Louth

Louth's hotels and guest houses make the most of its Georgian townhouses and old coaching inns, many clustered around the market place and the foot of St James' Church, putting you within easy walking distance of the town's independent shops, cafes and pubs. Traditional inns such as those along Eastgate and Mercer Row offer comfortable, no-frills rooms with a proper local welcome, while smaller bed and breakfasts occupy some of the town's handsome period buildings, often with the kind of home-cooked breakfast that sets you up for a day exploring the Wolds.

Because Louth is a compact town, a central hotel or B&B is usually all you need to reach the market, museum and Hubbard's Hills on foot. For a quieter stay, a handful of farmhouse and countryside guest houses sit just outside town in the Wolds villages, offering easy access to walking and cycling routes along with views over the surrounding hills. Whichever you choose, Louth's accommodation tends to be small-scale and independently run, in keeping with the character of the town itself, so booking ahead is worthwhile during market days, the summer months and the town's popular Christmas market weekend.

Louth rewards slow exploration, whether you are wandering its Georgian streets or heading out into the surrounding Wolds. Highlights include:

• St James' Church — the parish church's Gothic spire soars to 295 feet, making it the tallest of any parish church in England; on a clear day you can climb the tower for views stretching to the coast and the Wolds.
• Hubbard's Hills — a much-loved valley park just outside the town centre, with the River Lud running through steep wooded slopes, grassy banks and paths that make for an easy afternoon walk.
• Louth Market — held on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with a farmers' market on the fourth Wednesday of the month and a Food Friday market on the second Friday, selling local produce, meat, fish and crafts.
• Georgian Westgate and the town centre — a walk along Westgate and the surrounding streets takes in elegant Georgian townhouses, courtyards and the independent shops that have made Louth known as something of a foodie town.
• Louth Museum — a small volunteer-run museum on Broadbank covering the town's history, from its coaching-inn days to its wartime RAF connections.
• Lincolnshire Wolds AONB — the chalk hills and hidden valleys that surround Louth are threaded with walking and cycling routes, including sections of the long-distance Viking Way and the circular Lincolnshire Wolds Way.
• Tennyson connections — the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson was a pupil at Louth's King Edward VI Grammar School, commemorated by a plaque on Schoolhouse Lane.

Louth's reputation as a foodie destination is built on its independent shops and traders. Kirkgate is home to a cluster of specialist food shops, and the town's butchers, fishmongers and the long-running M Chapman & Sons bakery are well regarded locally. For eating out, the Wheatsheaf and other town-centre pubs serve traditional food alongside real ales, while cafes such as those on Cornmarket and Mercer Row offer a spot for lunch between browsing the market stalls. The monthly Food Friday market brings additional street food and local producers into the town centre, and several farm shops in the surrounding Wolds villages are worth the short drive for fresh local produce.

Louth sits right on the doorstep of the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of chalk hills, steep-sided dry valleys and quiet villages that is far less crowded than better-known national parks, making it a rewarding base for a camping or glamping trip. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is not legal without the landowner's permission, so plan to stay at one of the established campsites and caravan parks dotted around the Wolds and the nearby coast, several of which offer glamping pods, static caravans and pitches for tents and tourers alike.

The Wolds' rolling terrain, crossed by the long-distance Viking Way and the circular Lincolnshire Wolds Way, makes this excellent walking and cycling country, and a campsite in one of the villages around Louth, such as Tealby, Donington on Bain or South Willingham, puts you within easy reach of way-marked trails and traditional pubs at the end of the day. Anyone wanting a coastal change of scenery can combine a Wolds camping trip with the beaches around Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea, roughly a 20-minute drive from Louth.

Late spring through early autumn is the best window for camping here, when the Wolds are at their greenest, the days are long and campsite facilities are fully open; the Lincolnshire coast can be breezy, so a sheltered inland pitch is worth seeking out earlier or later in the season. For those who prefer a roof over their head without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options in the area range from shepherd's huts and safari tents to wooden pods, many on working farms with views out across the Wolds, offering a comfortable way to enjoy Louth's market town charm by day and its dark, rural night skies after dusk.