Where to see spring flowers in North East Lincolnshire
As the weather becomes warmer and days become longer, spring arrives bringing blue skies and beautiful blooms. It’s a wonderful time to explore the outdoors and connect with nature, admiring arrays of flowers and blossoming trees from March through to May and beyond.
During your visit to North East Lincolnshire, here are just some places to enjoy a leisurely stroll and get your floral fix this spring.
Weelsby Woods
From the moment you arrive at Grimsby’s Weelsby Woods, you are greeted with the colours of crocus, snowdrops, and daffodils at the entrance, close to the iconic lion statues. If you haven’t had your photo taken with them, you must! As you make your way to the open grassland, blossom trees line the pathway leading to the woodland, filling blue skies with pops of pastel pink. In the woods, you are bound to find a variety of wildflowers in bloom.
Donated to the Borough of Grimsby in 1950, the land was once the grounds of Weelsby Villa. Victorian maps of the area display a manor house, villa plantation, a pheasantry and a large pond.
During the First World War the Woods were used as a training ground for locally recruited soldiers. In World War II, the Woods became an Italian Prisoner of War camp and was used to house sections of the Polish Army, the Carpathian Lancers Regiment. Many of these soldiers remained in Grimsby after the war, contributing to the town’s Polish community.
Weelsby Woods is easily accessible from Grimsby and Cleethorpes and there is free parking on site. Learn more about Weelsby Woods HERE.
People’s Park
Springtime really brings out the beauty of People’s Park, making it one of the most popular places to visit in Grimsby during the season. An ‘Avenue of Trees’ follows the path, which takes you around the Victorian-era park, blooming with pastel pink and white blossoms. You’ll also find beds of crocus, buttercups, and snowdrops, which with the central lake, resident swans, and traditional bandstand, make for a picturesque setting for photographers, artists, and Instagrammers alike. Did you know that People’s Park is 140 years old this year? Opened by the Duke and Duchess of Connaught in 1883, the Park was created following the gifting of the land by Edward Heneage, a local landowner and MP. Although enhanced, the park has essentially remained unchanged from its original layout of the early 1880s. Designed by the leading designers, William Barron and Son, it is a small but neat example of their style.
People’s Park is just a short stroll from Grimsby town centre, find out more HERE.
Haverstoe Park
Haverstoe Park in Cleethorpes is loved by families all year round, and in Spring it really comes to life thanks to glorious displays from blossom trees and flower beds. In this park, you will also find a sensory garden for children to discover, as well as a large play area and big, open spaces for picnics and playing. In November 2020, Haverstoe Park Pavilion opened after extensive refurbishment, selling food and drink for hungry explorers. You’ll find Haverstoe Park tucked away in a quiet residential area of Cleethorpes, making it one of North East Lincolnshire’s hidden gems that the locals love. Find out more HERE.
Bradley and Dixon Woods
Sitting quietly on the outskirts of Grimsby are Bradley and Dixon Woods. It is home to hundreds of species of insects, birds, and animals, and in springtime boasts a stunning display of natural bluebells in the ancient woodland, which can date back 1,000 years. With shades of blue and purple carpeting the ground, it’s a truly beautiful sight.
Bradley Woods is incredibly significant to Grimsby’s history. During the middle ages the woods were favourite haunts for the Mayor Grimsby and the Burgess where they would hunt for boar. At the time, the woods would have covered a much greater acreage than today and the noblemen would have raced up and down the ‘rides’ chasing boar. The people of Bradley used to supply the boar for the Mayor’s banquets and this is reflected in the coat of arms for Grimsby. There are many myths surrounding Bradley Woods. One such story is the ghost of The Black Lady who died in the woods after her husband had gone to war with Lord Yarborough’s army.
Dunes and Saltmarsh
The Dunes and Saltmarshes around Marine Embankment may not be your first thought for Springtime blooms, but here you will find rare and wonderful plants and flowers. Sea Aster may look like pink daisies, but they are essential for the survival of the incredibly rare Sea Aster Bees. The pops of yellow you’ll see are Birds-Foot-Trefoil, and from late spring and early summer you’ll find Southern Marsh, Bee, and Pyramid Orchids in bloom.
Find out more about these coastal wildflowers and the Local Nature Reserve on our wildflowers page.
