Easter Outings

The Easter holidays have arrived, along with every parent's nightmare. Two weeks of bored, disgruntled kids having nothing to do but watch cartoons and scratch each other's eyes out. With Hubbard's Hills and Westgate Fields closed due to foot and mouth disease, is there nowhere they can be taken to let off steam?

A bit of careful planning is needed if you want to avoid disappointment and wasted journeys. The government's website, www.openbritain.gov.uk, is an obvious place to start. As the name implies, the government want us to believe that the countryside is open for business as usual. The site is upbeat, quoting Jack Straw as saying that at least 80% of tourist attractions are open and 91% of events are going ahead.

How he arrived at these figures is anyone's guess, as there is no centralised database of attractions. The site boasts links to over 15000 places and events throughout Britain. This sounds impressive until you reach the section on Lincolnshire. When I visited I found listings for only eighteen attractions, three of them closed and none of which were in or near Louth. Worse, it gives no telephone numbers.

The situation in the Louth area is broadly that the town centre is open, but the further out you travel the more likely you are to come across closures. An exception is Rushmoor Country Park in North Cockerington, open every day from Easter Sunday onwards and an alternative to a picnic in Hubbard's Hills.

Another option available is a visit to the Louth Navigation Trust on Riverhead. The museum and cafe are open as normal, Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. In ordinary circumstances a canal-side walk towards Keddington Lock would be a great way to round off the visit and let fans of Rotten Ralph stretch their legs. After half a mile the houses thin out and the walk starts to become more attractive, but it is not to be. There are sheep grazing on the opposite bank and although there are no signs forbidding walkers at this point as yet, the advice of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Jim Scudamore, is relevant: "Do not go near cattle, sheep, pigs or deer, wherever you are and never feed farm animals. If you find yourself near these animals, walk away from them."

Another quarter of a mile on and there are signs barring access, but any walk would have to be cut so short as to be hardly worthwhile.

Even if a place is listed as closed it may be worthwhile contacting them, as things do change. The National Trust, English Heritage, The Forestry Commission, British Waterways and local authorities are all either reviewing what they will open, or re-opening sites. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have decided to re-open Whisby Nature Park (near Lincoln), Gibraltar Point and Donna Nook, whilst events at Far Ings, Snipe Dales, Tortoiseshell Wood and Dole Wood have been cancelled.

The website of Lincolnshire County Council at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk takes a firm tone on foot and mouth, in stark and refreshing contrast to the government's official site.

"In Lincolnshire work is underway to close all country rights of way," it states. "It is an offence to use a right of way which is closed, the maximum fine being £5000."

The rights of way are unlikely to re-open before Friday, April 14, when the council next meet to discuss the matter. In the meantime, there are still plenty of places to go over Easter so long as you're willing to look a little harder than usual.

Here is a small selection of what is and is not available:

Rushmoor Country Park 01507 327184; Louth Museum 01507 601211; Louth Navigation Trust 01507 609571; Claythorpe Mill, Aby 01507 526667; Hubbard's Hills and Westgate Fields are still closed.