Brothertoft

Brothertoft is a scattered farming hamlet with no hotels of its own, so anyone wanting a roof over their head nearby will base themselves in Boston, four miles to the southeast, or in one of the surrounding fen villages. Boston has a workable spread of accommodation for a market town of its size, from traditional coaching inns with rooms in the town centre to budget and chain hotels on the approach roads, making it a practical base for exploring both the town and the surrounding Fens.

Staying in Boston also puts visitors within easy reach of the Stump, the Guildhall and the town's market days, while still being a short drive from the quiet, open farmland around Brothertoft and Holland Fen. For a more rural stay, bed and breakfasts in villages such as Kirton and Swineshead offer a slower pace, closer to the fen itself and the drainage dykes and lanes that define this part of Lincolnshire.

Whichever base is chosen, it's worth booking ahead during Boston's busier market days and any local events, as the town's accommodation stock is modest compared with larger Lincolnshire destinations such as Lincoln or Skegness.

Brothertoft itself is a scattered farming hamlet rather than a visitor destination, so most days out are built around nearby Boston and the wider Fens. Here are some of the best options within easy reach:

• St Botolph's Church (the Boston Stump) — Boston's parish church has the tallest church tower of its kind in England at 83 metres. Climb the 209 steps for sweeping views across the Fens to the Wash, or simply admire it for free from the market square below.
• Maud Foster Windmill — a short walk from Boston town centre, this is the tallest working windmill in Britain and the last survivor of the town's fifteen former mills. Its seven floors of Georgian machinery are open to visitors, and the attached bakery sells flour ground on site.
• Boston Guildhall — one of the earliest brick buildings in Lincolnshire, dating from around 1390. Now a museum, it holds the cells where two of the Pilgrim Fathers were reputedly held after their failed attempt to flee England in 1607.
• River Witham towpath — the river runs close to Brothertoft on its course from Lincoln down to Boston and the Wash. Long, level stretches of bank make for easy walking or cycling through classic Fenland scenery.
• Holland Fen — the wider fen that gives the parish its name is a patchwork of arable fields reclaimed from wetland during the 18th-century enclosures, and a good spot for anyone interested in the engineering and social history of Fen drainage.
• Boston Market Place — one of the largest market squares in England, still hosting a busy market on Wednesdays and Saturdays beneath the shadow of the Stump.

Brothertoft has no pub or shop of its own, so eating out means a short drive into Boston, which has a solid choice of cafes, pubs and restaurants around the Market Place and along the River Witham, from traditional Lincolnshire pubs serving hearty, locally sourced food to independent cafes catering to the town's busy market days. Fenland farm shops in the surrounding villages are worth seeking out too, given the area's strong arable and vegetable-growing tradition.

Camping around Brothertoft means embracing the flat, open character of the Lincolnshire Fens rather than looking for dramatic scenery. This is drained wetland turned into some of England's most productive farmland, so pitches here tend to be on established campsites rather than truly wild ground, and it's worth remembering that wild camping without the landowner's permission is against the law in England, unlike in parts of Scotland. Fortunately the wider Boston area has a handful of well-run touring and camping parks that make a good base for exploring the fen.

The terrain is almost entirely level, which makes for easy cycling and walking between sites, along drainage banks and quiet lanes, but it also means there's little natural shelter from wind and weather sweeping in off the North Sea and the Wash. A sturdy tent, good pegs, and warm kit for cooler evenings are worth packing even in summer, and caravanners and motorhome users will find the flat roads straightforward for towing.

Late spring through to early autumn is the most comfortable season to camp here, with long evenings well suited to the big Fenland sunsets the area is known for. Spring and autumn bring migrating birds to the fens and nearby Wash estuary, a big draw for wildlife-watchers with binoculars and a patient temperament. Winter camping is possible on serviced sites but the Fens can turn cold, damp and misty, so it suits only well-equipped campers.

For those who'd rather skip the tent pegs altogether, glamping options in the wider Boston and Fenland area include shepherd's huts, static caravans and small lodges, giving a taste of the flat, big-sky landscape with a proper bed and roof at the end of the day.