Thorpe St Peter

Hotels in Thorpe St Peter itself are hard to come by, as this is a tiny rural parish rather than a resort, but the wider area around Wainfleet and Skegness has plenty of choice for those who prefer a proper roof over their heads. Skegness, just a few miles east, is a long-established British seaside resort with a full range of hotels and guesthouses, from traditional seafront bed and breakfasts to larger family-run hotels geared up for coastal holidays, many within walking distance of the beach, pier and amusements. Boston, a little further south-west, offers a market-town alternative with its own hotels and inns, useful if you would rather be based somewhere with year-round shops and services. Smaller villages around Thorpe St Peter, including Wainfleet itself, have the odd guesthouse or inn with rooms, often attached to a traditional pub. Booking ahead is sensible during the summer season, when the Lincolnshire coast fills up with holidaymakers drawn by the beaches, and rooms in Skegness in particular can be scarce at peak times. Whichever base you choose, Thorpe St Peter and its Domesday-era church are only a short drive away, making it an easy and peaceful day-trip destination for anyone staying on this stretch of the Lincolnshire coast.

The village itself is tiny, but it sits within easy striking distance of some of Lincolnshire's best-known coastal and countryside attractions.

• Skegness seafront and beach — the classic Lincolnshire seaside resort, with a wide sandy beach, pier, amusements and the Jolly Fisherman, is around six miles east.
• Gunby Hall and Gardens — a National Trust-owned 17th-century red-brick house with walled gardens, parkland and woodland walks, a short drive north-west.
• Wainfleet All Saints — the neighbouring market town, home to the Batemans Brewery windmill and visitor centre, just over a mile away.
• Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve — a wild stretch of dunes, saltmarsh and mudflats south of Skegness, excellent for birdwatching and coastal walks.
• RAF Coningsby and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitor Centre — for a look at Lincolnshire's deep RAF heritage, roughly half an hour inland.
• Lincolnshire Wolds — the gentle hills and villages of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty lie a short drive to the west, offering quiet walking and cycling routes.

Thorpe St Peter itself has no pub or restaurant of its own, but Wainfleet, a little over a mile away, has a handful of pubs and cafes, plus the Batemans Brewery visitor centre where the local XXXB ale is brewed. Skegness offers the full range of seaside chip shops, cafes and restaurants a short drive further east.

There are no campsites within Thorpe St Peter itself, but the surrounding Lincolnshire coast around Skegness and Ingoldmells is one of the best-known caravan and camping destinations in the country, with a large number of holiday parks offering touring pitches, static caravans and glamping options within a short drive. It is worth remembering that wild camping is not legal in England without the landowner's permission, so pitching up in fields or on the coast without prior arrangement is not an option here — stick to a licensed site.

The terrain around Thorpe St Peter is coastal-fringe farmland: flat, well-drained and easy walking or cycling country, with dykes and drains criss-crossing the fields rather than any dramatic scenery. This makes it a relaxed spot for a touring caravan or motorhome, and the flatness extends right along the coast towards Skegness and Gibraltar Point, where nature reserve walks are gentle rather than strenuous. Inland, the ground begins to roll gently as you approach the Lincolnshire Wolds, giving a change of scenery for anyone touring further west.

The best season to camp here runs from late spring to early autumn, broadly April through September, when the coast is at its driest and warmest and the long evenings suit an early supper cooked outside the tent. Midsummer is busiest, particularly around the school holidays, when the big holiday parks near Skegness and Ingoldmells fill up quickly, so booking ahead is wise. Spring and early autumn tend to be quieter and can bring good conditions for birdwatching, with migrating waders and wildfowl passing through the nearby Wash and Gibraltar Point reserve.

For those who like their camping a little softer, glamping options including pods, safari tents and shepherd's huts are increasingly available on parks around the Skegness and Wainfleet area, offering fixed beds and heating without giving up the outdoor feel. Combined with the flat, easy cycling country and the proximity of both beach and countryside, the area around Thorpe St Peter makes a relaxed base for a Lincolnshire coast camping break.