Mumby

Mumby is a small village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, sitting on the A52 around nine miles north of Skegness and just inland from the stretch of coast that runs from Chapel St Leonards up through Anderby Creek. Its name comes from the Old English 'Mundesby', recorded as 'Mundebi' in the Domesday Book of 1086, and for centuries the village was known as Mumby cum Chapel, its parish stretching all the way to the sea. That changed in 1895, when Mumby cum Chapel was legally split in two, with the coastal half becoming the separate parish of Chapel St Leonards. What's left today is a scattered, unmistakably rural village of flat arable land, drainage dykes and big Lincolnshire skies, with the Grade I listed St Thomas's Church, largely Early English Gothic in style with Victorian restoration, at its centre.

The village lies within the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park, a protected corridor of dunes, saltmarsh and farmland that runs along the coast from Sandilands down to Chapel St Leonards and inland to Hogsthorpe, Anderby and Huttoft. That means Mumby makes a peaceful, unhurried base a short drive from proper sandy beaches, while also being close to the market town of Alford and the rolling chalk hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds. It's the kind of place with no attractions of its own to speak of, but plenty within easy reach — which suits anyone looking for a quiet rural stay rather than a resort.

Top things to do near Mumby

Most of the day-out options near Mumby are along the coast, a few miles east, or inland towards the Wolds and Alford.

• Anderby Creek beach and the Cloud Bar — A quiet, unspoilt sandy beach rated among the UK's best, with the Cloud Bar, a small artist-designed shelter with cloud-spotting mirrors and identification charts, looking out over the dunes.
• Chapel Point and the North Sea Observatory — A short walk or drive up the coast from Chapel St Leonards, Chapel Point is home to the North Sea Observatory, with views out over the water and displays on the area's coastal defences and wildlife.
• Mumby to Hogsthorpe walks — Waymarked Coastal Country Park walking routes link Mumby with the neighbouring village of Hogsthorpe across open farmland, passing village pubs including the Red Lion in Mumby itself.
• Anderby Drainage Museum — A volunteer-run museum in a former 1945 pumping station that once drained over 9,000 acres of surrounding land, a reminder of how much of this landscape has been shaped by drainage engineering.
• Alford — A traditional Lincolnshire market town at the foot of the Wolds, with a Tuesday market, a windmill, and easy access into the Wolds' quieter lanes and villages.
• Skegness — The area's big traditional seaside resort, with its long beach, pier, funfairs and Natureland Seal Sanctuary, around nine miles south.
• Lincolnshire Wolds — An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of chalk hills and quiet villages inland from Alford, good for slower drives and walks away from the coast.

Getting to Mumby

Mumby sits directly on the A52, the main coast road linking Skegness to Mablethorpe and Louth further north, so it's straightforward to reach by car. Skegness, with its train station on the branch line from Grantham and Nottingham, is around nine miles south and the nearest railway connection; from there it's a short drive or taxi on to Mumby. There's no station in the village itself, and public transport is limited, so a car is the practical way to explore the surrounding coast and countryside.

Best time to visit Mumby

Summer (June to August) brings the warmest weather and the best chance of a beach day at Anderby Creek or Chapel St Leonards, though the coast here can be breezy even in high summer. Spring and early autumn are quieter, with the farmland and Coastal Country Park at their most walkable, and the Wolds inland particularly good for a slower pace. Winter is very quiet indeed — bracing rather than bleak, and a good time for long coastal walks with nobody else about.

Where to stay near Mumby

Mumby itself has little in the way of formal accommodation, but the surrounding area is well set up for touring holidays, with caravan and camping parks scattered through the Coastal Country Park villages of Anderby, Huttoft and Chapel St Leonards, plus cottages and B&Bs further along the coast towards Sutton-on-Sea and Mablethorpe. Skegness, a short drive south, has the widest range of hotels and guesthouses if you want to be closer to a full range of shops and restaurants.

Food and drink near Mumby

The Red Lion in Mumby is the village's own pub, sitting on the Mumby to Hogsthorpe walking route. A little further afield, Popa's Bar at Anderby Creek serves local, seasonal food just steps from the beach, while The Grange Pub & Restaurant in Chapel St Leonards has a big beer garden and a straightforward, family-friendly menu. Sutton-on-Sea, a few miles up the coast, has a good spread of seafood and café options, and Skegness and Alford both offer a wider choice of restaurants and takeaways for an evening out.