Connecting with my south-Asian roots on a traditional Indian yoga retreat in the UK
On a weekend break in rural Lincolnshire, the ‘smiling yogi’ takes this ancient practice back to its origins, with an emphasis on mantras and mindfulness
December 2023
Country diary
Country diary 1948: a twist in the tail
16 December 1948: My Lincolnshire curly coats uphold the theory that a pig will do well if its tail has a clockwise twist, badly if anti-clockwise
November 2023
Car-free UK
Car-free east of England: a Christmas castle, winter walks and fairytale villages
There’s so much to see in and around Lincolnshire and Leicestershire this Christmas – from nature reserves to medieval towns – and it can all be done without a car
October 2023
The pub walk
On the trail of vikings: a stroll under vast Lincolnshire skies to a 14th-century pub
A walk on the wolds side to a haunted foodie pub through historic, rolling Tennyson country
May 2023
‘As good as Yorkshire but without the tourists’: the pure poetry of Lincolnshire’s Tennyson country
The Lincolnshire Wolds are marking their 5oth anniversary as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with events from hedge-laying to star gazing
March 2023
Country diary
Country diary 1948: role of the bike in rural life
18 March 1948: The work of the farm labourer, ditcher, hedger, market gardener or teacher could not go on if it were not for the ordinary safety bicycle
February 2023
Country diary
Country diary 1948: a lively bus ride to market
4 March 1948: On a recent visit to town a man boarded the bus with a couple of live cockerels tied together and laid them on the floor
October 2021
Car-free coast
Gourmet haddock and lilac skies: a car-free break in Grimsby and Cleethorpes
Forget its tacky reputation, this Lincolnshire seaside conurbation is enjoying a renaissance based on its miles of golden sands
June 2021
UK seaside revival
My return to the Fens and their coast – a land of brooding intensity
Revisiting his childhood haunts of Skegness and Mablethorpe, our writer finds the epic landscape surrounding them a good place to be alone yet still connected
March 2021
Observer special: Secret Britain
Sun, sea and perfect crowd-free sands on the Lincolnshire coast
This flat edge of England offers beaches, big skies, windswept walks and towns steeped in history
January 2021
Country diary
Country diary 1971: orange streak signals the coming of dawn
18 January 1971 Across the Wash, the colours are a symphony of green and grey as marsh merges into mud flats and sea and sky on the distant horizon
October 2020
Walk back in time: four historic hikes in England’s woodlands
Walking in the footsteps of Oliver Cromwell and James Herriot, and taking in ancient forests, high moors and spectacular timeless views
June 2018
Observer picture archive
Observer picture archive: Butlin's holiday camp, Skegness, 5 June 1983
Photographer Barry Lewis travelled to the pleasure palace on the east coast of England, to document Brits having fun.
December 2017
Seals the deal: a winter wander on the Lincolnshire coast
In winter, visitors can get close to hundreds of mating and pupping seals on the coast between Grimsby and Skegness, while sandy shores offer bracing walks and some of the UK’s finest seafood
November 2017
British boltholes
The Masons Arms, Louth, Lincolnshire: hotel review
This 18th-century pub, in one of Britain’s favourite market towns, has been spruced up – all modern angles and bold statements. But a few rough edges remain
April 2017
Country diary
First steps on the stone road to Banbury
Country diary: Stamford, Lincolnshire Discovering that the Jurassic Way not only glanced my door but set off from it, I decided to walk it piecemeal
December 2016
British boltholes
The Elm Tree, Spilsby, Lincolnshire: hotel review
A new five-star B&B on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds offers bags of comfort and a chance to explore one of the country’s underappreciated rural areas
May 2016
Off to Cleethorpes, for sea, sand and style
British boltholes
The Bull & Swan, Stamford, Lincolnshire: hotel review
April 2016
British boltholes
The New Inn, Great Limber, Lincolnshire: hotel review
Our reviewer puts aside his political prejudices and laps up the Downton Abbey-dreamscape, top food and idyllic setting of this swanky country pub on a posh estate