~{nilheadimage~=143333~}
~{link~= https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/life-pays-a-visit-to-swineshead/ ~;text~=Swineshead~;target~=swineshead~} is a small village about seven miles to the west of Boston. We went because family lore has it that Nigel's forebears hail from this area.

We didn't find any long-lost rellies, but it's a really pretty little place, perfect for a walk on a sunny winter's afternoon.

The name, by the way, has nothing to do with piggies, but rather refers to a former tidal creek, known in Old English as the "Swin".

Our Swineshead gallery:

~{nilimage~=143330~;dir~=H~;alt~=nicehouse~}
~{nilimage~=143331~;dir~=H~;alt~=oldschool~}
~{nilimage~=143332~;dir~=H~;alt~=redlion~}
~{nilimage~=143356~;dir~=H~;alt~=stmary~;caption~=The church of St Mary the Virgin, begun in the 12th century, and boasting a 14th-century tower~}
~{nilimage~=143357~;dir~=V~;alt~=tower~}
~{nilimage~=143358~;dir~=V~;alt~=figure1~}
~{nilimage~=143359~;dir~=V~;alt~=figure2~}
~{nilimage~=143360~;dir~=V~;alt~=cross~;caption~=The "Stump Cross" -- all that remains of a 14th-century wayside cross~}
~{nilimage~=143361~;dir~=V~;alt~=emblem~;caption~=According to a local tradition, King John was poisoned by one of the monks at Swineshead Abbey... Newark folk, however, are adamant that the monarch died of dysentery in Newark Castle...~}
~{nilimage~=143363~;dir~=H~;alt~=text~;caption~=The earthworks that are all that remain of the ~{link~= https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=2664 ~;text~=castle~;target~=castle1~} built by the De Gresley family~}
~{nilimage~=143364~;dir~=H~;alt~=castle2~}
~{nilimage~=143365~;dir~=H~;alt~=castle3~}
So, does it deserve the appellation "hidden gem"? Yeah, I reckon...