IF YOU’RE after a country escape that’s easy to get to and not on the usual tourist trail, then consider the historic market town of Grantham where I grew up.
It sits surrounded by rolling hills in the south-west corner of Lincolnshire, one of the most rural counties in the UK.
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This is despite it being just over a one-hour train ride from London’s King’s Cross or a 45-minute drive east of Nottingham.
While fellow towns like Rye in East Sussex or Whitby in North Yorkshire may get all the attention, I can’t help but feel that Grantham makes an underrated getaway…
Surprising famous former residents
I’ve usually found that the first thing that springs to people’s minds when they think of Grantham, is that it was the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher in 1925.
The UK’s former – and first female – prime minister grew up above a shop on North Parade, which now has a commemorative plaque on the wall.
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She also attended the local Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, where she is included as ‘Margaret Roberts’ among the list of head girls, and you can also find items related to her on display in Grantham Museum.
Less well known is that Sir Isaac Newton attended The King’s School in the town, where a stone window sill in one of the original rooms still bears his engraved signature.
What’s more, he famously saw the apple drop from a tree – leading to his discovery of gravity in 1666 – at his home, now the National Trust property Woolsthorpe Manor, in the nearby village of Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth.
Another of his many important legacies is back in Grantham town, as just off the Market Place that hosts a market every Saturday, sits a nightclub called Gravity which is something of a local institution.
A really, really old hotel
At the grand old age of 821, the Angel and Royal is believed to be one of the oldest hotels in the world.
Located on the Great North Road, it was a prime spot for travellers on the the main route between London and Edinburgh from Medieval times until the 20th century.
Originally called the The Angel Inn, one of its earliest royal guests was King John and he stayed there in 1213, two years before signing the Magna Carta.
No fewer than seven kings and queens have visited over the centuries – as well as Oliver Cromwell – and the ‘royal’ was added in 1866 after the future Edward VII had been a guest.
Today, the 31-bedroom hotel features The Kings Room restaurant, as well as The Angel Bar – which serves cocktails and tapas.
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Very, very fancy houses
A short drive just outside Grantham, you’ll find a number of rather grand houses with sprawling grounds to visit.
Closest is Belton House, a stunning National Trust mansion set in 1,300 acres of parkland – that includes a huge adventure playground for kids, and was a filming location for Colin Firth’s Pride and Prejudice and more recently Bridgerton.
You can also hike up the hill to nearby Bellmount Tower, a viewpoint from which – at the time it was built in the 18th century – you could see seven counties.
Then, a 20-minute drive away is Belvoir Castle – pronounced ‘beaver’ – that’s still home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, whose history dates back to the 11th century, and which is open to the public.
In the grounds you’ll find the Engine Yard, a popular retail village that was restored from old estate buildings and which serves local food and artisanal wares.
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Cute, cosy pubs
There are no shortage of places to sip on a refreshing pint or fuel up in Grantham and its surrounding area.
The Blue Pig is a 16th-century watering hole that is a short walk from the impressive St Wulfram’s Church – which has the second-tallest spire in the county.
For more of a country village pub vibe, head to the Chequers in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir, The Stag in Barkston or The Green Man in Ropsley.
Back in the town centre, enjoy a cuppa and cake at family-run café Kitchen and Coffee or Westgate Bakery.
Iconic gingerbread
While Melton Mowbray just up the road may be renowned for its pork pies and the Lincolnshire sausage is produced elsewhere in the county, in Grantham it’s all about the gingerbread.
It is England’s oldest commercially traded biscuit and dates back to 1740, when a man named William Eggleston opened a bakery in the town.
He made the recipe for Grantham gingerbread by mistake while trying to bake another biscuit, and then took his creation around the country.
Local bakeries produced the biscuits up until the 1970s, however Hawkens Gingerbread – founded by another local, Alastair Hawken – has revived the sweet treat. I can vouch that it’s delicious!
Three of the UK’s best seaside destinations to visit in winter
Seahouses, Northumberland
The historic fishing village of Seahouses on the Northumberland coast is the ultimate cosy bolthole in the depths of winter.
While the summer crowds may have moved on, a blustery walk across the beaches to the north and south are the perfect way to blow away the cob webs and offer a tantilising view of Bamburgh Castle.
Trebarwith, Cornwall
Cornwall is flooded with tourists in summer, but in winter the crowds disperse and much-loved beaches like Watergate Bay are pretty much deserted, meaning you can enjoy its seven miles of sand and craggy caves all to yourself.
Stay close to Trebarwith Strand, near Tintagel, which is breathtakingly beautiful with beachside sunsets that could rival those in the Caribbean.
After a blustery walk along the beach, cosy up in the Port William, a cliffside pub with snug sofas next to roaring fireplaces and huge windows overlooking the waves
Barry Island, Wales
Even in the winter, day-trippers should make a beeline for Whitmore Bay — a huge crescent of golden sand that’s backed by a promenade of busy cafés, and fish and chip shops.
Get your pulse racing at the Barry Island Pleasure Park, it has a rollercoaster, log flume, dodgems and a waltzer.
It even comes into its own in the winter thanks to Winter Wonderland, with this year’s attractions set to be announced soon.
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