Mablethorpe

Fish and chips on the promenade taste better when you can hear the North Sea properly rolling in. Mablethorpe delivers that authentic seaside experience without the Blackpool crowds - this is proper Lincolnshire coast where the beach stretches for miles and the air still smells of salt and seaweed.

The town's got that slightly faded charm that makes British seaside resorts so endearing. Golden sands extend as far as you can see, backed by traditional beach huts and the kind of seafront that hasn't changed much since the 1960s. It's refreshingly unpretentious.

Wildlife enthusiasts should make the short trip to Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve, where rare birds nest among shifting sand dunes and salt marshes. The nature reserve here offers some of the best birdwatching on the east coast, particularly during migration seasons when the skies fill with plovers and turnstones.

Inland, Gayton Engine Pumping Station tells the fascinating story of how this flat landscape was reclaimed from the marshes. All Saints' Church in nearby Theddlethorpe is worth a look too - medieval stonework that's survived centuries of North Sea gales.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the A52 brings you straight from the A1, though it's a bit of a trek from anywhere major. The nearest proper shopping is back in Louth, about 20 minutes inland. But that's rather the point.

Staying at one of the holiday parks dotted around town puts you right in the thick of it. Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park and Parkdean Resorts Sunnydale Holiday Park both offer easy beach access, while sites like Mablethorpe Camping and Caravanning Club Site give you that classic British caravan holiday experience. The beauty of basing yourself here is having miles of unspoilt Lincolnshire coast on your doorstep, plus easy day trips to the Wolds when you fancy a change from sand between your toes.