Golf Courses

We are ideally placed for a number of excellent golf courses.

The Lincolnshire Golf Club at Torksey, which hosts top national RAF tournaments as well as regular inter-county championship matches, is only 2 miles from The Black Swan.

 

The Gainsborough Golf Club, owned by top club's manufacturer PING, boasts 2 x 18 hole courses. The Black Swan regularly hosts PING customers from all over the UK coming to the factory for custom fitting of their clubs followed by testing them out on the nearby fairways and greens.

Both these clubs have excellent Club House facilities including restaurants, and are both open to visiting players.

Also within reach of The Black Swan is Woodhall Spa, home of the English Golf Union, where previous visitors to The Black Swan have also played the highly challenging courses.

Why not book a 2 - 3 day break with us and play several of these courses. There are also many other local attractions for non-playing wives or family.

Gainsborough Golf Club - 01427 613088 - www.gainsboroughgc.co.uk

Antiques

Within 20 minutes of The Black Swan we have two of the biggest attractions for antiques buyers/collectors in the UK.

At nearby Newark and Swinderby, selling Fairs (often in succession giving a total 5 days) are held very regularly throughout the year (Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec) and are reported as the largest such sales in Britain. Black Swan guests from Japan, Israel, Isle of Man and elsewhere use these fairs as a core part of their business, as do amateur collectors. Even though the keenest buyers claim to snap up the best bargains at 5.00 - 6.00 am., our personally tailored service at The Black Swan ensures all guest are offered breakfast at a time or method to suit.

Besides the many shops and village centres also selling antiques, the Hemswell Antiques Centre brings together 270 shops/dealers in 3 adjoining buildings making this Europe's largest such antiques centre. It is ideal for browsing, purchasing and taking a leisurely snack or meal break. Open 7 days per week and with plenty of off-road car parking.

Why not spend 2-3 days or more covering several of these specialist centres and let us help tailor your days with us to take advantage of all that is on offer.

For more details -

www.dmgantiquesfairs.com - Newark
www.arthurswallowfairs.co.uk - Swinderby
www.hemswell-antiques.com - J & K Fairs (Lincoln showground) - 01472 813281

Airfields, Aviation Heritage, Bomber County, Air Force Memorials

Besides being within 10 minutes of RAF Scampton (home of the Red Arrows who can often be seen practising esp. Oct - March) and in easy reach of RAF Waddington (large Air Show last w/e of June/first w/e July plus daily public viewing) and also the RAF Staff College at Cranwell, the area has an amazing 24 WW ll airfields, museums and memorials to the part played by Britain and many other countries in World War II. Family and friends of these brave airmen find much of real interest in these sites.

There are numerous sources of information on all these special interest sites both in printed leaflets that can be sent to you or via the numerous web sites listed.

www.lincsaviation.co.uk
www.waddingtonairshow.co.uk
www.newarkairmuseum.co.uk
www.west-lindsey.gov.uk
www.visitlincolnshire.com

Why not plan at least 2 - 3 days staying with us and let us help you visit those sites of particular interest to you.

Historical Churches and Christian Heritage

Christian tradition in this part of Lincolnshire dates back to 635AD and possibly as early as 314AD. The ages and range of church buildings from Saxon, through Mediaeval, to the noted modern church of St John Baptist (Ermine) (1962) include Stow Minster (975), Lincoln cathedral (started in Norman times but essentially 13th.C.), Marton (Saxon) and the magnificent example of the Georgian "classical" city church of All Saints Gainsborough, can easily fill a 2 - 3 day visit.

After the Reformation Gainsborough was a centre for religious dissenters prior to some making their way as Pilgrim Fathers to a new life in America. In the 18th.C the birth and rapid rise of Methodism was begun at The Old Rectory at nearby Epworth, home of John and Charles Wesley.

There are excellent guides to churches of widely ranging architectural and cultural interest throughout Lincolnshire. Only slightly further afield are the cathedral church at Southwell which exhibits the beautiful 14 piece sculpture "The Stations of The Cross" by Jonothan Clarke. And just over an hour takes you to York with its famous Minster and other attractions.

We can help you arrange a full and interesting 2 - 3 days visiting such sights, with or without one or two other attractions for those who want to combine seeing churches with other interests.

Useful contacts can be found at -

www.west-lindsey.gov.uk
www.epwortholdrectory.org.uk
www.northlincs.gov.uk
Lincoln cathedral via - www.visitlincolnshire.com
www.lincolncathedral.com
www.southwellminster.org.uk

Other Local Attractions -

Gainsborough Old Hall -15th C. Manor House open to the public.
www.gainsborougholdhall.co.uk

Gainsborough & District Heritage Centre - shows the importance of "industrial" Gainsborough in the 19th & 20th Centuries. The Model Railway Museum has a fine scale model layout of Kings Cross and other East Coast mainline stations.
www.gainsboroughheritage.com

Trinity Arts Centre - this converted church hosts drama, music and film.
www.trinitytheatre.net

Blyton Raceway - for competition class stock and grass track racing plus red letter day driving experiences.
www.blytonraceway-parvizracing.co.uk

The River Trent and Fossdyke Canal for recreational water activities.
www.ontrent.org.uk

The Bransby Home for Horses - a top charitable trust caring for rescued horses.
www.bransbyhorses.co.uk

Hewitt's Windmill - a working mill producing organic flour.

Plus numerous other attractions - tell us your interests and we'll put a suggestion list to you.

Dining - there are a number of excellent places to eat within 15 minutes drive of The Black Swan. Probably the best is the award winning Cross Keys at Stow where ex-QE ll chef Richard Davies produces a high quality but constantly varied menu (see typical menu on About Us page by clicking here) at very reasonable prices. Guests at The Black Swan can be driven and collected to The Cross keys or other local venues if required.

 

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