Boston market town

Boston is a historic market town on the River Witham in the heart of the Lincolnshire Fens, famous for its huge medieval parish church and its strong links with the founding of New England. The Market Place still hosts a traditional open-air market several days a week, surrounded by Georgian and Victorian buildings and the timber-framed Guildhall, now a museum exploring the town's role in the Pilgrim Fathers story.

Dominating the skyline is St Botolph's Church, universally known as the Boston Stump. Its 272-foot lantern tower can be seen for miles across the flat fenland and on a clear day visitors who climb the steep stair are rewarded with views as far as Lincoln Cathedral and The Wash. The church gave its name to Boston, Massachusetts, founded by Lincolnshire settlers in 1630.

Riverside walks follow the Witham past the South Forty Foot Drain and out towards the port, while the surrounding streets retain old warehouses, pubs and independent shops. Boston makes a characterful base for exploring the fens, the RSPB reserves of the Wash coast, and the wider Lincolnshire countryside.