A wedding in Lincoln left us hunting for a campsite within easy (and cheap) travelling distance of the city centre. Only one presented itself and proved reasonable cheap so Hartsholme Country Park was the place for us. The camp site is run by the city council as part of the country park and is adjacent to the visitor centre and a short stroll from Hartsholme Lake. There are 26 touring pitches and 10 tent pitches, and pitch fees are per unit with no additional per person charge (always welcome for our family of 5 in our fairly small van!).
The site is neat and well kept, surrounded by hedges with good sized plots and a gap between each. The ground was level, but about an inch below the surface there appears to be a hefty layer of gravel, which made pegging in the awning almost impossible. Only our sturdiest pegs were up to the job, most just bent. The toilets and showers were close to most of the plots (further from the tent pitches though) and accessed via a keycode, as they are right in the country park (there are also public toilets just across the yard so no mass of park users trying to sneak into the campsite loos!). They were spotlessly clean and in good condition, hot (free) showers and a utility room next door with 2 washing up sinks and 2 clothes sinks.
The camp site sits in the grounds of the former Hartsholme Hall, with many remnants of the Victorian landscaping around the house (demolished after the 2nd world war) and a large lake which once served as a water supply reservoir for the city. The lake and grounds are now home to an array of wildlife, including a vast number of Herons nesting in tress on the lake’s central island. Further to the south are several more lakes formed by gravel quarrying (which probably explains the pesky ground conditions on the campsite). The park makes a great place to walk or cycle round, has a large playground for the kids, a cafe (of the greasy spoon/ice cream stand variety) and a ranger station. The only reminder of the fact you are still in the City of Lincoln is the single towerblock visible from the site (soon ignored though in favour of the rest of the views).
Lincoln City centre is just a few miles away, and there is a regular bus service (every 10 mins daytime and hourly in the evenings) which we used to get into town. 5 minutes walk away are 2 convenience shops and a fish and chip shop.
We had original only booked in for 2 nights, but liked the location so much we booked a further 2, and didn’t regret it. Despite being fairly full for some of our stay the site was always quiet, the country park was great, the wardens friendly and helpful and the location really convenient. What’s more this site didn’t come with an over inflated price tag, we were charged just under £20 per night in half-term, week for a campervan and awning, with electric hook up. Highly recommended by us.
