Drove northeast to Lincoln, past Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Coventry, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Newark-on-Trent.
In Lincoln we parked at the top of the steep hill near the castle and had a look around the castle grounds and the cathedral.
We walked down the steep hill called ‘Steep Hill’, where some of the roadside shops from the 12th century were selling cheese and paintings and fossils and tat.
Down in the town we walked along the river. J bought a skirt and we had a coffee in a Waterstones bookshop.
Drove to the Donington-on-Bain, and then a short drive to nearby villages to find a suitable open pub for tomorrow’s walk. Goulceby no good, but the Green Man at Scamblesby looked promising. Back at The Black Horse in Donington-on-Bain, hoping to check in at 4.30, but found the pub didn’t open until 5:30, so we walked over the fields up to a wood and a large pond.
Watched the birds for a bit, found a field full of reeds, and came back to check in.
Nice friendly pub, low ceilings, wooden beams, not bothered by decorators since the 1970s. Chatted with a couple who’d come from Horncastle 10 miles away. They taught us some local dialect, e.g. “triffle traffle” for a windy road. Lovely meal, good pint of White Rat beer.