48 Hours for Nature Lovers

Here’s some ideas of places to visit on the Northern side of the River Witham, that could make a great itinerary for your first day exploring local nature around Boston.

RSPB Freiston Shore / The Wash

Freiston Shore provides a great space to explore the wilderness of The Wash, with the sights and sounds of rich saltmarsh. There’s lots of trails to follow, offering opportunities to spot waders, ducks, geese and birds of prey. Freiston Shore sits alongside The Wash, the UK’s largest bay and most important estuary for birds, so here you can experience panoramic views and enjoy the fresh coastal air.

Witham Way Country Park and Local Nature Reserve

Witham Way Country Park is a haven for local wildlife, with a myriad of woodland, grassland, and scrub. Habitats created on-site include a bug park, attracting butterflies and other invertebrates, as well as bird boxes providing nesting sites for owls, while there’s also a wildflower meadow attracting bees and other pollen gatherers. It’s a great place to discover local nature, get some fresh air and head out for a stroll, with plenty of space for a picnic too.

Havenside Country Park and Local Nature Reserve

Overlooking the saltwater stretch of the River Witham, known as The Haven, Havenside Country Park can be accessed on foot by the seabank path. With oyster catchers and barn owls, to bats and common seals, the park is a great place to experience Lincolnshire’s wildlife and is comprised of a superb mix of rough grassland with scrub and brambles, shallow seasonal ponds, mud flat, estuary and cattle grazed meadows. Salt marsh plants such as sea lavender and grasswort colonise the mud. It’s a great place to escape, explore nature and watch as commercial ships pass by.

Dion’s Wood Nature Reserve

The latest edition to the Boston Woods project, these 35 acres behind Pilgrim hospital were landscaped in 2021, with nearly 17,000 trees and shrubs planted by the end of 2022. There are now 3km of paths to uncover and lots of areas with wildflowers growing.

For your second day in Boston, there’s plenty to explore on the southern side of the River Witham.

Fenside Woods

Fenside Woods offers peaceful woodland and all-weather trails. You’ll find wooden carvings dotted along the way, bringing Boston’s local wildlife to life, and lots of picnic benches. Following the carefully tailored trail of paths leading to a pond and small amphitheatre spread through the wildflower meadow, you can experience Boston’s peaceful environment. The woods are accessible from Boston town centre, along a beautiful riverside walk.

RSPB Frampton Marsh / The Wash

This special nature reserve brimming with wildlife throughout every season and offers unique opportunities to see various wetland bird species. There’s plenty to see, including foraging Avocets, boxing Hares and hunting Hen Harriers. Frampton Marsh provides close views of the abundant birdlife of The Wash - the biggest bay in England. Avocets, Redshanks and Skylarks can all be seen in summer, with thousands of ducks gathering on the freshwater scrapes in winter. The lagoon and views of The Wash offer a stunning landscape to trail, with various viewpoints, as well as a visitor centre and café with panoramic views.

Tawnymeade Alpaca's

If you fancy something a little different, Tawnymeade Alpaca’s is the home of Alpaca experiences, with opportunities to get up close and personal with the loveable animals and enjoy a nature filled walk alongside them. From as little as £25, you’ll have lots to tell your friends and family about after this experience.

Sir Joseph Banks Country Park

Comprising over 80 acres of woodland, including Westgate Wood, Oak Wood and Jenny’s Wood, Sir Joseph Banks Country Park provides plenty of green space to explore, just two miles outside of Boston’s town centre. With beautifully crafted wood-carved statues and natural archways dotted throughout Westgate Woods, a wildflower meadow sprawling with natural wildlife in Oak Wood and a gorgeous stone owl tower rising through the fields of ground-nesting birds in the open space of the country park. Jenny’s Woods make a great spot for dog walkers, with meadows, paths, and ponds, as well as a snack shake offering various refreshments and treats for four-legged friends.

• Take a look at RSPB’s bird-watching trips at sea.
• Find out more about Boston’s local seal colony with Boston Belle tours.
• Try some local produce, while gazing over the lagoon, at Frampton Marsh Café.
• Explore more of Boston’s nature reserves and woodlands here.
• Give paddle-boarding a go at Anton’s Gowt.
• Read what RSPB has to say about Frampton Marsh in Spring