Great Steeping

Great Steeping is a small village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, sitting around three miles from the market town of Spilsby. It takes its name from the River Steeping, which once ran closer to the original settlement until a great storm in the late 16th century destroyed the village and forced its residents to rebuild on the present, slightly higher site. The parish also takes in the hamlet of Monksthorpe, and had a population of just 297 at the last census, so this is very much a place of quiet lanes, working farmland and long views rather than crowds or traffic.

The village sits in classic mid-Lincolnshire countryside, on the flat, fertile ground between the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds to the west and the sandy beaches of the Skegness coast to the east. It is an area shaped by agriculture and by its wartime history: on the edge of the village lie the remains of RAF Spilsby, an airfield that opened in September 1943 and by 1944 was home to Lancaster bombers of 207 and 44 Squadrons, before closing in 1958. Little of the runway survives today, but the flat, open fields around Great Steeping still carry the shape of the old station for anyone who knows what they are looking at.

Top things to do near Great Steeping

Great Steeping itself is a residential village rather than a visitor destination, but it makes a peaceful, low-key base for exploring the surrounding countryside and coast.

• Old All Saints Church — a Grade II* listed church built in 1748 on the site of an earlier medieval building, now redundant but still standing in its own churchyard, complete with the socket stone of a medieval churchyard cross, a scheduled ancient monument.
• All Saints Church — the newer parish church, a red-brick Grade II listed building completed in 1891 to a design by architect William Bassett-Smith, which continues to serve the village today.
• Spilsby — the nearest market town, around three miles away, with independent shops, cafes and a weekly market, and the birthplace of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin.
• Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — rolling chalk hills a short drive to the north and west, offering some of the best walking and cycling country in the county, with quiet villages, ancient woodland and sweeping views.
• Skegness and the Lincolnshire coast — the beaches, promenade and family attractions of Skegness are within easy reach, alongside the wilder dunes and saltmarsh of Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve further south.

Getting to Great Steeping

Great Steeping lies just off the A16, the main road linking Boston and Spilsby with Skegness, making it an easy stop for anyone driving the Lincolnshire coast route. Spilsby, three miles away, is the nearest town for shops and services, while Skegness and its rail station are around a 20-minute drive further east. The village has no railway station of its own, so a car is the most practical way to reach it, though rural bus services connect nearby Spilsby with the wider area.

Best time to visit Great Steeping

Late spring through early autumn suits this part of Lincolnshire best, when the surrounding farmland is at its greenest and the Wolds and coast nearby are most rewarding for walking, cycling and beach days. Summer brings the busiest roads and beaches around Skegness, so those wanting a quieter visit may prefer May, June or September, when the countryside is just as attractive without the peak-season crowds.

Where to stay near Great Steeping

Great Steeping itself has no hotels, but Spilsby and the surrounding villages offer a handful of small inns and bed and breakfasts, and the Skegness area, a short drive east, has a much wider choice of hotels, guest houses and holiday parks for those wanting more facilities on their doorstep.

Food and drink near Great Steeping

The village does not have its own pub or café, so for food and drink most visitors head into Spilsby, which has a small selection of cafes, takeaways and pubs, or further afield to Skegness for a wider range of restaurants and seafront chip shops. This is a spot best suited to self-catering stays where you bring provisions with you and make the short trip out for a meal.