If you’re planning a family break to Tattershall Lakes then you’re in for a treat!
Not only is it a beautiful holiday park with plenty to do on-site, but there’s also lots of family-friendly things to do near Tattershall Lakes too!
If you want to find out more about our fantastic 3-night stay and what we got up to, then keep reading.
If you haven’t booked accommodation, then find out more about the amazing luxury caravan with a hot tub that we stayed in.
If you have booked accommodation and you’re planning what to do, then we’ve got you covered with the top family-friendly things to do near Tattershall Lakes.
A cheaper alternative to Center Parcs
During October half term, we spent 3 nights at Tattershall Lakes Country Park near Lincoln.
We wanted a semi-relaxing break where we could combine a few half-day trips and activities with valuable family time spent leisurely at our accommodation.
In our heads, we were thinking Center Parcs but a 3-night break in October half term was going to set us back a staggering £900!!
We also really wanted either access to a swimming pool for the girls or a hot tub (and I really wanted the hot tub).
That’s when we came across Tattershall Lakes Country Park – it’s less than 2 hours’ drive, has an on-site swimming pool and plenty of accommodation on-site to choose from.
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More about Tattershall Lakes Country Park
Tattershall Lakes Country Park is a holiday park set around seven beautiful lakes near Lincoln.
The park is owned by Away Resorts but there are also plenty of privately owned holiday homes available for hire.
The park accommodation consists of caravans, lodges, glamping and pitches for touring and camping. This is definitely one of the more upmarket holiday parks that we’ve stayed at. Even the standard caravans are modern and comfortable but if you really want luxury then check out the indulgent lakeside lodges with hot tubs.
Eli’s Retreat – our luxury hot tub caravan
As always I did my research, searching for the best value accommodation and that’s when I came across Eli’s Retreat.
Eli’s Retreat ticked all of the boxes. It was one of the more luxury caravans available, had the all-important hot tub, was good value and the contact from the host was excellent.
From my initial enquiry, the lovely lady who owns Eli’s Retreat was very responsive, helpful and extremely friendly – and that means a lot to me when choosing accommodation.
Our journey to Tattershall Lakes
What should have been a 2-hour journey actually turned out to be nearly 5 hours. Ok, so we took a toilet stop at East Midlands Designer Outlet, called in at Maxeys Farm Shop to pick pumpkins and called in at Asda after realising we’d forgotten the chilli we’d cooked for tea!
Arriving at Eli's Retreat
When we finally arrived, our host had given us clear instructions on how to get to our caravan once on site. She also text to let us know the caravan was ready for us earlier than the 3 pm expected check-in time.
The girls jumped out of the car, excited and eager to see what their holiday home looked like. We got the key from the outdoor safety box using the code that had been provided and in we went.
A warm welcome from Eli's Retreat
As soon as we opened the door, we instantly felt a welcoming, cosy and homely feel. We were greeted by Halloween decorations and the girls instantly spotted a hamper of goodies and 2 Halloween buckets full of treats on the table. Our lovely host had left us Prosecco, beer, Doritos, popcorn, biscuits and the girls treat buckets was such a lovely touch.
These special touches continued as we toured our caravan – the host really thinks about everything guests will need.
The living area has a decent sized flat-screen TV and good quality soundbar, blu ray player and a great selection of DVDs including plenty of Disney films. And if you don’t fancy watching films, there is a whole double cupboard full of great family games.
We came prepared with milk and tea bags – I don’t know about you but after arriving and unpacking the car, the first thing I want to do is sit down with a cup of tea. Well, Eli’s Retreat has you covered for that too with fresh milk in the fridge and tea and coffee in the cupboard.
The bedrooms have lovely soft, fluffy towels and the bathrooms are stocked with toilet paper, hand soap and even shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Everywhere smelled nice too with diffusers scattered around giving off a lovely scent.
Eli’s Retreat certainly boasts luxury and doesn’t feel at all like a caravan. Everything is high quality from the fluffy carpets, modern fixtures and fittings and sumptuous bedding – and everywhere is spotlessly clean.
To check availability and book Eli’s Retreat, click here.
A home away from home
After getting wet picking pumpkins in the rain, we were all feeling the cold as we got out of our cosy car. We put the heating on as soon as we got inside and it took no time at all to warm up. There is also an electric fireplace which is super cosy (although is guaranteed to make you fall asleep).
Sitting down with my cup of tea, I picked up the extensive welcome pack to read the information on the caravan and find out what there is to do on-site and in the area.
The introduction and welcome really touched me as I read how the owners had decided to purchase the holiday home after the sudden passing of their youngest grandson, Eli in January 2019. I instantly felt for this lovely family and the place felt so much more than just a caravan. For us, Eli’s Retreat became even more so, a place to really relax and enjoy valuable time spent having fun with our girls.
Bambi, curry and hot tub!
After watching one of Disney’s classics, Bambi, it was time for dinner – supermarket curry. A replacement for the home-cooked chilli that we left at home (it was actually pretty good)!
Although the girls were desperate to try out the hot tub, we resisted and decided to go for a walk around the park. It took us about 10 minutes to walk from our location on Wilkinson Way to The Merlin, which is the main complex where the restaurants, bars and on-site facilities are.
After our post-dinner stroll, we jumped straight into the hot tub, which was lovely, relaxing and warm. The girls splashed about whilst we sat back and enjoyed our prosecco.
Things to do at Tattershall Lakes
On-site, there are lots of outdoor activities and water sports that are obviously a popular choice in the summer months. These include jet ski, wakeboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking, pedalo hire, fishing and a giant inflatable aqua park. There’s even a small beach for building sandcastles and paddling.
Off the water, activities include cycling, crazy golf, laser tag, crazy carts, body zorbing, hoverboards, archery, high ropes and more.
There are also kids’ activities involving arts and crafts, imagination and science.
All of the above are an additional charge.
Tattershall Lakes entertainment passes
To enter the Merlin complex, you will need to purchase Tattershall Lakes entertainment passes. We found this unusual as other holiday parks we have stayed at allow you to enter the complex, bars and restaurants without an entertainment pass. Normally the entertainment pass just gives you access to the evening entertainment and swimming facilities.
Tattershall Lakes entertainment passes give you access to Bar 49, Spitfire Bar, Propeller Bar & Kitchen, the swimming pool, splash zone and daily entertainment.
We picked up an entertainment planner for the weekend we were there. It included daily Bingo, fun and games for under 5s, children’s entertainment, magic and illusion, family karaoke, live music and disco.
Given that we had the hot tub at Eli’s Retreat and wanted to combine seeing the local area and making the most of our lovely holiday home, we chose not to buy the entertainment passes.
During peak, Tattershall Lakes entertainment passes cost £35 for 3-4 nights or £69 for 7 nights for a party staying in 4-6 berth accommodation.
The only thing we missed was being able to visit the on-site bars and restaurants and I’m sure they must be missing out from customers who do not buy the Tattershall Lakes entertainment passes.
We chose to eat out one night so walked to the Tattershall Country Park pub, located just outside the holiday park. It took us 10-15 minutes to walk from our holiday home.
We were unable to book a table but told to turn up and hope there would be one free. When we arrived we were told there was no room but we managed to find a hidden table at the back. The food was average but nothing special and the same goes for the service.
Things to do near Tattershall Lakes
As well as on-site activities, there are plenty of things to do near Tattershall Lakes too!
Tattershall Castle
From Tattershall Lakes, you can see Tattershall Castle and there is a footpath across the field from within the park. Whilst we were there, it had rained quite a bit the day before, so the footpath was too boggy to walk across. We walked along the road instead which took about 15-20 minutes from our caravan.
Tattershall Castle is a beautifully restored medieval castle that dates back to the thirteenth century. It was later upgraded to something more like its current form in the fifteenth century and later rescued from destruction by Lord Curzon of Kedleston in 1911. In 1925 when Lord Curzon died, Tattershall Castle was passed onto the National Trust.
We are not National Trust members (yet, we need to sign up) so the entrance fee costs us £18.72 plus £2 for a special Halloween themed activity trail.
Top Tip
If you’re thinking of becoming a National Trust member, consider National Trust for Scotland. It’s cheaper at £108 for the year compared to National Trust which is £126 but it still gives you unlimited access to National Trust properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
To join National Trust for Scotland – click here
During October half term, the castle was decorated for Halloween and the girls loved searching for suitcases which gave clues to finding the name of the werewolf who had been skulking around Tattershall taking children, sheep and parsnips!
There are 149 spiral steps to climb to the top of the castle but don’t worry, there are several floors to explore so it really doesn’t feel that many. On each floor, there is information about the rooms and what they were used for. At the very top, you are rewarded with beautiful views.
We spent a good 2 hours here, which is enough time for a good look around both inside and out.
Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa is just a 10-minute drive from Tattershall Lakes and considered as one of the most attractive villages in Lincolnshire.
Unfortunately, the weather was unkind when we visited but we still managed to have a good look around the shops.
We did consider going to watch a film at The Kinema In The Woods (the only fully functioning cinema in the UK to employ back projection) but we had plenty of DVDs to choose from back at Eli’s Retreat.
Look out for The Smallest Shoe Shop and be sure to visit The Bakery and Delicatessan – we got the most amazing focaccia, blue cheese and cakes!
Tattershall Farm Park
This is an amazing day out for the family and such good value for the experiences and activities compared to other animal farms. We paid £25 for a family ticket.
Just a 10-minute drive from Tattershall Lakes, Tattershall Farm Park is a great place to go come rain or shine. There’s a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities and you can spend a full day here – in fact, we ran out of time!
Here’s how we spent the day…
Meeting the animals – as soon as you enter, you are greeted with goats, sheep, meerkats, pigs, ferrets, alpacas, highland cows, lamas, manx, reindeer and more. You can buy bags of food for both two and four-legged animals and feed them as you go around.
Outdoor play area – the girls looked like they’d died and gone to heaven when they saw the play area. They particularly loved the trampolines, zip wire and climbing wall.
Meeting the reptiles – we got to hold a bearded dragon and corn snake, which decided to wrap itself around my backpack 🙂
Top Tip
Take a photo of the animal encounters board when you enter so that you remember what’s on when
Meeting the mini beasts – we got to hold a giant millipede, a giant African snail and the scariest… a tarantula called Charlotte (who was very friendly).
Giant sand playroom and swing barn – a whole room completely filled with sand to play in and separate hay barn to swing, hang and play around in.
Falconry flying demonstration – we enjoyed the falconry display and got to hear interesting facts about the birds of prey and their personalities.
Bouncing pillow – who knew how much fun you could have on a bouncy pillow, we spent a good half an hour on here!
Soft play barn – we had so much fun we didn’t get round to going in here but this is another good option if the weather is bad.
Lincoln city
We planned to visit Lincoln, which is just a 40-minute drive from Tattershall Lakes but we didn’t get time. If we’d stayed longer we’d have visited for a day to find out more about its history, culture and for some retail therapy.
Our final thoughts…
We had an amazing 3-night stay at Tattershall Lakes and although we managed to get out and visit the local area, we also got to relax and spend some valuable family time together.
There is plenty of things to do on-site at Tattersall Lakes Country Park and in summer, you may find you won’t even want to leave the site.
Unless you make full use of the Tattershall Lakes entertainment passes, they are quite expensive compared to other holiday sites and you have to book early to use the swimming pool.
We chose not to purchase the entertainment passes as we would not have got enough use out of them but we did miss not being able to visit the on-site restaurants.
There are also lots of things to do near Tattershall Lakes and we had a great few trips out visiting the nearby Tattershall Castle, Woodhall Spa and Tattershall Park Farm.
We stayed in the most homely, luxury holiday home – Eli’s Retreat. Everything was perfect from the personal touches, modern and clean interior, DVDs and games for the family and of course, the hot tub.
We felt a real connection with the lovely lady who owns Eli’s Retreat who does everything possible to make your stay the best it can be.
We would highly recommend a family stay at Tattershall Lakes and 100% recommend Eli’s Retreat accommodation.
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