Hartsholme Country Park
A circular walk through the beautiful Hartsholme Country Park and Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve in Lincoln. Here you'll find over 200 acres of parkland including Victorian landscaped gardens, lakes, woodlands and grasslands. There is also an excellent Visitor Centre with exhibitions and interactive features on the wildlife and history of Hartsholme Country Park and neighbouring Swanholme Lakes Local Nature Reserve. The park is located a few miles south west of Lincoln city centre.
To extend your walking in the area you could visit the nearby Whisby Nature Park.
The park is located just a couple of miles to the south west and has six waymarked trails to try. The trails take you around a series of pretty lakes with an abundance of wildlife to look out for.
Postcode
LN6 0EY - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Hartsholme Country Park Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Hartsholme Country Park Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Hartsholme Country Park OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Hartsholme Country Park Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
The park has a fine cafe where you enjoy refreshments after your exercise. The building used to be stables that were converted to make the café, visitor centre and toilets in 1978.
You could also head to the nearby Whisby Nature Park and visit the excellent Natural World Centre. There's several refreshment options within the centre including the Boardwalk Bistro. Here you can enjoy hot food and snacks with stunning views over Thorpe Lake and the Nature Park beyond. There's also another cafe and a kiosk as well.
The centre also organises health walks for visitors wanting to improve their fitness levels. These are led by a walk leader and incorporate the different marked trails the Nature Park has to offer.
Dog Walking
The park is great for dog walking but please keep them on leads in the nature reserve and children's play area. Dogs are allowed in the outside area of the cafe only.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Head into the city and you can try the circular Lincoln Walk which visits the cathedral, arboretum, castle and the River Witham. Here you can also pick up the interesting Spires and Steeples walk which runs through the countryside to Sleaford, visiting several pretty villages with historic churches along the way.
The historic village of Skellingthorpe lies just to the north west. There's some interesting buildings and the splendid ancient woodland of Old Wood to see here. Near the village you'll also find the Elizabethan manor house of Doddington Hall. The hall has some beautiful gardens, retail outlets, a bike shop and a mountain bike trail.
For more walking ideas in the county see the Lincolnshire Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Hartsholme Lake. View of the Boat House and White Bridge in Hartsholme Park.
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Hartsholme Lake obelisk. The lake was constructed by the Lincoln Waterworks Company in 1848 as a water supply for Lincoln. In 1868 local industrialist Joseph Shuttleworth built Hartsholme Hall overlooking the Lake. He died in 1883 leaving his estate to his sons Alfred and Frank who sold it to Nathaniel Clayton Cockburn. The estate was subsequently owned by Colonel Thomas Harding and Lord & Lady Liverpool between 1909 and 1939. The hall and park were requisitioned during the war and the building subsequently fell into ruin with much of the surrounding parkland sold for housing.
White Bridge over the lake in autumn
Autumn Colours in Swanholme Lakes
A Forest Glade in Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve. This old sand and gravel workings is now a beautifully varied local nature reserve. Be careful not to stray too far off the paths though as there are many fragile habitats within the reserve.
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Picnic area on a sunny day