Where’s the tallest building in the world? You might find it difficult to believe but for 200 years or more that honour fell to the British city of Lincoln and its magnificent cathedral. The height of that fame was toppled by a storm that destroyed the spire in 1549. Fortunately, then – as now – there is a whole lot more to the city than just its striking cathedral.

So let’s take a tour of just some of the things you’ll find to do and see in the fair city of Lincoln today.

The Collection

There’s probably no better way of getting your bearings than visiting what is known as The Collection – now renamed as the Lincoln Museum, itself a skilful amalgamation of the City and County Museum and the Usher Gallery.

The museum opened as recently as 2005 and already houses an award-winning archaeological collection. This includes priceless artefacts spanning the area’s rich history the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages, followed by the Roman, Saxon, Viking, and Medieval eras.

The museum sits alongside the rather older Usher Gallery that opened in 1927 and displays the collection of artworks by Turner, Lowry, Grayson Perry, and the likes, together with a unique array of clocks, watches, ceramics, and silverware.

Bishop’s Palace

Nestled alongside the stunning cathedral, it might be easy to overlook the gem of Medieval English architecture that is the Bishop’s Palace.

As you wander through the medieval ruins and explore the palace’s beautiful gardens, you can be transported back in time and imagine what life was like for the bishops who once resided here.

In its now tranquil precincts, you can reflect on the fact that this was the administrative hub for the biggest diocese in medieval England. It stretched from the River Humber to the north down to the Thames in the south and its architecture reflected enormous power and wealth.

Lincoln Castle

Also within the Cathedral Quarter, Lincoln Castle has dominated the city’s skyline for close to a thousand years. After his success on the battlefield in 1066, William the Conqueror issued instructions for building the castle at Lincoln in a bid to quell uprisings in the rebellious north of the country.

Deep underground, safely guarded in its special vault, Lincoln Castle houses one of the most important documents in the world. Here you can view an original of the Magna Carta of 1215 and learn about its historic importance as part of the bedrock of English democracy.

Steep Hill

Your time within the Cathedral Quarter will have convinced you of Lincoln’s historic role in British history. Now might be the time to take a stunning overview of the cityscape as you scale Steep Hill.

Just as the name suggests, it’s a bit of a climb, but you’ll be rewarded with some of the finest views of the city from the top – an effort that’s likely to prove more than worthwhile.

You can take the climb at your own leisurely pace, diverted by the many tearooms, restaurants, and independent shops that line the cobbled route.

Brayford waterfront

For a pause in your sightseeing tour of Lincoln, there is probably no more fascinating and restful a place than the historic Brayford waterfront. Once the largest inland harbour in England – the Pool, as it was then known – Brayford waterfront has been transformed into the place to be seen for its restaurants, cafes, bars, and entertainment venues.

As you relax with your favourite beverage in hand, you can gaze across the tranquil waters of the Pool to the sparkling new edifice that is the University of Lincoln campus.

Ellis Mill

The city’s hilltop was a favoured place for windmills – and Ellis Mill is one of the surviving nine mills that once towered over this part of the town.

You can visit Ellis Mill – it is managed by Lincolnshire County Council and an enthusiastic band of volunteers – and see for yourself how corn from the surrounding farmlands was ground into flour.

Ellis Mill itself dates back to 1798. But it is believed that a windmill stood on this site from at least the middle of the seventeenth century.

Summary

If you’ve not visited the city before, you’ll be sure to find that Lincoln offers a wealth of things to do and see.

Summer has finally paid a welcome visit. Take a moment or two to relax in the shade, therefore, and catch up on some of the latest UK caravan and motorhome news headlines.

Campers and caravanners warned to take carbon monoxide seriously

The Welsh newspaper Nation/Cymru on the 23^rd of July carried an appeal for caravanners and campers to pay attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The dangers are especially prevalent when insufficient care is taken when using or failing to maintain camping equipment. Safety advice includes the following:

• never use a barbeque inside your tent, or under the awning (or inside ) your caravan or motorhome;

• don’t use any kind of fuel-burning appliance to heat your tent or under an awning;

• don’t use a diesel, petrol, or gas-fired generator inside your caravan, motorhome, or tent; and

• remember to pack a portable carbon monoxide detector with you on any camping or caravanning trip.

Further safety tips about the dangers of carbon monoxide can be found on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) website.

Broad Lane Leisure calls in administrators

A well-known supplier and retailer of caravans, campervans, and motorhomes, Broad Lane Leisure, has faced such serious financial difficulties that the company is now in administration and in the hands of receivers, reported the BBC last month.

Challenging trading conditions – prompted by a steady decline in demand for the company’s products – eventually proved too much for the West Midlands firm that was founded more than 50 years ago in 1971.

As the Alcester-based, family-run business closed its doors for business, administrators forecast the loss of some 34 jobs.

Optional fee introduced for caravans and motorhomes on the NC500

Many cities and tourist boards throughout Europe have recently highlighted the burden of over-tourism. The latest – possibly surprising – example has been revealed by the Highlands Council of Scotland, revealed the Caravan Times recently. The Council is responsible for the increasingly popular tourist route the NC500.

The 516-mile circular route through some of the most stunning regions of the Highlands starts and ends at Inverness Castle and the numbers using it have grown spectacularly in recent years.

In an attempt to regulate those numbers the Highlands Council has introduced an experimental – and as yet, voluntary – toll for drivers of the NC500. Known as the Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme, a £40 pass grants drivers the use of the route for up to 7 days. The funds collected will go towards improving and maintaining public toilets, wastewater drainage, and environmental protection.

At the moment, the charge is voluntary and optional – although the Highland Council hopes the majority of drivers will recognise their responsibility and contribute to the scheme.

£1M+ investment into Steamer Quay Club Campsite in Totnes

The Totnes Times on the 26^th of July featured a visit by the Mayor of Totnes to work on a £1.2 million redevelopment project of the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s site in the South Devon valley of the River Dart.

The redeveloped Steamer Quay Club Campsite is scheduled to open on the 1^st of October and will feature 46 new serviced pitches (for caravans without awnings), a refurbished toilet and shower block, and all-new electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

The Steamer Quay Club Campsite will be open the year around and is expected to generate as much as an additional annual £1.3 million for local businesses from holidaymakers.

The east of England holds a wealth of things to do and see. Whether you’re interested in history, art, renowned English cities, royal estates, coastal walks, or natural landscapes, the east of England offers something for practically everyone.

So let’s take a glimpse of just some of those sights and activities.

Constable country

Here’s a corner of England that offers a timeless embrace of so much that is great in its art and natural beauty. Just as the name suggests, Constable country is a natural beauty captured in the paintings of an idyllic rural England by John Constable.

You will instantly recognise some of the most iconic vistas of the English countryside the moment you enter the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) that is Dedham Vale, spanning the border between Suffolk and Essex. Along the way, make sure to visit the village of East Bergholt – where Constable was born – and the watermill on the River Stour, Flatford Mill, which inspired one of Constable’s most recognised works.

Sudbury

It must be something in the water they drink in Suffolk because there’s yet another village that gave birth to a renowned English painter – the village of Sudbury, the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough.

Not only can you visit the charming village, though, but also the very house in which the artist was baptised on the 14^th of May 1827 – the Independent Meeting House which you can find on Friars Street and which has been developed by the charitable trust that owns it as a museum and centre for all things to do with Gainsborough.

Sandringham

There’s nowhere quite like the royal estate of Sandringham in Norfolk.

The royal residence of Sandringham House is set in more than 600 acres of parkland which you can explore along well-maintained trails by bicycle or on foot, with or without man’s best friend (but remember to keep your pet on a short lead in more heavily populated area of the park).

The House, its Gardens, and St Mary Magdalene Church are open to the public daily from the 23^rd of March until the 11^th of October – except for the period between the 19^th of July and the 1^st of August.

Holkham beach

Even the beach at Holkham on the Norfolk coast has a royal connection. It is here that a certain Princess Victoria – later to become the long-lived monarch – came in 1835. She was so taken with this escape to nature that she and later generations not only stayed at Holkham Hall but also picnicked in a royal beach hut (said to be a particular favourite of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother).

You are entirely free to roam the endless expanse of unspoilt golden sands before retiring for a spot of shade from the sun or shelter from the wind in the pine forests that back the dunes.

Cambridge

It might have been little more than a day trip, but you can say you went to the University of Cambridge – you could even try your hand at aping student life there by punting along the River Cam.

A visit to Cambridge offers so much more than a peek into the lives of its illustrious students. Towards the end of July, for instance, there is the Cambridge Folk Festival – one of the longest-running annual festivals in the world – countless museums and galleries, theatres, cinemas, and shopping in the outdoor Market Square.

Ipswich

Ipswich in Suffolk is the town that brings the past right up to the present in an appealing blend of the historic and modern.

This charming combination is probably nowhere better expressed than Ipswich Waterfront. Here, modern restaurants and cool bars jostle with historic buildings that help to paint the 1,500 years or more of the maritime and agricultural heritage that makes it one of England’s oldest towns.

Whether you explore the town on foot or from one of the many boat tours along the River Orwell, Ipswich offers a unique blend of England’s past and a glimpse of its still vibrant future.

This is more like it! After a fairly damp and chilly start to this year’s caravanning season, (at the time of writing!) the weather seems to have taken a turn for the better with many parts of the country welcoming temperatures in the upper twenties.

So, find a little bit of shade for your cosy camping chair and catch up with some of the following news headlines.

Transformational Tourism Award win for Ribble Valley holiday park

Ribble Valley Holiday Park – once known as Rimington Leisure Park – has won the prestigious Transformational Tourism Award.

The Lancashire camping site – for touring and static caravans, cabins, and glamping pods – put its back to the wheel during the challenging period of closures forced on it by the Covid pandemic . The work paid off in many areas and resulted in the holiday park winning the award announced in the Caravan Times recently.

Thanks to expansion and extensive upgrading, the capacity of all types of holiday homes has doubled, pathways and roads have been resurfaced, a new play area for children was built, a dog-walking sector was created, and the park’s bar area extended. All the while, the holiday park continued to deliver the “exceptional customer service” recognised by the award.

Caravan owners warned breaking new laws could lead to £2,500 fine

With the caravanning season now in full swing, the Daily Mirror on the 19^th of June reminded caravan owners to check that they are street-legal whenever they take to the roads. Failure to pay sufficient attention to three major – but frequently overlooked – aspects of towing with a caravan could end up with you facing steep fines, points on your licence, or worse:

Driving licence

• if you passed your driving test after 1997, you are qualified to tow a caravan if the car you are using and the trailer itself together weigh up to 3,500kg;

• calculate that combined weight carefully if you want to avoid a potential fine of up to £2,500;

• if you passed your driving test before 1997, the combined weight of the vehicle and caravan may be up to 8.25 tonnes;

Lights

• perhaps because you use them much less often than those on your car, the lights on your caravan can sometimes get overlooked;

• that could be an expensive oversight since defective lights on your trailer could earn you a fine of up to £2,500, three points on your licence, or a driving ban;

Tyres

• the tread depth of the tyres on your caravan is also at least as critical as your car – faulty tyres can also land you with a £2,500 fine and three points on your licence.

Cheshire: Plans for caravan and camping site in Bosley recommended for refusal

A planning application for a caravan and camping site at Bosley seems unlikely to be met with approval, according to a story in the Northwich and Winsford Guardian on the 24^th of June.

Responding to an application to establish a site of 74 caravan and camping pitches on a site bounded by two major A roads, planning officers have commented that:

• the scale of the proposed site is out of proportion to its setting and location;

• it would have a detrimental impact on the character of the surrounding countryside; and

• there appears to be little evidence of any demand for the proposed caravan and camping site.

UK Camping and Caravanning Market Report 2024

The publication of the UK Camping and Caravanning Market Report for 2024 contains a wealth of encouraging signs for the industry.

For example, it found that in the past three years, 47% of all adults in Britain enjoyed at least one caravanning or camping holiday. Mintel – the report’s authors – estimate that the domestic market achieved earnings of some £2.1 billion in 2023.

There appear to be a host of reasons why people like to camp:

• the health-conscious see it as a way to improve their overall wellbeing;

• those wanting to develop a first-hand relationship with nature praise the benefits of camping and caravanning; and

• those anxious about their finances find that camping and caravanning is a budget-conscious solution to their holiday planning.

Given these positive foundations, the report predicts that further innovations in the industry will make caravanning and camping even more comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective – so, boosting still further the positive nature of the market.

It’s easily done, perhaps, but never overlook or take for granted the condition of the tyres on your caravan. Because of the critical role they play, taking the condition of the tyres for granted could prove a potentially catastrophic oversight.

The tyres on your caravan are, after all, the only contact between the road and the trailer you are towing – sometimes at relatively high speeds. A blowout or some other failure may have very dire consequences.

Reflecting that importance from the point of view of road safety, there are also legal obligations relating to the condition of the wheels and tyres. The Camping and Caravanning Club publishes a helpful guide to the tyres on your caravan and warns that you are legally required to ensure that the tyres not only on the car towing your caravan but the caravan itself must be “fit for purpose” and free of any defect that may cause a road safety problem.

This means that in addition to the tyres on your caravan being inflated to the correct pressure, they must also:

• be of the same specification as other tyres on the trailer;
• need a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm running continuously throughout the central three-quarters of the tread and around its whole circumference (just as the tyres on your car);
• be free of tears, bulges, lumps, or any other indication of potential failure;
• be free of tears or cuts extending for more than 25 mm or across more than 10% of the tyre’s width; and
• no part of the tyre’s cord or ply must be exposed.

You may be prosecuted for using the caravan with a defective tyre or in an otherwise unroadworthy condition – and, for that reason, the Caravan and Motorhome Club recommends that you replace the tyres on your caravan at least every five years and never use those that are more than seven years old.

Further reading: How old are your tyres?

Wheels

It’s one thing to be taking care of the condition of the tyres and keeping them in a fit and roadworthy condition, but don’t forget about the wheels too.

The wheels on your caravan are specifically designed for the job they do. They might look the same but are different from the wheels you normally find on cars – as a visit to the aptly named manufacturer Wheels will illustrate.

They are different largely because of their need to withstand greater pressures than car wheels. They are therefore generally stronger to support the weight of the caravan – usually on just two wheels – and because of the caravan’s lack of the sophisticated suspension system you might find on a car.

As a matter of routine maintenance, the wheels need to be checked to ensure that the rims are not rusted, scuffed, or cracked. The stud bolts also need to be in sound condition and fit snuggly into the stud holes – which should not be elongated or damaged.

Caravan tyres – a special case

Many experienced drivers and caravan owners like to think that they know a thing or two about their vehicles – including the tyres.

Yet it’s still possible to see some poor practices in this area. Incredibly, it’s still possible to occasionally see towing vehicles with pristine tyres but caravans (or trailer tents) with tyres that should have been scrapped or recycled a long time ago.

This is exceptionally dangerous. The tyres on a towed vehicle can make it highly unwieldy and unpredictable if they’re in poor condition – irrespective of how good the tyres on the towing vehicle are.

The National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) explains how the tyres on your caravan are likely to be in a special case and need to be viewed somewhat differently from those on the car you use practically every day.

The tyres on your car are likely to wear out simply because of the use they get; with the tyres on your caravan, the problem is likely to be quite the opposite. Rather than mileage, the tyres on your caravan are much more likely to be vulnerable to the simple process of ageing. These tyres are vulnerable because:

• they tend to take more of the shocks and bumps from the road than those on your car – since the caravan’s suspension is less sophisticated and has less dampening effect than your car’s;
• the rubber from which the tyres are made suffers the effects of degradation simply through the effects of sunlight and the atmosphere – even when they are not being used, therefore, their condition is still deteriorating; and
• wear is especially pronounced when the tyre is under pressure from the weight of the caravan itself – when the trailer is left for long periods of time resting on the same few square inches of tyre rubber, therefore, wear is most pronounced.

Care needs to be taken about this last vulnerability in particular. When the caravan is being stored for any length of time, the wheels need to be rotated from time to time to even out the load on particular patches of the tyre.

An even better precaution is to remove the wheels entirely and take the weight of the caravan on axle stands. The removed wheels may then be stored horizontally and out of direct sunlight.

When the new season begins and it is time to refit the wheels, that is a good time to give the tyres an especially close inspection. Remove small stones or other objects embedded in the tread and use detergent to remove paint, oil, or fuel from the tyre’s surface.

The law requires your caravan tyres always to have just the same minimum tread as your car – 1.6mm – but remember that they are likely to need replacing long before the tread is worn down to anything like this low point.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club echoes the advice given by the NTDA, pointing out that the average mileage covered by a caravan is only around 2,000 miles a year – seeming to give many years of use in terms of the rubber actually wearing down.

But in addition to the natural ageing processes during storage and exposure to daylight, the tyres on a caravan tend to be subject to small but quite repetitive impacts during normal use – there are usually only two wheels supporting the whole weight of your caravan, which is typically about a quarter of the weight of your four-wheeled car.

The overriding lesson, from both tyre distributors and the Caravan and Motorhome Club, is that, whatever their visual appearance and however intact your older tyres may be, they need to be regularly checked by a professional – remembering that any tyre starts to age the moment it is manufactured and not the year it is fitted to your caravan.

Checking your tyres

It can send something of a shiver down your spine when you see someone ‘testing’ their tyres by giving them a swift kick. We might all have done it at some time but know full well that it is simply not a reliable way of testing them.

Tyre pressures need to be checked regularly and accurately, of course. Some caravan tyres are inflated to higher than usual pressures (50 psi) and these need to be given especially careful checks for evidence of deterioration.

There are many professional tyres pressure gauges on the market and your owner’s manual may make recommendations. Avoid ‘cheap and cheerful’ gauges.

Then there is the question of the correct tyre pressure for your towed vehicle. The first starting point again is your owner’s manual. If that’s missing, you should be able to find out the type of tyres you need by researching your caravan type and configuration on the internet. You can also take the tyre’s number off its sidewall and research that.

Don’t forget to take into account the loading capacity of your caravan and how far off is the weight, one way or another, for an average outing when towing your caravan – make the necessary adjustments in tyre pressures accordingly.

Finally, inspect your tyres carefully. You’re looking for bald patches, uneven wear, cracks, flaking rubber and patches of permanent discolouration. You’re also looking for tread that’s worn below or is getting close to, legal limits.

Don’t take chances in this area. Not only do you risk the safety of yourself and other road users, but you could face a fine plus points on your licence for every tyre that falls short of the legal requirement. So, get the opinion of an expert if you’re in any doubt.

Remember, your touring caravan insurance may become invalid if you fail to maintain your vehicle in a roadworthy condition and that includes its tyres.

Adjust for conditions

Remember that certain road or environmental conditions may call for a change in the running pressure of your tyres. Consult your manual but some of the occasions on which you might want to be especially vigilant include:

• icy and snowy conditions;
• unusually hot weather;
• a heavier or lighter load in your caravan than normal;
• taking your caravan off-road (as an entirely separate issue, make sure your caravan insurance actually permits this); and
• towing over extended distances at higher than average normal speeds.

Warning – used and sub-standard tyres

The quality of your tyres is of the utmost importance. It’s always best to avoid re-using tyres – or buying cheaper re-tread or remould tyres – if at all possible.

Whether new or used, make sure that your tyres are a recognised make and not one that neither you nor anybody else has ever heard of. Even if you are given every reassurance as to its quality, it’s probably not a chance worth taking.

Summary

Try to avoid the trap of slipping into thinking that it’s only your car’s tyres that need to be looked at closely.

Your insurance provider certainly won’t see it that way and the police will most likely be inclined to agree with them!