available on arrival, great attention to detail and friendly hosts who live on the farm.

The local eating was very good indeed, not a pub or restaurant on every corner you understand. But on the whole very good food and Lincoln only a horizon away.

We travelled there and parked in the historic area around the cathedral and the castle. Very similar to York but without the intrusion of the modern shops which huddle between the bottom of Steep Hill and the river.

The cathedral is splendid, ancient, with a troubled early life and the usual expensive fight against the ravages of time. We did the roof tour which was incredibly interesting. More than 400 tons of lead supported by hand-crafted oak and hundreds of tons of mediaeval mortar weighing down all those soaring columns and flying buttresses familiar from below.

The castle has seen much better days but has a Magna Carta on view, that smallish document that changed history but, in truth, was only law for a few weeks. Three others still exist from the original 40 odd sent to every county in the country.

VIKING COTTAGE: Comfortable and secluded

We were staying near the village of Horncastle and for two days we walked the gentle gradients, wandering from village to village with ease. The fields are vast but, on the whole, the pathways have been preserved, access is easy, the birds soar, the rabbits roam and the miles vanish with considerably less effort than they do in the Lakes or the Dales.

While it is true to say that the region's agriculture is very commercial the actual feel of the countryside has been retained. The villages charm, the traffic is light, it feels like a slice of the sixties even though tourism has a hard edge. There's lots to do, from a tour of the wartime RAF bases that abound to a trip out to the coast around Skegness.

I've never seen so many thousands of caravans. Mile after mile of boxes hugging the coastal sands, Birmingham by the sea. Brash, breezy but definitely not Blackpool. Somehow it lacks the charm.

And while the little roads that snake through the countryside may have been traffic free when we were there the main coast road is said to be a bottleneck through the summer and very dangerous according to the "death score" signposts along the route.

So, is Lincolnshire for you? Well, maybe we were lucky. The rain was seen but not often felt, we were too early in the year for the traffic dramas and the cottage, as I said, was very good. Just the right blend of convenience and comfort without too much fuss.

There was also style, space and a very well thought out list of everything the casual holidaymaker might need. The setting was peaceful with the Viking Way, a long distance footpath, just outside the door and while our cottage was for two the next door space for six was very generous with the sitting rooms upstairs to take full advantage of the scenery.

If you want nightlife, you may find a little in Lincoln itself, but I think it would be safer to stay home. If you want beautiful countryside with strong links to its rural past and a way of life away from the rat race it's definitely worth a trip. You could enjoy it as much as we did.