Make Do and Mend
Best of British|August 2023
Simon Stabler enjoys an eco-friendly break in Bomber County
Make Do and Mend

Take a trip around Lincolnshire and it won’t be too long until you discover a connection to World War Two. Known as Bomber County for good reason, you will find memorials and museums dedicated to the Bomber Command squadrons based in the county during the war, including the International Bomber Command Centre at Lincoln, Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, and Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre – the latter located on part of the former RAF Woodhall Spa.

Set between Metheringham and Woodhall Spa is the village of Martin, an ideal base for exploring these places and more. As well as its aviation links, there is a historical connection to the Women’s Land Army.

Martin Manor House, once part of Manor Farm, was commandeered as a hostel for the land girls who toiled in the fields here during World War Two. Today, the manor house is owned by Sherry Forbes, whose adjacent Manor House Stables provides two cosy selfcatering holiday cottages, The Hayloft and The Bothy.

Back in 2008, the Grade II listed former stable block underwent a sympathetic, eco-friendly restoration to create the accommodation, along with a small ground-floor museum and kitchen for history cookery courses, both of which Sherry ran until lockdown.

This story is from the August 2023 edition of Best of British.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2023 edition of Best of British.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BEST OF BRITISHView All
"A Personal Stab of Shock and Horror"
Best of British

"A Personal Stab of Shock and Horror"

Chris Hallam looks back on the British reaction to President Kennedy's assassination

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2023
A BUILDING BONANZA
Best of British

A BUILDING BONANZA

Claire Saul samples some of the entries in a new publication from the National Trust

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2023
ON TARGET
Best of British

ON TARGET

Russell Cook browses through 50 years of a publishing phenomenon

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
The Rise and Fall of Poole Pottery
Best of British

The Rise and Fall of Poole Pottery

Steve Annandale charts the history of what was, by the 1990s, Dorset's most significant tourist attraction

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
DOCTOR HO-HO!
Best of British

DOCTOR HO-HO!

Robert Ross takes a swift spin through some of the comedy stars who have stumbled into the Tardis

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
The Three Ronnies
Best of British

The Three Ronnies

Martin Handley celebrates the talents of a trio of composers

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2023
A RARE OLD SCRAMBLE
Best of British

A RARE OLD SCRAMBLE

Colin Allan has fond memories of tuning in to Grandstand to watch scrambling on winter afternoons in the sport's golden age of the 1960s

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2023
THE ULTIMATE RESPONSE
Best of British

THE ULTIMATE RESPONSE

Roger Harvey nominates a sculpture in his native Newcastle as the most poignant and powerful memorial to duty and heroism

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2023
POSTCARD FROM CHESHIRE
Best of British

POSTCARD FROM CHESHIRE

Bob Barton finds out about subsidence, timber-framed buildings, boat lifts, waterways and Lewis Carroll, taking it all with a pinch of salt

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2023
OVER HERE
Best of British

OVER HERE

Michael Foley looks back at how the people of East Anglia reacted to the American \"invasion\" during World War Two that saw the building of dozens of airfields

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023