Grange Farm Orchard

Any animal-mad kids with you? They might well appreciate a trip to Northcote Heavy Horse Centre (five minutes’ drive) to pet ponies, learn to groom Shire horses and watch raptor displays. At ARK Wildlife and Dinosaur Park (15 minutes), you can be zookeepers for the day, looking after rare rescued big cats, meet the meerkats and let toddlers loose at the soft-play centre. Rather be splashing around on the beach? Head straight for Skegness (20 minutes), where there’s plenty for families to do as the sandy expanse is backed by fun fairs, go-karting and a ten-pin bowling alley. For a more sedate seaside visit, the grassland and dunes at Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve (35 minutes) are a haven for wading birds – and you might be lucky enough to see grey seals basking too. If you fancy some gentle retail therapy, Louth (half an hour) is a pretty Georgian-era town – incidentally with the tallest church spire in the country, where weekly markets are stacked with Lincolnshire cheeses and plum loaves, and loads of shops sell quality local foodie produce. It’s also the spot for browsing antique stores to pick up fine porcelain, vintage clothing and military memorabilia.