The Red Lion

View prices & book 9 278 reviews
Pub
Our static caravans
Static caravans
Grass pitches

  • Simple site in the grounds of a 19th-century coaching inn
  • Lincolnshire Wolds walks and Skegness within half an hour's drive
  • Pub with food; a 10-minute walk from the Aviation Heritage Centre
Hikes, wildlife and generous helpings of history are all dished up at The Red Lion, a simple site in the grounds of an old Lincolnshire inn. At a crossroads in the village of East Kirkby, The Red Lion has been refreshing travellers since 1841; more recently, it was a favoured watering hole for the men and women of Bomber Command in World War II, and the pub’s décor pays tribute to them. The staff are steeped in the history of the old coaching inn and the nearby airfield, and can point you towards the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, 10 minutes’ walk down the road and on the site of the former Royal Air Force base. The Red Lion makes a splendid base for aviation and wartime history buffs, with the heritage centre nearby and the displays and memorials of the International Bomber Command Centre a 45-minute drive away. As it’s on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds and around half an hour's drive from the coast, it’s also well placed for walks, stately home visits and wildlife watching. Most importantly, it’s at the back of a friendly pub (which has varied winter and summer opening days and hours, but is always closed on Mondays). It serves hot food alongside local beers and other refreshing tipples. Canine companions are welcome in the bar (it’d be nice if they bought a drink…) and on the site.

Campground type

Camper sites 29
Tent sites 23
RV sites 29
Mobile homes for rent 3
Open all year
Opens
Please note

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 20 or over.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Dogs

  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

General

  • The bar is open between 01/01 and 12/31.
  • The restaurant is open between 01/01 and 12/31.

Vehicles

  • Units longer than 9 metres are not allowed.
  • The pitches are on grass, so the ground may not be perfectly level or flat. The pub is closed on Mondays from 01 April - 30 September and closed Monday-Wednesday from 01 October - 31 March.

Languages spoken

English

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Campsite types & availability

Reviews

  • 60%
    10
  • 8%
    9
  • 20%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 1%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
9

91% would recommend this campground to a friend

90% would stay here again

What customers say

Spacious, well-kept sites, near aviation museum. Friendly staff, great pub food, fair prices. Facilities mostly good, though some note need for updates/more frequent cleaning in restrooms, especially during peak times. Automated check-in and amenities generally well-liked.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/4/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 28
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
10

Primitive grass and earth campsite

Liked Lovely little campsite. Seems popular with other campers. Nice park for the kids to play on. Great location if you're into aviation due to the proximity of the museum and RAF Connigsby. Good facilities. Nice walks nearby. WiFi at pitch.

Disliked Its hard to find negatives for this site but if I had to say anything it would be that there are signs up in the toilets/showers asking people to mop the floors after use to keep it clean. I think this is a good idea but there's very little ventilation in there/no windows for the floors to dry. The floors were never dry during our stay so this meant muddy footprints on the wet mopped floors which defeated the whole point and also it was very slippery and there wasnt a wet floor sign. Im only mentioning this for other people's safety so bear it in mind.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice people and good campsite

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
3
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite (deluxe)

Liked Great place to stay campsite great

Disliked Had table pre booked for Saturday night but we waited for 40mins to get a drink brought to our table, but the food was fantastic so we would eat and stay here again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

All around good site and pub .

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating

Primitive grass and earth campsite

Liked Always a good stay . Great location for my visits to the Airshow next door.Good food and drink at pub .

Disliked The facilities are good ,but other site uses should tidy up after themselves .

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very good site for price. Play area for kids, space for dog walking.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
5

Primitive grass and earth campsite

Liked Generous tidy plots, quiet calm and spacious. Very reasonable rates. Site is tidy and well planned and managed
Pub is great for drinks and a meal
Adjacent to Air museum.
Plenty of walks from dogs.
Toilets and showers basic

Disliked Toilets and showers need more vigilant cleaning / bins emptying etc.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good for short stays

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
7
Lee D. 1 review

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite (deluxe)

Liked Good pitch sizes with both electric and water hook ups. Lovely play area for children. Daughter stayed in one of the static caravans which was very nice and clean and very good value for money. We wouldn’t normally stay on a family site and opt for the peace and quiet of adult only sites but this site is a 10 minute walk to the East Kirkby Airshow which is why we stayed there.

Disliked Quite a large site and only 4 toilets and showers, 2 men/2 women. Ladies could do with some minor repairs as looked ‘tired’. Our pitch (no. 6) had several large holes in the ground which could cause injury if not careful. Pub/restaurant doesn’t allow dogs in the dining area therefore we had to eat in the bar area which wasn’t particularly pleasant had we known we wouldn’t have booked a meal there. My food (cheese burger) wasn’t great but hubby enjoyed his steak, large portions and good selection on the menu.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very basic but better than mainstream…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
5
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Lenny V. 1 review

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite (deluxe)

Liked Very basic but better than mainstream camp sites peacefull and find the dimly lit site better at night than bug lights makes it an amazing experience at night for good nights sleep, pub hours are hit and miss

Recommend to friends Visit again

With some care and maintenance, this…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
3
Wifi
6
Anonymous

Powered grass and earth campsite

Liked With some care and maintenance, this could be a lovely set up.
Unfortunately it all feels abit bodged and run down.

The local history and the price are the only things going for this place.

Disliked Holes in ground on pitches are a health hazard.
Chains between pitches are also a health hazard in the dark, as they become invisible.
Children's play park has a floor of loose rubber, this is thrown around by the children. (They looked like they'd been sweeping chimneys)

The facilities state they are cleaned daily but this is not true.
Cleaning is down to the visitors.

Pub is quite expensive and not cleaned either.

Pub doesn't open until 5pm and only serves food until 8pm.
Cafe/shop isn't open on Sunday.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We’re naturally disappointed to read it, as it doesn’t reflect the standards we work hard to maintain.

Our toilet and shower facilities are checked, cleaned and restocked daily by our team. We also ask guests to help keep the shared facilities tidy between cleans, as is common on many campsites.

The safety of our guests is extremely important to us. The chains between pitches are installed to define pitch boundaries, and we have not received reports of them presenting a hazard. Likewise, the children’s play area uses recycled rubber safety surfacing, which is specifically designed for playgrounds.

We also note your comments regarding our pub, café and shop. Our opening hours are clearly displayed on our website, Pitchup listing and booking information before guests arrive. We appreciate these hours may not suit everyone, but they are not hidden.

As for value, we believe we offer one of the most competitively priced campsites in the area, and many of our guests comment positively on both the site and our facilities. While we’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations, we wish you all the best with your future travels.

Location and pitch size were fantastic.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
8

Primitive grass and earth campsite

Liked Location and pitch size were fantastic. And good price.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We appreciate your comments. For future guests, we’d like to clarify that our campsite is a traditional rural grass site, and we advise all guests before booking that the ground is naturally uneven in places. Our shared toilet and shower facilities are cleaned and restocked daily, and we also provide mops, cleaning products and notices asking guests to help keep the facilities tidy between cleans, as a small number of inconsiderate users can unfortunately affect them very quickly.

Average

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
4
Wifi
10

Primitive grass and earth campsite

Liked Non electric pitch area.was lovely, lots of space and we made 3 bookings and we're all allowed to be together next to each other

Disliked Toilets and showers. Very dirty. Drains from showers, YUK.
I rinsed the nasty mop bucket and mop out, but others came along and left the mop festering in dirty water sgain.
Play area was misused by children, throwing the chippings around at others and moving the tractor about.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your feedback. We’re pleased you enjoyed the spacious non-electric camping area and that we were able to accommodate your group together.

We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed with the toilet and shower facilities. These are cleaned, checked and restocked daily by our team. As they are shared facilities, we also rely on guests to leave them in a reasonable condition between our scheduled cleans. As you’ve mentioned yourself, other visitors left the mop in dirty water after you had rinsed it out, which unfortunately demonstrates how quickly shared facilities can be affected by the actions of a small number of guests.

We also appreciate your comments regarding the play area. Unfortunately, we cannot supervise children’s behaviour at all times, and we do occasionally have instances where the recycled rubber safety surface is thrown around or equipment is misused. When we become aware of this, it is tidied as quickly as possible.

We strive to provide a clean, safe and good-value campsite, and the vast majority of our guests enjoy their stay with us. Nevertheless, we appreciate you taking the time to leave your comments and wish you all the best for your future camping trips.

Very peaceful and well maintained campsite…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10

Powered grass and earth campsite

Liked Very peaceful and well maintained campsite ,toilets and shower rooms were very clean and the kids loved the park

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We appreciate your comments. For future guests, we’d like to clarify that our campsite is a traditional rural grass site, and we advise all guests before booking that the ground is naturally uneven in places. Our shared toilet and shower facilities are cleaned and restocked daily, and we also provide mops, cleaning products and notices asking guests to help keep the facilities tidy between cleans, as a small number of inconsiderate users can unfortunately affect them very quickly.


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site cafe On-site restaurant On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Local produce Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Pub campground Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access

Nearby leisure

Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

The Red Lion

Fen Road

East Kirkby

Spilsby

Lincolnshire

England

PE23 4DB

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

53.14027°N
0.00664°W

Nearest transport

Bus
6.6 mi Interchange Shelter
7.2 mi War Memorial
7.2 mi War Memorial
Rail
8.7 mi Thorpe Culvert Rail Station
10.3 mi Wainfleet Rail Station
11.3 mi Boston Rail Station

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

With the chalk hills and sandstone peaks of the Wolds so close, walkers and cyclists are particularly well sorted. A 15-minute drive away, Horncastle is a handy point to join the Viking Way: 147 miles of country trails linking the banks of the Humber with the wetlands around Rutland Water. For a more detailed look at the Wolds, take the Lindsey Trail from Horncastle up to Market Rasen (45 minutes by car), a far-from-flat route of around 80 miles passing through a landscape of ancient woodlands, Neolithic long barrows and fenland views. If the sea’s more your style set course for Skegness, half an hour away, for pier and beach walks, sandcastle building and trips to the Natureland Seal Sanctuary. The same distance away but rather quieter, the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve is a wild stretch of coastline crisscrossed with walks and bike trails, visited by skylarks and terns, brent geese and snow bunting. If you’re up for a stately home or two, you can’t get much more stately than the sturdy brick towers of 15th-century Tattershall Castle (15 minutes), while 18th-century Gunby Hall (20 minutes) is sometimes compared to a (very large) dolls’ house.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Skegness 14.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ingoldmells South 15.3 mi Sea GoodGoodExcellentExcellent
Chapel St Leonards 15.5 mi Sea GoodExcellentExcellentExcellent
Anderby 16 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Moggs Eye 16.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lincoln Medieval Bishops' Palace 22.9 mi

Lincoln Cathedral 22.9 mi

Lincoln Castle 23 mi

Ayscoughfee Hall Museum and Gardens 25.3 mi

Belton House 28.9 mi

National Trust

Gunby Hall Estate: Monksthorpe Chapel 7 mi

Tattershall Castle 8.2 mi

Gunby Hall 8.7 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

REVESBY ABBEY 1.4 mi

Battle of Winceby, 1643 4.2 mi

Snipedales - Ashby Puerorum - Hagworthingham Circular 4.3 mi

Hagworthingham - Sausthorpe - Hundleby Circular 4.4 mi

SCRIVELSBY COURT 4.5 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Lincolnshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Red Lion have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Red Lion dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Red Lion? With the chalk hills and sandstone peaks of the Wolds so close, walkers and cyclists are particularly well sorted. A 15-minute drive away, Horncastle is a handy point to join the Viking … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Red Lion?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Red Lion? From $24.22 (for 1 night, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.