Goulceby

Goulceby itself has no hotel, but its position midway between Horncastle and Louth means a good range of accommodation is only a short drive away in either direction. Both are traditional Lincolnshire market towns with a mix of coaching inns, independent guesthouses and bed and breakfasts, many set in Georgian or Victorian buildings in the town centres. Horncastle, known for its antiques trade, tends to suit visitors who want to browse shops and explore on foot, while Louth, built around the spire of St James' church, has a slightly larger choice of places to eat and stay. Staying in one of these towns puts you within easy reach of Goulceby, Red Hill Nature Reserve and the wider network of walking routes through the Wolds, while still giving you proper pubs, shops and restaurants on your doorstep in the evening. If you would rather stay in the countryside itself, the glamping pods at the Three Horseshoes in Goulceby are the closest option to hand, and are covered in more detail below - many visitors choose to combine a countryside stay there with day trips into Horncastle or Louth for a change of pace.

Goulceby is small, so most days out mean a short drive into the wider Wolds, but there is plenty within easy reach.

• Red Hill Nature Reserve - a Site of Special Scientific Interest just outside the village, notable for its exposed red chalk quarry face rich in fossils and for wildflower-covered chalk grassland that is unusual anywhere in England.
• The Viking Way - the 147-mile long-distance path linking the Humber Bridge to Oakham passes through the Wolds close to Goulceby, and short circular sections make for excellent half-day walks through the surrounding valleys.
• Horncastle - a compact market town about seven miles away, informally known as one of Britain's best antiques towns, with dozens of shops including a large multi-floor antiques centre housed in a former factory, plus a regular Thursday market.
• Louth - the handsome market town on the other side of the Wolds, built around the tallest working parish church spire in England at St James', with a well-preserved Georgian and Victorian centre, independent shops and a Thursday and Friday market.
• Cadwell Park - a well-known motorsport circuit set into a natural amphitheatre of the Wolds just a few miles from Goulceby, hosting motorcycle and car racing through the season.
• Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service walks - way-marked routes such as the "In the Footsteps of Kolkr" trail around Goulceby and Asterby link the village's Viking history to the landscape it sits in.

The Three Horseshoes on Shoe Lane is the village's own pub, run on a relaxed, partly self-serve basis where guests can pour their own draught beer or cider, with a beer garden, board games and food alongside its campsite and shop. Beyond the village, Horncastle and Louth both have a decent range of independent cafes, restaurants and traditional pubs, and Louth's Thursday and Friday markets are a good spot to pick up local produce.

Camping in England always requires the landowner's permission - wild camping without consent is not legal here, unlike in Scotland - so the sensible approach around Goulceby is to book a proper site rather than pitch up on open land. The village's own Three Horseshoes combines a pub, shop, campsite and glamping in one spot on Shoe Lane, with space for tents, campervans, caravans and motorhomes alongside insulated and heated glamping pods and huts built to be used all year round. It is a genuinely useful base if you want to explore the Lincolnshire Wolds on foot or by bike without driving far each morning.

The terrain here is gentler than it looks on a map - the Wolds rise only to around 550 feet at their highest, but the valleys and chalk streams give the walking real variety, and the ground can turn heavy after rain, so it is worth choosing pitches with good drainage and packing accordingly if you are bringing your own tent. Nearby Red Hill Nature Reserve, with its exposed red chalk quarry and wildflower grassland, is an easy walk or cycle from most sites in the area and is at its best from late spring to late summer.

May to September is the most comfortable stretch for camping here, with long evenings for sitting out and drier ground underfoot; the Wolds can catch a stiff breeze even in summer, so a sheltered pitch is worth seeking out. Outside those months, the insulated glamping pods at the Three Horseshoes are a good way to enjoy the Wolds' quieter, colder-weather charm - autumn colour in the beech woods and crisp winter walks - without needing to rely on a tent. Whichever you choose, book ahead in peak season, as sites in this part of Lincolnshire are relatively few and far between compared with the coast.