A Family-Friendly Weekend Guide to Lincoln, UK (2024)

Having recently returned from a brilliant family-friendly weekend in the UK, we wanted to share our guide to a weekend in Lincoln.

Now, we must admit that Lincoln wasn’t a destination that we’d previously considered visiting as a family. Having only visited the city once before – many moons ago for its Christmas Markets – we hadn’t really thought about returning with our newly turned three-year olds.

However, and when Classic Cottages kindly invited us to stay in one of their luxury holiday cottages in Lincolnshire, we decided it was time to return to this hugely underrated city and get exploring.

And we are so glad that we did.

We enjoyed the perfect weekend away to celebrate our children both turning 3, and Lincoln offered a fantastic blend of family-friendly activities, great restaurants, and creative and independent shops.

From dragon hunting at Lincoln Castle, to taking Olive and Henry for their first cinema experience, our weekend in Lincoln was the perfect family-friendly getaway.

Following on from our trip, we’ve rounded up the best things to do in Lincoln with kids, alongside the best luxury cottage in Lincolnshire.

Here’s our family-friendly weekend guide to Lincoln, UK.

Family-Friendly Cottage Rental in Lincoln, UK

During our weekend in Lincoln, we stayed at the wonderful Cliff Cottage, booked via the fantastic Classic Cottages.

We’ve been fortunate enough to stay with Classic Cottages on a number of occasions, including during a family trip to Sussex last year. We can highly recommend them if you’re looking for high quality accommodation at affordable prices (something of a rarity these days).

Ranked second out of all holiday cottage companies in the UK, Classic Cottages has been named as a Which? UK Holiday Cottage Recommended Provider – just another excellent reason to book your UK holiday cottage escape through Classic Cottages.

Cliff Cottage, Classic Cottages

Cliff Cottage is located just a 10-minute drive from Lincoln city centre.

Situated on a working farm, Cliff Cottage is ideal for a large family gathering, with plenty of space both inside and out. We actually decided to stay at Cliff Cottage due to its rural location, as we knew it would be ideal for two energetic three-year olds , all whilst being a short drive to Lincoln itself.

Cliff Cottage can be found down a long, private road and is a large detached farmhouse that has been designed with space and comfort in mind. As two families, we always require a lot of space in our holiday cottages, and Cliff Cottage supplied that (and some), with two sitting rooms, a large kitchen, five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

With plenty of space for Olive and Henry to run around in, Cliff Cottage was a really relaxing space to enjoy, with plenty of rooms to escape to without us feeling like we were living on top of one another.

Our favourite part of the cottage was the large living room extension that provided panoramic views across the surrounding fields. Much to Olive and Henry’s delight, there was plenty of wildlife enjoying the cottage’s garden, and we spent hours watching hares, rabbits and even foxes wander past the large windows.

And, of course, if your child is a tractor lover, then Cliff Cottage is heaven on earth.

Browse more of Classic Cottage’s holiday cottages in Lincolnshire

Weekend Guide to Lincoln: 11 Best Things to do in Lincoln

If you’re planning a trip to Lincoln with kids, below is a round-up of family friendly activities to do in and around the city. If you’re a parent, then worry not, we promise that you won’t be bored to tears with the activities listed below – we enjoyed them just as much as our kids.

1. Lincoln Castle with Kids

Any guide to a weekend in Lincoln must begin with a trip to the mighty Lincoln Castle.

Built by William the Conqueror in 1068, Lincoln’s Castle has been at the centre of the city for a whopping 1,000 years.

Aside from its rich and dazzling history (most of which small children won’t appreciate), the castle’s grounds are ideal for kids, with large dragon sculptures dominating its green spaces. Olive and Henry loved the dragons, declaring they were called ‘Zog’ and chatting wildly about dragons, knights, and princesses.

What’s better, the Castle grounds are free to explore and are an ideal place to bring a picnic on a summer’s day (although you will need to pay extra for the ‘wall walk’ – more on this below).

Medieval Wall Walk

The Medieval Wall Walk at Lincoln Castle was a huge hit with our 3 year olds, and on a bright and sunny morning, it was a pleasure to stroll around. You do need to pay for access to the Castle walls, which are accessible via a spiral staircase or lift.

Adult tickets cost £11 and under 5s go free.

The walk provides picture-perfect views of the nearby Lincoln Cathedral and the surrounding city. We highly recommend picking up an audio guide, which points out key buildings and monuments in Lincoln.

2. Lincoln Cathedral

After exploring Lincoln’s Castle, it’s time to head across the square to the breath-takingly beautiful Lincoln Cathedral. Built in 1072, the Cathedral is one of Europe’s most finest examples of Gothic architecture.

We like to think that we’ve seen a lot of beautiful buildings during our time as travel bloggers, but Lincoln’s Cathedral truly took our breath away. Olive and Henry were equally excited as we approached the Cathedral; desperate to chase each other through the nearby archways.

Access to the main atrium of the Cathedral is free to enter, but in order to tour the floors, you will need to pay for admission (this includes guided tours of all the levels and a tower tour).

Adult tickets cost £11 (£7 on a Sunday) and under 16s go free.

3. Kinema in the Woods

If you’re looking for a unique cinema experience while visiting Lincoln (and are willing to embark on a small road trip), then definitely head to The Kinema in the Woods.

This boutique cinema was suggested by our lovely Instagram community and we quickly discovered that not only was it just a 40-minute drive from our holiday cottage, it was also showing the new Peppa Pig Cinema Party film.

Joy.

We decided to take Olive and Henry here for their first cinema experience. Founded in the 19th century, The Kinema in the Woods is located (unsurprisingly) deep in the woods of Woodhall Spa (a popular destination in itself).

Family owned, this delightful little cinema is a quirky delight; full of collectable movie memorabilia, a traditional popcorn machine, and beautiful galleries to enjoy your film in.

For those watching a more ‘adult’ film, then there is even an interval during the film and on Saturday evening, an organist performs on stage.

This is the perfect location for a more quirky date and definitely one of the best things to do in Lincolnshire.

4. Doddington Hall and Gardens

We drove past Doddington Hall and Gardens on our way to our Classic Cottages holiday home  – and I immediately grabbed my phone to get a photo of its grand entrance.

Boasting beautiful grounds, building and a surprising number of restaurants and shops, Doddington is a great choice for a family-friendly day out in Lincoln.

During our visit, the Spring Bulb Pageant was just launching, which runs until April. Unfortunately, we were a little too early to fully appreciate all of the beautiful spring flowers, but we would highly recommend a trip if you’re visiting Lincoln between February and April.

A privately-owned Hall, Doddington has lots of shops that I was able to sneak around as Olive explored the gardens with my husband. The Home Store, in particular, was a wonderful shop packed to the rafters with gifts, and I highly recommend taking some time to explore (if you can escape the children for a bit).

5. Daisy Made Farm

During our long weekend in Lincoln, we headed to Daisy Made Farm, thanks to another recommendation from our Instagram community.

We spent a perfect afternoon here, enjoying crazy golf (the perfect size for toddlers) and eating some of the most delicious ice cream we’ve ever tasted in the UK.

In fact, it seems that Daisy Made Farm is known far and wide for its ice cream and there’s even a drive-through option on the farm. Olive found this particularly funny, watching people pull up to the little hatch and drive away clutching treats.

The Farm also has a great playground and a small area with some farmyard animals. As any parent of a small child knows, all of the above makes for a winning combination to pass the time.

6. Bransby Horse Sanctuary

Located just a few miles north of Lincoln is Bransby Horse Sanctuary. As a charity, the Sanctuary is free to enter and offers the opportunity to meet some of its four-legged residents, alongside picturesque walks, a picnic on the grounds or a trip to the café for a bite to eat.

It’s a great thing to do with kids in Lincoln.

7. Whisby Nature Park

If you’re looking for family-friendly things to do in Lincoln, then definitely head to Whisby Nature Park. As well as offering plenty of leafy trails and walks to explore, there’s also an excellent children’s indoor and outdoor play area.

If you’re a keen bird watcher, then Whisby is also a twitcher’s heaven come summer, when you can expect to see swallows, sand martins, warblers and gulls.

8. Enjoy Lincoln’s Independent Stores

Any weekend guide to Lincoln wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the city’s excellent variety of independent shops. As Olive and Henry enjoyed running up and down Lincoln’s steep hill (our partners were exhausted), we managed to nip into a few stores.

Some of our favourite shops were: Mouse House Cheese Shop, The Shambles Antique Centre (allow yourself plenty of time here if you love antique-ing), Goodies traditional sweet shop, Follie homeware and The Little Pottery Shop.

All of these stores can be found in the city centre and are worth exploring, among many other shopping opportunities at the bottom of Lincoln’s hill.

9. Enjoy a Cosy Sunday Roast at the Duke William

During our weekend in Lincoln – a cold weekend in February – we were eager to find a cosy pub to enjoy a delicious Sunday roast. As the parents of 3 year olds, we find that trying to find somewhere with an excellent roast offering, yet still being child-friendly, can often be tricky.

However, we struck gold with the Duke William.

Located in the city centre, the Duke William offers cosy nooks, candlelit tables, delicious roast dinners and mini servings for children. After a busy weekend in Lincoln, our roast at the Duke William, complete with a large glass of red wine, was perfect and an ideal way to end our time in the city.

10. Lincoln Ghost Walk

If you enjoy nothing more than learning about a city via its ghosts and ghouls, then make sure you book onto a Lincoln Ghost Walk. Offered either on a bus or by foot, the ghost walk operates in the old Cathedral Quarter all year round.

‘Hear’ from executed prisoners, the ghosts of Lincoln’s pubs and search for the eery sound of footsteps across the empty stages of Lincoln’s theatres – all whilst learning about the history of this ancient city.

Unfortunately, with two small children in tow, we didn’t have time for the Ghost Tour – but would most certainly add it to our weekend in Lincoln itinerary if our children were older (or we were enjoying the city solo).

11. Ole Ole Tapas

On the recommendation (yet again) of our Instagram community, we headed to Ole Ole Tapas in Lincoln for a long, lazy Saturday afternoon lunch. Stepping into the colourful restaurant – the smell of sizzling prawns and paella wafting on the air – and we were immediately transported to a far warmer climate.

A family-run restaurant, Ole Ole serves up delicious, authentic Spanish cuisine, alongside Spanish wines. There was plenty for Olive and Henry to eat, including vegetable paella, potato croquettes, crusty bread and dip, and a selection of meats.

We hugely recommend adding Ole Ole to your itinerary for a weekend guide to Lincoln.