I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed their time however they spent it. We hosted my husband’s family which meant Christmas dinner for 11 and I’m now putting my feet up and relaxing as I type this with a glass of wine.
For my last post of 2021, I’m going to wrap up the Christmas trips I’ve taken during the festive period. After my operation, I had all of November laid up in bed recovering, and then in December I was able to get out and about at around 50% of normality again. From the new year I go back to work, so I was really grateful to manage a few days out in December. I was booked to go to Hamburg which would have been amazing, but Omicron put paid to that so the final trip I took pre-Christmas was to Lincoln, England.
I’ve visited and written about Lincoln before – you can see my post of what to do there HERE (including a Castle, Cathedral, Victorian prison and even the Magna Carta), but on this return visit it was all about getting festive.

The best Christmas spots in Lincoln
A. Lincoln Castle
Lincoln Castle was originally built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, and its main draw is the wall walk which is one of the best preserved in the country. On this Christmas visit, it was super misty so the famous views out to the Cathedral were very blurry and murky, unlike the crisp clear views I had on my previous visit (post HERE). Regardless, the Castle’s light trail is often voted one of the most beautiful in the country and it’s easy to see why!




The light trail runs through the middle of the castle at ground level, along a path lined with lit up Christmas trees, finishing with a light arch which pumps out fake snow every 10 minutes. The big kid in me loved it. It then continues with a climb up some steps to get to the wall. The trail is lit in fairy lights and purple strobe lights, making for a striking effect in the night sky.


B. Lincoln Cathedral
You can see Lincoln Cathedral from the Castle, but it’s worth going in it to see the magnificence of its architecture and enjoy the internal Christmas decorations – stunning traditional big trees.



C. Steep Hill
Lincoln Castle and Cathedral are at the top of aptly named, Steep Hill. On the hill are lots of gorgeous shops, cobbled streets and pretty views. There are a number of tea shops on the way up, serving mulled wine, mince pies, afternoon teas and lots of other festive treats. We particularly liked The Bookstop Cafe and Bells Tea Shop.



We also chose to eat both lunch and dinner around the Steep Hill area (yes, I know we did a lot of eating and drinking for just a one night stay!), and both Cafe Zoot and Thailand No.1 were delicious!




D. High Street and Shopping area
The main shopping area of Lincoln lies at the bottom of Steep Hill, and it has more of the modern high street shops (though not as much character!). It also has a nice waterfront which is good for a little stroll. Over the Christmas period, there is even a tiki bar which pops up called Thors, serving mulled wine and alcoholic hot chocolates, perfect for a little stop off!



Getting to Lincoln
Getting to Lincoln is fairly straightforward. There is a direct train from London King’s Cross which takes just over 2 hours, or you could drive direct from the capital in about 3 hours.
It’s also easily accessible from other major cities by train such as Nottingham (1 hour), Sheffield (1.5 hours) Manchester (2 hours), Leeds (2 hours) and Cambridge (3 hours), meaning it’s a really great weekend break or overnight stay option in England to see somewhere a bit less touristy, but just as beautiful.

Where to stay in Lincoln
We chose to stay in a really central hotel – The Castle Hotel – because it was within walking distance to everywhere we visited. It was a good place to stay and not too expensive either, so I highly recommend it if you’re looking to stay in the city. I don’t think you really need more than 1 night to see all that Lincoln has to offer, so it’s easily do-able as a little mini break.




What do you think of my festive jaunt to Lincoln? As I’d been before to do most of the things there are to do in the city (post HERE), this visit was more about getting festive and relaxing – which meant enjoying the Castle light tour, doing a bit of shopping and eating and drinking lots. It was a good way to switch off and as my final post of 2021, all that’s left to say is – Happy New Year everyone!
I’ve heard good things about Lincoln, and mostly from your posts! The city is stunning at Christmastime, with all of the Christmas trees everywhere (especially inside of the cathedral). The lights at night are truly festive, and they help to take one’s mind off of the cold (and current COVID situation), even if for just a brief bit. Enjoy the rest of your holidays, Han!
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It really is worth a visit, there’s not loads to do there but it’s a good day trip/overnight stay option I think to break up between getting from London to the North of the country. I loved the castle lights too and thought they were beautiful. Thanks so much for reading and commenting, and have a happy new year’s eve however you’re celebrating 🙂
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Lincoln looks great at Christmas! I am envious of your photos of the cathedral and castle in the mist. The conditions, lighting and your skill as a photographer produced photos that should win an award. The next time I visit England I will definitely visit some of the beautiful places like Lincoln that your posts have highlighted.
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You are far too kind to me John, but the lights were definitely beautiful and photo worthy so I’m glad you enjoyed the post 🙂 I so hope you get to come to England again one day, and you know where I am if you want to know some of the lesser known/off the beaten path signs. Thanks so much for reading and commenting – Happy New Year!
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Beautiful sites to see..but the Wall Walk would be high on my list.
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Thanks Anita, and I agree – the wall walk was definitely the highlight 🙂
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You visit the nicest places, Hannah 👍 I’m glad that your Christmas was nice, and thank you for sharing the holidays with your readers 😊 It all looks very interesting, including the wall walk to the Cathedral!! Wishing you & yours all the best in 2022!!!
🍫🌹🥂
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Aw thanks Phil, it was a lovely Christmas time trip to see all the lights. And then Christmas day at home with the family was nice. Happy New year to you too, thanks as always for reading 🙂
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Lincoln is a delightful place Hannah and your festive post paints a lovely picture of the city. We visited in January 2019 and have such fond memories of walking up Steep Hill, visiting both the castle and cathedral and dining in the cosy tea shops and inns.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the post Marion, that’s lovely of you to say. Steep Hill is lovely isn’t it and I think Lincoln is a great day trip/overnight stay destination. Have a happy new year, however you’re celebrating it 🙂
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ohhhh such pretty pictures of the Cathedral with the purple light glowing. Looks like a lovely place to visit!
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So glad you like it Linda, thanks so much for reading 🙂 And a happy new year to you as well!
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Beautiful photos!
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Thank you so much – and a happy new year to you 🙂
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Lovely town and it looks like like you had a good time 😊.
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!
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Thanks so much, it was a lovely trip. Und dir auch ein Frohes Neues Jahr 🙂
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Lincoln looks like a lovely place to visit over the holidays. I love all the festive decorations and lights at the Lincoln Castle. How cool that there’s even fake snow. Looks like you had some delicious food as well. Enjoy the rest of your holidays and have happy New Year.
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The castle was really beautiful and I’m so glad you enjoyed the post – thanks so much for reading and a happy new year to you too 🙂
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Wow, I love your walk at the cathedral and castle in the misty conditions – that is probably the closest to magical you’ll ever get! And what a lovely place you choose to stay. Like you said, the perfect way of saying goodbye to 2021 … now, it’s on to all the wonderful adventures of 2022 – cheers to that 🥂.
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I definitely thought it was magical with the purple lights and mist 🙂 Yesssss, let’s hope 2022 is a good one for all of us!
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Great post and lovely looking area. Your smile says it all! Very pretty. Feliz Año Nuevo.
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Ahh thank you, glad you enjoyed it – and a happy new year to you both too 🙂
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Lincoln looks made for Christmas, especially Steep Hill. I could see it dressed up like a scene from a Dickens novel.
I wondered where the ‘i’ had gone too. I feel a bit bad, that was probably someones really good idea. I’m sure lots of people stood there to complete the word.
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You know, I said to my husband – I feel like I’m in Dickens. It was all misty, we could hear carols on one side and drunken chatter from the pub on the other. I was expecting to suddenly be in Victorian England or something!!! Hahaaa, you’re so right about the ‘i’ – it was a bit confusing!!! Happy New Year Helen 🙂
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Looks so beautiful! I’d love to do the wall walk and visit all the lovely little shops 😍
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It’s a lovely city to spend a day exploring 🙂 Happy new year!
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Thank you! Happy New year to you too! Best wishes for 2022 🎊🎊🥂
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I really wanted to go to the Lincoln Christmas Market, but it was all finished well before we arrived in England. Then I set my sights on the Nottingham Christmas Market, but with Omicron we cancelled all of our day trips. Thanks for this post, as it gave me a Christmastime taste of Lincoln when in real life I’d only ever seen it in summer. Happy New Year!
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Ahh I did see it was only on for one weekend. We missed the market too, but it was still lovely to see all the lights. I’m sorry you had to cancel all your day trips – we went to Lincoln on the 17th so were a bit worried, but it was completely fine and actually really quiet. Fingers crossed you get to visit the Christmas market there one day soon! 🙂 Happy new year!
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How beautifully festive and cosy Lincoln looks Hannah. Seems you had a great time, would love to visit if we could somehow squeeze it in, As for the food my god, roast dinner… Thai… and that epic looking lasagne. Merry Christmas and wishing you a much better 2022 all round!
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Thanks Leighton – we did have a really nice time. I’m so glad you’re safely in England and am looking forward to seeing your adventures whilst you’re here! The food in Lincoln really was tasty, and the city is worth visiting if you can spare a day. Have a happy new year; let’s hope 2022 includes lots of adventures for all of us 🙂
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that castle light tour is incredible! What a fun and festive place to visit and a lovely place to read about as we ring in the new year. Here’s wishing you a wonderful new year! 🙂
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Thanks Meg, it definitely got me festive that’s for sure. A happy new year to you too 🙂
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Beautiful pictures, Hannah!
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Oooo, the cathedral looks so creepy in the mist! And I LOVE the look of the Bookstop cafe! Also lol’d at your caption about the sign, I would have totally assumed it was stolen too HAHAHA. That Thai place looks delicious too… have to say, I’m quite sold on Lincoln from this post! It would make a good layover if we were driving down to Ash’s family in Kent, which we are planning to do in the next few months. 🙂
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It really does, doesn’t it?! I felt like I was in a Dickens novel or something. The Bookstop cafe was great, and I can vouch the chocolate brownie there was delicious – as it was Christmas I had mulled wine with it, but their hot chocolates are also great. I’m so glad you like the look of Lincoln, I think it’s a perfect stop off. It doesn’t need more than a day – though going in the castle is worth it as inside there is an old Victorian Prison you can tour, plus a copy of the Magna Carta to see as well. Near the Cathedral is also the Old Bishop’s palace which is worth popping in to, and if you’re in to war history or anything then The Bomber Command Centre is just outside the city centre. Ash’s family is a long drive from Scotland, so hopefully Lincoln can be a worthwhile stop off 🙂
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The wall walk photo is so mysterious and wonderful. Enjoyed this tour of Lincoln!
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Sounds like a wonderful time! Great pictures!
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Lincoln is somewhere I’ve not yet visited, but it does look pretty and a great place for a break at Christmas.
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Thanks so much for reading Jan, and glad to show you around Lincoln – I hope you get to visit one day soon.
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