The Perfect Day
By Mandy Appleyard
The sun was setting across the flat lands as we enjoyed a pot of tea on the pretty outside terrace. We could smell our homemade lasagne baking in the oven as birds roosted around us and night fell in the direction of the sea.
It was the end of a perfect day at Seaside Lodge on Anderby Creek – a slice of cosy coastal chic beside one of Britain’s best beaches, stretching north and south, totally unspoiled, for as far as the eye can see.
It was our first trip away from home with our beach-loving cockapoo, so our happy days started with a long walk over the dunes and along the sands.
Back at Seaside Lodge, we decided on a full fry-up breakfast. The Lodge is beautifully equipped and appointed: it’s clean and contemporary and just a little bit Cape Cod, with décor shades of grey and tasteful furnishings. The welcoming hamper was a lovely touch.
The garden is cute with views across the lake, it’s just a minute’s walk to the beach from here, and the light, open-plan kitchen/living room makes a perfect holiday space.
Our days in Anderby were spent exploring this unsung corner of the country: bird-watching at the nearby Round and Round House where you can take a seat at the Cloud Bar, the UK’s first purpose-built cloud viewing platform where you can sit back and stare at those giant East Lincolnshire skies.
On the days we wanted to travel further, we rambled through the nearby Wolds and wandered round the Gibraltar Point National Nature reserve. We called at 18th century Gunby Hall and Gardens, went shopping in the pretty market town of Louth and had a rather grand afternoon tea at Washingborough Hall.
A short drive back to Anderby Creek gave us time for another beach walk – our dog was in seventh heaven – before a sundowner G&T in the garden at Seaside Lodge and the happy contemplation of an evening looking at the bird life across the lake before it was time to light the wood burning stove and settle inside for that lasagne.
This, surely, is what English seaside holidays are all about.