With unlimited exercise now permitted during lockdown, parks and green spaces in Lincoln are more enticing than ever with an abundance of picturesque scenery and wildlife to enjoy.
Some people have been making the most of the sunny weather, running in the local parks, walking their dogs and going for walks in other local places of natural beauty.
People are not permitted to meet in groups of more than two. They may see one person from another household outside if they keep at a two metre distance as per social distancing guidelines.
The Lincolnite has compiled a guide of highlights of places you can enjoy in and near Lincoln during lockdown and beyond. With a wide range of places to explore it should make social distancing easier.
Hartsholme Country Park & Swanholme Lakes Local Nature Reserve
Hartsholme Country Park. Photo: Visit Lincoln
Hartsholme Country Park on Skellingthorpe Road covers more than 200 acres and people can enjoy socially distant walks and cycle rides through the lakes and ornamental grounds. The Wooded and Lakeside Nature Trails are open as usual, with all footpaths and open areas accessible to the public.
Swanholme Nature Reserve can be found sharing the same boundary as the park. Parts of the park can be accessed through the nature reserve, which was formed from a series of flooded sand and gravel pits.
Boultham Park
Boultham Park. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite
The 50 acre park on Boultham Park Road has green space, woodlands, a lake and a variety of wildlife.
Some of Lincoln’s famous swans are regular visitors to the park’s lake, as well as geese and coots. There are also large green spaces and a bandstand, along with a host of other facilities.
The Arboretum
The Arboretum. Photo: Visit Lincoln
The Arboretum on Monks Road is a 22 acre park situated in Lincoln’s Cultural Quarter.
The park is of Grade II historical importance and contains gardens, lakes and fountains.
South Common
The South Common. Photo: Copyright Glyn Drury
The South Common is a popular grassy park in Lincoln.
It can be entered from South Park Avenue or Newark Road and contains more natural spaces with ponds, shrubs and wildlife.
West Common
Lincoln West Common. Photo: Visit Lincoln
The West Common can be entered from the west end of West Parade, from Carholme Road or from Long Leys Road.
The 100 hectare green space has lovely views of Lincoln Cathedral and horses can also be found grazing across the whole area.
Whisby Nature Park
Whisby Nature Park. Photo: Visit Lincoln
Whisby Nature Park in Thorpe-on-the-Hill near Lincoln is full of wildlife, walks and trails.
The lakes at the park are surrounded by grassland, marsh, scrub and willow carr and there is an abundance of lovely surroundings to walk around. The car park is currently open, but the cafe and other activities are closed.
Witham Valley Country Park
Whisby Nature Park is one of the locations within the Witham Valley Country Park. Photo: Visit Lincoln
Witham Valley Country Park is made up of a variety of individual public green spaces, with plenty of opportunity for walking and cycling.
It stretches south from the Fossdyke Navigation and contains sites of special scientific interest, nature reserves and local wildlife sites.
Millennium Green
Millennium Green. Photo: Explore Lincolnshire
Millennium Green is a small reserve in North Hykeham of just over 40 acres.
Its predominant feature is a large lake, which is surrounded by a pathway that can accommodate buggies and wheelchairs. The green is bordered by residential housing and more lakes.
Greetwell Hollow Nature Reserve. Photo: Russell Jackson
Greetwell Hollow off Outer Circle Road is a limestone grassland in the valley.
The stream that flows through the centre of the reserve supports wetland plants and attracts wintering snipe, moorhen and heron. There is also an extensive quarry face to the east of the nature reserve. There are dozens of paths that take you over a nice brook which runs through the middle of the nature reserve.
Liquorice Park
Liquorice Park. Photo: Visit Lincoln
Liquorice Park on Yarborough Road is a former orchard and meadow located in Lincoln’s West End.
Until 1818, the park was mainly used as an orchard and meadow, and these features remain in the park today.
Skellingthorpe Woods
Old Wood, Skellingthorpe. Photo: Katherine Jaiteh, WTML
The Old Wood in Skellingthorpe is an ancient woodland that was once a haunt of the vikings.
It has an extensive network of trails for walking, cycling or horse riding.
Temple Gardens
Temple Gardens. Photo: Visit Lincoln
The grounds of the Usher Gallery, Temple Gardens, are situated in Lincoln’s Cultural Quarter.
Temple Gardens, which now includes sculpture art, has earthworks that are the remains of the walls and defences of the lower Roman city of Lindum Colonia.
Fossdyke Canal Trail
Cycling along the Fossdyke Canal Trail. Photo: Mat Fascione
Fossdyke Canal Trail runs alongside the Fossdyke Navigation, which was built by the Romans to join Lindum Colonia to the River Trent.
It is an important waterway leading west out of Lincoln and you can walk or cycle along the Fossdyke Canal Trail, which runs alongside the canal from Lincoln to Saxilby.
Georgie Twigg Track
The route is entitled the Georgie Twigg Track. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A safe off-road route between Lincoln and Doddington Hall, which was opened by Olympic gold medallist Georgie Twigg MBE.
The track provides a link between Doddington village and the Sustrans Route 64, which carries on to Lincoln and arrives at the Brayford Waterfront.
Lincoln Castle
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Lincoln Castle is getting ready to re-open its beautiful grounds to the public from Saturday, May 23.
A one way system is being introduced as the gateways are narrow and wouldn’t allow for a two metre gap to be created if visitors were allowed to enter and exit at the same time.
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
There have been 845 COVID cases recorded in Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, as the UK passed 52,000 daily for the first time since July.
NHS vaccination data released on Thursday revealed that 1,131,705 doses COVID jabs had now been handed out in Lincolnshire. Of those, 545,844 were second jabs – around 86% of the total 634,453 population of Lincolnshire.
Nationally, a further 52,009 cases have been reported in the UK – the first time above 50,000 since mid-July and meaning there have been nine consecutive days of more than 40,000 cases. A further 115 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test.
The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:
845 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 663 in Lincolnshire, 99 in North East Lincolnshire and 83 in North Lincolnshire.
Five deaths were recorded in the government figures with four in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire.
Hospital data showed three furthers death at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.
NHS vaccination data showed 5,340 doses given out in the past week, 1.14% doses fewer than the previous week’s 5,402.
Some 567,458 people over the age of 18, and 18,403 under 18s have received their first dose, while 544,271 over 18s and 1,573 under 18s were double-dosed.
In North East Lincolnshire a total of 217,641 doses of the vaccine have been administered, with 104,865 second doses.
In North Lincolnshire, 243,725 doses have been handed out, with 117,277 being double-jabbed.
Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to October 21. | Image: GOV.uk
Prime Minister Boris Johnson this afternoon said the UK was in a “much better position” than last year but added the country must “fortify” further.
“The most important thing people can do is just get that booster jab – when you get the call, get the jab,” he said during a visit to Armagh.
“The numbers are high, we see can see what’s happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs, and to vaccinate the 12-15 year olds as well.”
He said the government was “sticking with our plan” among calls to move to Plan B – which would include mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces.
To find out more about where you can get your booster jab and who’s eligible. Click here.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, October 21
131,118 cases (up 845)
87,049 in Lincolnshire (up 663)
21,493 in North Lincolnshire (up 83)
22,576 in North East Lincolnshire (up 99)
2,384 deaths (up five)
1,742 from Lincolnshire (up four)
328 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
314 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)
of which 1,433 hospital deaths (up three)
879 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up three)
44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
509 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
Lincoln City goalkeeper Sam Long has joined non-league side Gainsborough Trinity on loan until January.
Long, 18, is an academy graduate at the Imps and made his competitive City debut in the 3-2 Papa John’s Trophy win over Manchester United U21s in August.
He has gone on to feature in two more cup appearances, keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 win at Bradford City, and will now get the opportunity for more first team action at Gainsborough Trinity.
Sam will join fellow Imps teenagers Hayden Cann and Jovon Makama on loan at the Northern Premier League side, managed by former Lincoln City under-18s coach Tom Shaw.
His temporary departure has been facilitated by the loan signings of Josh Griffiths and Archie Mair this summer, meaning that there is now adequate cover for Sam Long to get minutes elsewhere and further his development.
Director of football Jez George said: “As we’ve said previously, we always intended Sam to go out on loan this season so that he can experience men’s football and play regularly.
“It was fantastic for Sam to make his first team debut, play in all three of this season’s Papa John’s Trophy group matches and experience the first team matchday environment over the past 10 months, but now that Archie Mair has joined us on loan from Norwich it enables Sam to get a run of games at a challenging level.
“We will review the arrangement in January and then decide what is best for Sam’s ongoing development for the remainder of the season.”
A mother-of-six who lives near Gainsborough was awarded a damages settlement of £10,000 as a piece of placenta was left inside her after giving birth at Lincoln County Hospital.
The 30-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, suffered an infection, blood loss and pain which made it difficult to bond with her baby girl, who was born on May 26, 2018.
A medical negligence claim was made against United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.
Despite telling midwives that she felt something was wrong at the time, the woman was discharged from Lincoln County Hospital and assured there had been no complications.
However, the woman, who had experienced a similar issue after a previous birth, said the pain caused her to struggle with her new baby at home.
The woman’s solicitor from Hudgell Solicitors said hospital notes stated that the placenta had been delivered five minutes after birth.
However, she suffered constant pains and bleeding and was reviewed at Scunthorpe General Hospital on June 12.
A scan then confirmed a 6cm piece of placenta had been left inside her. She underwent surgery to remove it the next day, but remained in pain and continued to lose blood.
A further scan on June 22 confirmed part of the placenta still remained, but she had to wait until August 20 for another operation, in which the remaining section was removed.
The mother wanted to share her story after a recent YouGov survey into maternity care and birth injury, which highlighted how some mothers feel their concerns are too easily dismissed.
The joint piece of research, commissioned by Hudgell Solicitors and the mother and baby charity Baby Lifeline, showed a quarter of mums were left feeling unsatisfied with the support they received before, during or after giving birth.
Lincoln County Hospital (left) and Scunthorpe General Hospital (right). | Photo: Steve Smailes/The Lincolnite
The Lincolnshire mum said: “It was hard because I couldn’t really do much, I felt bad because I needed family and friends to help look after my baby girl.
“I couldn’t hold her for very long because of the pain. I couldn’t bend down or pick her up to change her or anything like that. It felt like I lost a lot of bonding time with her when she was a baby.
“When I was told I had to have another operation, as they hadn’t got all the placenta out the first time, I was annoyed and it left me having to go back in and be messed about with again. It was another delay when I was still in pain.
“When the scan showed the piece of placenta inside me I felt mad because I warned them after I gave birth that I had the same feeling that I’d had with my previous birth, when it also happened then.
“But I just got ignored and they were just saying ‘it’s normal, it’s fine’. Because I went through it previously I knew that my instincts were right, but all I kept getting told was ‘we’ve checked the placenta, it’s fine, there’s nothing there’.
“When I was on the wards and said I was in pain it felt like they just ignored me. I also told the midwife when she came a couple of days after I had been sent home that I’d lost loads of blood clots, but they just shrugged it off and said it was normal.”
The woman instructed Hudgell Solicitors to look at her case and a medical negligence claim was made against United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.
Sarah Colgrave, a solicitor in the Clinical Negligence team at Hudgell Solicitors, issued a list of allegations that she said “amounted to breaches of care on behalf of the NHS Trusts” and resulted in “unnecessary suffering” for the mother.
The solicitors said overall liability was denied and the Trusts only collectively admitted to a breach of duty of care in relation to a delay in arranging the second surgery to remove the placenta.
After indicating an intention to take the case before a judge in court, the Trusts returned with a five-figure damages offer which was accepted by the woman.
Peter Reading, Chief Executive at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We apologise for the delay this patient experienced waiting for their second operation and are pleased that this has now been settled.”
The Lincolnite also contacted United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust for a statement and are awaiting a response.
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