Discover Lincolnshire Weekend: Lincoln, Torksey, Marton, and Retford and Gainsborough Garden Centre

A visit to Lincoln today with Siobhan, my support worker. This weekend has been Discover Lincolnshire Weekend 2018 when many tourist attractions in Lincoln and across the county had free admission.

We visited the cathedral and the castle grounds which are free to enter anyhow, and the Bishops' Palace, which usually charges an entrance fee.

We left Lincoln at about two o'clock and the plan was to call on the way back at Torksey Lock to look at the boats moored at the marina and have cream teas at the cafe. Unfortunately both parking areas were full and so we continued driving until we reached Torksey village where we had a short roadside stop for me to take photographs of the church. I was very disappointed with the church here, apart from the tower the entire building has been rendered with concrete...absolutely horrid!

A few miles further on at Marton  the church is much better to look at...and photograph.

We finally got to have our cream teas at the cafe at Retford and Gainsborough Garden Centre at Beckingham; very reasonable prices and pleasant surroundings.

Lincoln Christmas Market 2017

Another Christmas market to visit today, this time with Siobhan, my support worker. We didn't need to worry about having to find anywhere to park because a 'park and ride' system was in operation at the Lincolnshire Showground, right next to R.A.F. Scampton where the Red Arrows aerial display team is based. Four of the pilots spent several hours practising some of their aerobatic manoeuvres and we got to see them at close quarters both as we arrived in the car, and again before we set off for home.

Fortunately it wasn't too busy when we reached the city; I would imagine it will get a lot busier for the rest of the weekend - we still struggled to find somewhere to sit down and have our cream teas though by mid-afternoon.

The Christmas market was based along several streets, inside half a dozen or so large marquees, inside The Assembly Rooms, within the castle bailey...and there were even a few stalls inside the cathedral. There was also a mediaeval fair inside the Bishops' Palace but we didn't go inside because we had to pay [it was only £1 though]...maybe it was really because we were a bit short of time. We stayed at the top of the hill and didn't go down Steep Hill to the lower part of the city; I think Siobhan's ankle would be hurting her - not just because of the steep gradient, but also the cobbles which she finds difficult to walk on.

The food market was the largest and best by a long way that I've visited: I bought a game pie and a Christmas pie - there is turkey, pork, cranberries and stuffing inside the Christmas pie.

I have never seen such a colourful display of cheeses.

After a a quick visit to the toilets we entered the castle bailey, looked at the stalls there and then left by the gatehouse at the far end before spending some time exploring the area near to the cathedral.

There is plenty to look at inside the cathedral...

...and many different angles for me to photograph of the outside of the building.

   

On our way home we briefly called at Stow; the church here is quite large and impressive - it's actually an ancient Anglo-Saxon minster.