Winter walks near Skegness

During the summer months, Skegness is a vibrant holiday destination, filled with all the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional seaside town. Visit during the winter and you can enjoy a completely different experience!

Although many people see winter as a bleak season, it can also be one of the most beautiful. Take a wander along the coast on a crisp frosty morning, and you will be rewarded with the most amazing views of deserted beaches, bright blue skies and stunning sunrises.

If you’re planning to explore the Lincolnshire Coast during the colder months, here are 4 of the best winter walks near Skegness.

Mablethorpe

The England Coast Path is a national trail, designed to follow the country’s coastline. When complete, the trail is expected to be 2795 miles long, making it the longest coastal path in the world.

The first section of the trail opened in Lincolnshire running between Mablethorpe and Skegness. The path stretches for 16 miles, following the coast of the North Sea. You can walk the entire trail, or just do a small section of it. The trail passes through popular seaside towns including Chapel St Leonards, Sutton-on-Sea and Anderby Creek, so there’s plenty of places you can take a break. The North Sea Observatory and Vistas at The Boatshead are our top picks for dog-friendly cafés, and as a bonus, they’re open all throughout the year!

Take a walk along the trail during winter and you will be rewarded with crowdless beaches, endless skies and the most incredible coastal views. You will also pass by some unique habitats along the way, which are home to a number of migrating birds during the colder months. Keep your eyes peeled for rare species hidden between the dunes!

Chapel St Leonards

If you don’t want to walk the full 16 miles to Mablethorpe, you can leave the England Coast Path at Chapel St Leonards. This walk is around 5 miles long, and still features plenty of beautiful scenery along the way.

As it is so flat, the Chapel St Leonards section of the coastal path is also popular with cyclists, although the brisk sea breeze can make cycling slightly challenging in the winter!

The Coast Path will take you from the centre of Skegness, right to the North Sea Observatory – the perfect end to a bracing walk! This purpose-built marine observatory offers the most amazing views along the beach and right across the North Sea. If you need to warm up, there is a fantastic café inside, with huge windows overlooking the water.

Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve

Situated around 3 miles from Skegness, Gibraltar Point is a national nature reserve. Established as an area of international importance, the reserve covers over 1000 acres, extending down the coast for around 3 miles.

With sand and shingle beaches, saltmarshes, lagoons and sand dunes, Gibraltar Point forms an essential habitat for a variety of wildlife throughout the year.

The area was first recognised back in 1949, when it was named as an official Bird Observatory – one of the earliest to be launched in Britain. These observatories were set up across the country to enable ornithologists to record bird populations and migration.

Years on, Gibraltar Point has become one of the most important habitats in the country. Information about the movements, condition and population of birds is still collected, to ensure the correct measures of conservation are in place.

Due to the sheer diversity of species that reside here, the area has become synonymous with both professional and amateur wildlife watchers.

In winter, a variety of waterfowl flock to the area. Brent Geese, Shelduck and Teal all reside here during the colder months, and are easy to spot across the water. Smaller birds such as Fieldfare and Redwing love to feast on seasonal berries, whilst the sparrow-like Snow Bunting heads to the coast during winter to breed.

Cast your eyes to the sky, and you may also be lucky enough to spot a bird of prey. Hen harrier, merlin and owls all spend winter on the Lincolnshire Coast.

Donna Nook

Around an hour from Skegness, Donna Nook is a 6 mile strip of coastline, running from Saltfleet to Somercotes.

Made up of sand dunes, slacks and inter-tidal areas, the area is a national nature reserve, managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Interestingly, the land here is actually owned by the Ministry of Defence, who use it for bombing practise – something which the local wildlife have clearly become accustomed to!

During the winter months, Donna Nook is perhaps best known for being home to 40% of the world’s grey seal population. From November to December each year, hundreds of grey seals return to the sand dunes to give birth to their pups. This incredible spectacle attracts thousands of visitors each year, and there are public viewing platforms where you can observe the seals from a safe distance.

Donna Nook is also noted as being a top bird watching destination. The area provides a habitat for 47 visiting species, and over 250 migrating breeds. The sand dunes that border the salt marsh are full of interesting plants, many of which bear bright berries during the winter. These help to attract large numbers of starlings, fieldfare and redwing. Regular residents include little grebe, coots, reed bunting and meadow pipit.

Natureland Seal Sanctuary

If it really is too cold for a walk, Natureland Seal Sanctuary in Skegness is perfect for some indoor wildlife watching. The main purpose of this family-run sanctuary is to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned seal pups from across the Lincolnshire Coast.

Every year, particularly during the breeding season, seal pups are abandoned or separated from their mothers by the tides. When found, they are brought to Natureland’s Seal Hospital where they are cared for until they can be released back into the wild.

During your visit, you can watch every step of the rehabilitation process and learn more out the sanctuary’s rescue work. There are seal feeding times throughout the day, where you will find out how the sanctuary keep the pups active and stimulated during their stay!

Natureland is also home to a variety of other wildlife, including penguins, meerkats and a varied selection of reptiles. The sanctuary is a great way to get up close and personal with some of your favourite animals and learn more about how they are cared for – perfect for inspiring little minds!