Things to do

There are many places to visit and things to do within easy distance of The Barn. We keep a good selection of guides, leaflets and maps and should be able to send you in the right direction, whichever way you choose to take.

Folkingham

Visitors might like to start with the village of Folkingham itself, if only to stretch their legs after a journey in the car. The village has been refered to as "a Georgian rural gem". The centre of the village is a conservation area, overlooked by the Greyhound Inn, where the coaches used to stop and change horses before the coming of the railways.

The known history of the village goes back to the time of the Conquest, but many Roman coins have also been found. There is the site of the castle, still surrounded by the moat. You can cross it and see the "House of Correction", the remains of the local prison, now owned by the Landmark Trust. We are lucky to still have an excellent village shop. The village pub, the New Inn, does lunches and evening meals, most days. As mentioned in Hospitality & Reviews, we are happy to suggest local places to eat.

Country Houses & Castles

For lovers of country houses and castles, we have Belton House (National Trust) and Belvoir Castle, the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton at Woolsthorpe Manor (also National Trust, with a fascinating new interactive exhibition), all near to Grantham. At Stamford, aside from the attraction of the town itself and its many antique shops, there is also Burghley House. On the way to Stamford is Grimsthorpe Castle, maybe more house than castle and, like Stamford itself, a favourite location for filming historical dramas. For live, open-air theatre on a summer's evening, the Stamford Shakespeare Festival takes place from June to September at Tolethorpe Hall, an ideal spot for a picnic meal before the performance. Lincoln Castle, is very close to the magnificent cathedral and attractive Bailgate shopping area. The Castle has recently been restored and is well worth a visit, including the Victorian prison.

Children’s activities

Many of the houses above have excellent adventure playgrounds for children, particularly Belton House and Grimsthorpe Castle, (where you can also hire bicycles to explore the park), and the garden of surprises at Burghley House.

Belvoir Castle

Burghley House

Grimsthorpe Castle

Cathedrals & Churches

If cathedrals are on your list, we are midway between Lincoln and Peterborough and are surrounded by too many notable churches to list. We do have plenty of guides for guests to browse through...

Antiques

Antique shops and centres are in all directions, particularly in Stamford, Newark, and to the north in Hemswell and Horncastle. International antique fairs are held on the Newark, and Lincoln showgrounds about four times a year.

Peace & Quiet

If you simply want to have a peaceful walk or cycle ride, you'll find miles and miles of quiet country lanes and tracks, and very little traffic. Along the way, you'll pass through unspoilt "hidden" villages where time really does seem to have stood still - and there are pubs en route. Or you could drive up to the Wolds and see quite another, very special view of Lincolnshire. There are small market towns with busy market days; you can visit a different one each day of the week. And of course, there's the coastline of either Lincolnshire or Norfolk to explore. Most of it is half an hour's drive away.