UK Winter Break In Lincoln

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Each year my parents visit Lincoln in the UK. They love a weekend away there in the historic city and surrounding area. Lincoln have a rather large Christmas market the first weekend in December, and my parents have been for the last few years. The one time I was meant to go with them was 2010 and it snowed so much we had to cancel our trip. This year I finally got to visit and see what all the fuss was about. It turned out to be the perfect UK winter break I needed on my short visit to England to catch up with my family.

NOTE: Lincoln canceled the Christmas market in 2023 however it seems undecided if it will be back in 2024.

Where is Lincoln UK?

Lincoln is a small city in the county of Lincolnshire. It’s in the East Midlands which also basically describes its location within the UK. The town is overrun with fantastic history and old buildings lining every charming (but steep) street you walk down. From where my parents live in Carlisle, Cumbria it’s a 3 hour drive to Lincoln. From London it’s about the same, 3 hours whether you travel by road or train. The city of Lincoln is perfectly situated for a great weekend getaway and the ultimate UK winter break. If you want to find out more about my hometown of Carlisle then read all about it here.

Why should I visit Lincoln in winter?

While the town is delightful to visit all year round, there’s this one weekend in December where Christmas basically bulldozes into town leaving no tree unadorned, no surface un-twinkly lighted and no cheer un-spread. It is, in a word, festive. Sure it’s a little chilly, but where isn’t in the UK?! It might rain a little, but again I ask where doesn’t it in the UK?! Wrap up warm with plenty of layers and an umbrella/rain jacket just in case and you’ll be fine. The good news is that Lincoln has dozens of cozy little tea shops so you can run in for a hot drink and warm up if you need to. Perfect for a little UK winter break.

Where should I stay for the Lincoln Christmas market?

Now here’s the thing, Lincoln only has the Christmas market for the one weekend, so it gets SUPER busy. My parents book in advance to make sure they get a reservation, but they actually prefer to stay outside of Lincoln since it gets quite expensive during the Christmas market weekend. They also only like to go in for the Christmas market one day and spend another day going somewhere else nearby.

Because of that they set their base at the Travelodge in Blyth on the A1. It’s easy access to get in and out, and since traffic also gets crazy with the Christmas market, this way they don’t have to deal with it on the day they leave. Smart plan. The Travelodge, while nothing fancy, is warm and cozy and the staff are absolutely amazing. Plus there’s a little village close by that has one of the best pubs…I’ll get to that.

If you want to spend more than one day going around the Christmas market (you might) or doing a lot more Lincoln has to offer then perhaps staying in the city itself would be better than 40 minutes away, but worth considering. It all depends on how much driving you want to do on your UK winter break in Lincoln.

Day trip to Ripon on the way

Our UK winter break started with a stop off in Ripon, North Yorkshire. We were looking for somewhere to break the journey up a bit, and settled on Ripon as none of us had ever been. What a wonderful choice. We parked in the large town center car park and walked into the town. The first thing we noticed was there were lots of little cafes. All offering the “best Yorkshire tea”, Tetley of course. We ate at a little place called The Yorkshire Tearoom for lunch and it was lovely. We all got a pot of tea, lunch (soup, jacket potato and omelette), and a slice of delicious rhubarb ginger cake with rhubarb and ginger jam. All for £18.

After lunch we walked around the cathedral which was free entry. The cathedral has a link to Lewis Carroll (of Alice in Wonderland fame) and you’ll see a couple of references to him and his famous characters. You can look into the crypt, part of the original church from the 7th Century. Yes you read that correctly, the Seventh Century. Making this the oldest church building in the UK that’s been in continuous use. Ripon has a nice town center with a number of cute shops and pretty buildings.

The town also has a couple of really interesting looking museums: the workhouse museum and the police museum. I was excited about the police museum, mostly because they had an old police call box there. Doctor Who fans out there will immediately think of the Tardis like me. Unfortunately the museums are seasonal and had closed a couple days before until February. At least I got to see the Tardis, I mean police call box, though.

What to do in Lincoln City and around

Ok here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. What the heck is there to do in Lincoln? Well here are a few things that should keep you busy for the day or weekend. I will warn you though, Lincoln is on a hill. And I’m not just talking slight incline of a hill, I’m talking straight up might-as-well-be-vertical hill, that my poor Mum was struggling with a bit. Take your time when walking it! While the first of these activities in Lincoln is clearly seasonal, the rest can be done any time of year if you visit outside of December. So whether it be a UK winter break or a summer one, enjoy Lincoln.

Lincoln Christmas market

Duh! I mean, that’s the whole reason I went there in winter. You have to time it right and plan in advance though, because as I mentioned earlier the Christmas market is only for one weekend (Thursday afternoon to Sunday) a year in December. The market takes over the small cobble-stoned streets and although it doesn’t start until 10am each day you’ll need to arrive in Lincoln much earlier if you want a parking space (unless of course you’re staying in Lincoln). The market was much bigger than I had imagined, and while some stalls were repeated, there was enough of the individual craft stalls to keep you busy.

There was a lot of food and drink, hot food to eat there and other local foods to take away. Lincoln is famous for it’s meat (mostly sausages) and cheese so you’ll find both in abundance. There were baked goods, sweets, mince pies and world foods. There was also a great deal of beer and other drinks to try. I got myself a nice couple of local “Christmas” beers named after reindeer. I also treated myself to some Dutch pancakes, grown up marshmallows (vegetarian friendly – no gelatin) and yummy roasted pecans.

Local craft shops

Like you haven’t done enough shopping at the Christmas market, then there’s the regular stores. They line the steep hill up to the top where the market starts, and you’ll probably end up stopping in a few even if it’s just to get your breath back. There are some nice craft stores and book stores. There are places to get local wines and beers, cheeses or baked goods. And of course there are Christmas type items.

One of the stores we passed was selling the most aromatic wreaths that were made using fir trees, pine cones and citrus fruits. It took me a while to wonder why I kept “smelling Christmas” wherever I went. If I hadn’t been traveling, I would have loved to have gotten one of those.

Lincoln Cathedral

At the top of the hill is Lincoln Cathedral, looming over the city. It’s a beautiful old building and well worth a walk around. The cathedral is £11 and given how much there is to see you’ll be happy to give a few pounds to visit. You can also book this tour on Viator and get the admission and a walking tour. Inside the cathedral is a copy of one of the Magna Cartas (yes there’s more than one).

There are also colorful stained glass windows you can’t help but admire. Since it was Christmas time they had opened up the Chapter House as a bit of a tea room. Offering hot and cold drinks, mulled wine and snacks we went in for a bit and sat down out of the cold. Another plus about traveling in December is that a lot of cathedrals have choirs singing carols. Lincoln did, so did Ripon come to think of it. Lovely to sit for a few minutes and listen. To

Lincoln Castle

It has a castle too? Sure does! Lincoln castle is actually where part of the Christmas market is during December. You walk through the castle gates and the grounds are the start of the massive market. That means you get to see around a bit of the castle for free. To tour the whole castle costs about £16 but it’s a great place to look around so I highly recommend it if you have time.

Also they have an original Magna Carta on display there. You’ll see mentions of the Magna Carta all over the city, you can even go for a pint in the Magna Carta pub. The castle gives a 10% English Heritage discount for those of you who have a membership. The castle walls are a great way to get some views of the city and the surrounding area including the cathedral and the streets below.

Tea and cake

It wouldn’t be England without a little afternoon tea. It doesn’t have to be the high tea experience, but you can still go to a number of lovely little cafes and tearooms in Lincoln for an afternoon cuppa and a slice of delicious cake. My favorite and my parents’ favorite place is The Lawn Cafe. It’s a little cafe around the back of the castle. We went in their for breakfast (full English anyone) but also had a lovely afternoon cup of tea and cake.

Shopping in the town center

It isn’t all Christmas stuff and small independent shops, there are a lot of bigger well-known brands in Lincoln if you want to do some shopping while you’re there. Instead of turning to walk up the hill to the castle and cathedral, turn the opposite direction and you’ll pass the big names like Marks & Spencer, Primark and others. Depending if you’re just visiting the UK or from there, you may or not be as interested in these shops, but they’re always work checking out – especially if the weather’s cold.

Sample some local cheeses

Lincoln, as I mentioned before, is well known for both its meat (specifically sausages) and its cheese. Because of that you’ll find plenty of shops to buy these things which is great if you live in the UK, or if you’re staying somewhere that is self-catering. That way you can get some. But even if you’re not able to buy your weight it cheese, there are lots of samples to be had. My favorite of the shops was the Mouse House Cheese Company which has some delicious cheese for sale (and to taste). Personal favorites are the mango cheddar and the cranberry cheddar. Both are sure to put you in a cheese coma.

Looks at some old buildings

Yes, there’s the castle and the cathedral. But Lincoln has a lot of other little buildings that are really old and interesting. There are a lot of them around the castle area including some historic pubs and shops that you should wander into. Just take a walk along some of the side streets and check out the amazing architecture.

Ride the Ferris wheel

Now, this is only around over the Christmas market weekend, so it’s not a permanent fixture in Lincoln. However if you are visiting in December and it’s that weekend then make sure to take a ride on the Ferris wheel.

If you thought walking through the streets to look at the buildings was cool, imagine seeing them from way up high. With views over the entire city and on a clear day as far as the coast, it’s a fun family treat.

Antiques hunting

As with any small town in the UK it seems antique shops are easy to find. Probably because all the cities are older in the UK, people find a lot more old stuff that ends up in antique shops. Whether you’re looking for coins or medals, ornaments or glassware, clothing or furniture, you’ll find it all in the antique shops here. On the way up the big massive hill there’s an antique shop Lincoln Antiques and Collectibles which is definitely worth a look around. I found some wonderful antique glass bottles that had been painted different colors so I can make them into light fixtures. My Dad is always interested in the coins they carry in there.

If you want to go a little further then Hemswell Antique Centres at Gainsborough is the place for you. It’s huge and full of fun collectibles, operating out of an old airbase in the hangars. It’s about a 25 minute drive out of Lincoln. But if (like us) you’re staying outside of Lincoln then it’s probably on your way somewhere. For us it was halfway between the Travelodge we stayed at and Lincoln.

Gainsborough Old Hall

While you’re off looking at antiques there’s another historic place you should check out. It’s actually in the town of Gainsborough and is the Old Hall. The building dates from before the Tudor times and has that iconic look – a white building with exposed black timbers. The inside is even more impressive. An adult ticket is just under £10 but since this is also English Heritage you could again think about the membership if you are planning to see both this and Lincoln castle.

The hall is famous for having had some rather well known people visit – Henry VIII anyone?! The hall is set up as a museum, really well done, telling the history of the building, those who lived there and how daily life would have been. I was really impressed with the place.

What to eat around Lincoln

Now like I said before there are tea rooms all around Lincoln so that will take care of lunch and some afternoon tea. And honestly if you’re here for the Christmas market on your UK winter break then you’ll probably end up eating a lot of stuff as you walk around. I didn’t end up that hungry while I was in Lincoln. But here are a few places both in Lincoln and around the area (including near out hotel and Gainsborough).

The Lawn Cafe

As I mentioned earlier, this is out go to cafe for a slice of afternoon cake and a cup of tea. But they do excellent breakfast too. Try the shakshuka which is phenomenal.

Magna Carta pub

Named after the document that you will find in the castle, the pub is right outside the castle just before you start to descend the hill. Or it could be the perfect place to get your breath back and grab a pint to reward yourself for walking up the hill. They do sandwiches, burgers and English classics like Fish & Chips. They also have some good vegetarian options.

Pimento

Speaking of vegetarian food, this is Lincoln’s original vegetarian cafe. Veggie places have been popping up all over the place in the city and most menus will cater to vegetarians, but this cafe does it right. They have soups, salads and some heartier food for those looking for a big meal. The veggie curry is always a winner.

The Angel Inn

If like me you’re staying outside of Lincoln at the Travelodge at Blyth village, a local pub called the Angel Inn can’t be beaten. Now this is my parents’ favorite place. The staff are friendly, the pub is warm and cozy, and the portions are big. After all the eating at the market I actually just got some soup which was really good. It changes each day but this day it was butternut squash and apple. They have a phenomenal dessert menu too.

Choose Lincoln for your next UK winter break

I thoroughly enjoyed my few days away in Lincoln. A charming, quintessential British city with great food and activities. We definitely packed a lot into a few days and you really could spend more time exploring even further afield in the area. The Christmas market is the ideal reason to go in December, but it is very busy so if you’re not into crowds I would avoid that weekend. Or you can go around the market a bit and then leave for some of the other things to do.

It ended up a little busy for me, and as you can see in this picture the crowds were huge. But this was the Saturday, and it wasn’t like that on the Friday so perhaps just choose your day better than we did. Either way, a UK winter break is always a fun thing to do, and one with a Christmas market is even better. Don’t let that stop you from visiting Lincoln any other time of year though. The town is just a pretty (and warmer) in the summer.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to Lincoln or any other Christmas markets in the UK? Where’s a great place you’ve gone for a UK winter break?