The Lincolnshire Marshes are a truly unique and beautiful narrow belt of reclaimed, low-lying land between the Wolds and the North Sea coast, stretching from Grimsby in the north to Gibraltar Point in the south. It is predominantly comprised of saltmarsh and sand dune, and in places is up to seven kilometres wide.

It has a unique culture and history of its own, drawing, as it does, from traditional farming methods such as using livestock to graze the fertile, moisture retaining, ancient pastures which abound. The history of the area is very much, as you might expect, associated with the sea. The grazing lands developed from saltmarsh over the last few thousand years as the coastline changed. There is archaeological evidence to show saltmaking dating from the Bronze and Iron ages, and impressive churches are a testament to the wealth of the area.

The coast is, of course, a renowned tourist destination. The resorts of Skegness, Mablethorpe and Cleethorpes continue to attract family holidaymakers not only during the summer months, but also during off-season months.

The county is renowned for remaining unspoilt, still has miles of undeveloped coastline, and behind this lies the Lincolnshire marshes which have been largely ignored as a holiday destination.

However, the sand dunes and salt marshes of the Dunes National Nature Reserve at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe just happens to be one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lincolnshire. And Gibraltar Point, gaining in fame and stature annually, continues to attract a steady flow of in and around 200,000 visitors over the entire year.

However, the potential certainly is there to promote the Lincolnshire Marshes to visitors fascinated by the charms of the countryside. The ongoing Coastal Grazing Marshes project is trying to provide better access and facilities for local people and visitors who may consider moving from the coast in order to explore and use the high quality local products and services.

The habitat of the area is home to numerous species of bird and wildlife. For the varied birdlife, the wet grasslands are important for feeding and roosting for waders and birds such as snipe and lapwing, and the natural ditches provide a haven for wildlife, including otters and water voles.

There are a number of very important nature reserves in the area, and welcome tourists who not only want to see this important county feature, but who wish to get a better understanding as to why the ongoing and vital building up of this marshland is still going on along the coast north of Mablethorpe and south of Skegness.