< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHOMESfor entertaining all year round.All of the rooms have traditional features and Tomexplains that the house looks very much as it would havedone in the 1870s. Each owner has respected the heritageof the building and very minor cosmetic alterations havebeen made. Wonderful, original fireplaces can be found inmost of the rooms and huge windows allow plenty of lightto flood in.We were particularly impressed with the grand entrancehall, with its magnificent fireplace and roaring fireproviding a warm welcome for guests to the property. Asuperb pine gothic style staircase leads up to the first floor.The height of the ceiling in the reception hall is extensiveand Tom tells us that the family make the most of thisarea at Christmas time, with a wonderful (and very tall)Christmas tree that fills the space.Other notable features on the ground floor includeoriginal working shutters in the drawing room, a snugwhich would have been the vicar’s study, and an officewhich was formerly a pantry. Other useful rooms includethe boot room, a laundry room and an original cellaraccessed via the kitchen.There are two staircases within the property, one risingelegantly from the Reception Hall and another for theoriginal domestic staff which leads ultimately to the tworoomed “maid’s” accommodation on the second floor. Thefirst floor is an absolute delight with six bedrooms in total,including two impressive suites complete with their ownen-suite facilities, and a contemporary styled familybathroom.Scarborough House is set in a slightly elevated positionwithin mature grounds of around three quarters of an acre,including sweeping lawns, established trees, which may bealmost as old as the house, and a paved and gravelledterrace for outdoor entertaining. There is plenty ofgravelled parking plus two summerhouses and storage. Open fields to the southern side add greatly to the senseof space and tranquillity. Although in a village location,the property has a truly rural feel to it and is superblylocated to access local cycle paths out to the Wolds andbeyond.This is a genuine family home and, during our visit, wecould really appreciate the undoubted attributes of thisarchetypal residence. Most villages of substance areenhanced by former rectories and vicarages built duringthe Church of England’s Victorian heyday andScarborough House is a wonderful example of architecturalheritage from that period of history.After eight happy years spent here, the Scott family andnow looking to relocate. Scarborough House, Tetney istherefore on the market with Martin Maslin Estate Agentsof Grimsby at a value of £595,000.Top: The dining room with double aspect windows and a black slate fireplace withan open fire grateMiddle: The huge master bedroom, with en-suite bathroomBottom: Sumptuously appointed en-suite bathroom, with an original fireplace017-020:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:29 Page 4LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21HOMESSpirit of Christmasstretching into theNew Year at AHFLincoln’s newest furniture superstore onlyopened its doors in early December – butit’s already preparing to warm the hearts ofcity residents with a winter saleThe sale, with some amazing savings, starts on Boxing Day,and with an impressive selection of upholstery, living, diningand bedroom furniture, beds, carpets and rugs under one roof,there are plenty of bargains to be found.AHF have been trading for over thirty years and their newstore at Unit 7 on the Valentine retail park is provingextremely popular. The 20,000 square feet, two-floor, buildingis the company’s ninth furniture superstore. Sales andmarketing director Matt Hesketh says, “We’ve had a greatwelcome in Lincoln and now we’re gearing up for a bigresponse to our winter sale.”There are some great offers across all departments. If you’relooking for a sofa the selection covers modern and traditional,leather and a variety of other fabrics. Solid wood featuresstrongly in the modern and traditional living, dining andbedroom furniture at AHF – and there are always over sixtybeds on show, in every combination, whether you’re lookingfor a single, double, or king-size bed, divan, sofa bed or bunkbed. If you have floor coverings on your shopping list, there’sa huge choice of wood, vinyl and laminate floorings, rugs andcarpeting.AHF is open seven days a week – 9am to 8pm on Mondaysand Thursdays, 9am to 5.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday,Friday and Saturday; and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays.Check out the huge savings right across the store, with up tothree years’ interest free credit available.Solar eclipsedby watersoftenersMany of us arelooking at waysto save moneyon our energybills – and inmany homes themost impressivesavings can bemade with theintroduction of awater softener.As Jeremy Heath, Managing Director of Greens WaterSystems of North Hykeham points out, “More and morepeople in Lincolnshire are turning on the idea of soft water intheir home. It certainly provides a sense of luxury, but in thesecurrent economic times, it also saves running costs in thehome.“Most obviously it will cut energy bills when it comes todomestic water heating. In addition, it will eliminate the costof repairs for plumbing equipment and appliances that havebeen damaged by limescale. The amount of money you spendon cleaning products will also be cut as the water softenerchanges the way that water works. You’re using only a tinyfraction of the amount of soap you would previously use.Obviously solar panels are highly effective, but if you’relooking to reduce bills, a water softener is a much smallerinvestment and provides a much more immediate payback.”To say goodbye to the problems and costs caused by hardwater, contact the team at Greens to arrange a home visit andquote without obligation. It could prove to be a highlyvaluable investment.To arrange a demonstration, call Green Water Systemson 01522 509383 or visit www.water-systems.co.uk.Part of the extensive water softener showroom atGreens Water Systems in North Hykeham021:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:18 Page 122 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENSRichard Chuck and his wife, Lesley,moved to Malachi Cottage inOsgodby, near Market Rasen aroundfive years ago. After renovating thehouse, Richard started working on thegarden and, over the past four years,he has transformed a blank canvasinto a wonderful outdoor space.The garden covers a quarter of anacre and when the family first movedhere, the garden was fairly neglected.Not for long! Richard is a man with avision when it comes to horticultureand, with so many creative ideas; hehas totally transformed this outdoorspace into a beautiful and tranquilretreat.Richard runs a lawn maintenancebusiness called Creative Lawn Careand he is also an expert in differentvarieties of grasses which he sells atplant fairs around the region, inparticular the Market Rasen fair wherehe is affectionately known as ‘the grassman’.Previously Richard, together withLesley and their two daughters, livedin Caistor and it was there that hespent eight years developing hisgarden, so he is certainly not a novicein garden design. In 2004, Richard was a finalist in theBBC Gardener of the Year competition.Producers and camera crewsscrutinised his garden in Caistor and,as a finalist, he was then invited todesign and build a show garden atBirmingham Botanical Gardens.Monty Don, Rachel de Thame, ChrisBeardshaw and Adam Pasco werejudges at the event and Richardcertainly impressed them with hisenthusiasm for horticulture and hisunique ideas. In fact, Richard andMonty even swapped a few tips alongthe way! Richard tells us it was afantastic experience and anachievement he’ll never forget.After his appearance on the showand the success of his Caistorgardening project, Richard and hisfamily decided to move to Osgodby.His daughter Sophie is disabled andattends the local primary school there.Richard is now campaigning to keepher in mainstream education and willbe opening his garden in 2012 to raisefunds for the Pegasus charity and forOsgodby Primary School, so that theycan continue to provide one-to-oneThe creative gardenerRichard Chuck’s wonderful garden in Osgodby is full of creative features and handmade structuresmaking a truly unique outdoor space. We were keen to discover more and to have a chat withRichard, a finalist in the BBC’s Gardener of the Year competition.022-024:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:33 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY23GARDENSsupport and additional facilities.Unlike the garden in Caistor, theOsgodby garden is flat and mucheasier for Sophie and other visitors toaccess. The key element of the gardenis to provide a sensory experience,with the space being divided intoseparate outdoor rooms. Paths andgateways lead through this uniquegarden and around every corneranother feature catches your eye!Initially, Richard planted silver birchtrees to outline the structure of thegarden, before adding fencing andgates. He went on to plant ornamentalgrasses and late season perennials,including Helianthus and Rudbeckia,creating interest all year round.Richard is a specialist in grasses,particularly Miscanthus, and is acollector of distinctive varieties. Muchof the garden is prairie style planting,combining living plants with man-made structures, and it is constantlyevolving.Richard’s enthusiasm and passionfor gardening is infectious and hiscreative ideas just keep on flowing. Aswell as constructing a water featureand two dovecotes, he is alwayslooking to introduce unique structuresto the garden. One of the moststunning features is a clay pipe wall,which he constructed using reclaimedpipes which he picked up at a farmsale. The end result is truly stunning!Most of the structures are handmadeincluding the Gothic arches, withchains hanging above, cleverlypositioned as a walkway in the middleof the garden; or the water featurecreated from a cattle trough, or eventhe fabulous oak table which wasmade by Richard’s father-in-law. Asthe ultimate creative gardener, Richardhas the ability to create outdoorstructures using reclaimed scrap metal;clay pipes; and wood. He even has anold cart wheel in the garden, which hefound at Hemswell.As well as constructing many of thestructures, Richard also picks up piecesfrom fairs and shows throughout theUK, including a handsome cast bronzeowl from Hampton Court, a medusa’shead and reconstituted stone Gothicdogs which he sourced online.Richard has recently completed astonemasonry course and a traditionalstained glass course. Over the lastcouple of months he has started tocreate his own stained glass pieces –one of which already takes pride ofplace in the garden!It is clear to see that Richard doesn’tfollow trends and his own uniquestyle has culminated in the mostwonderful garden, full of secludedareas. At the end of the garden is thebabbling brook, Claxby Beck, withopen fields beyond. To make the mostof the views, Richard has constructed asuperb boardwalk and decking. He is a great believer in supportingthe local wildlife and nature and, asyou can imagine, this garden isteeming with all kinds of differentspecies including woodpeckers,finches, long-tail tits, gold crests andkingfishers, as well as a resident tawnyowl and bats. Richard has evenconstructed a large aviary whichaccommodates two ornamentalpheasants.As we walked around the garden, itseems that every inch of the gardenoozes creativity, yet is still veryfunctional. A hammock provides a24 022-024:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:33 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENSpeaceful retreat and the decking area isthe perfect place to unwind. Richard’stalent is unstoppable and he has suchan eye for detail. Even as we spoke, hewas already planning new projects for2012.Richard is a member of the HardyPlant Society and in 2011 he openedhis garden to visitors from localgroups. This year, his garden will beopen on 14th July.Ornamental grasses are a key featureof Richard’s garden and he is an avidcollector. Last year, he contacted RickDarke, an American author whospecialises in grasses native to theUSA. To Richard’s surprise, Rick senthim a seed all the way from the Statesand this variety of ornamental grass isnow flourishing nicely in thisOsgodby garden! Richard loves thefluidity of grasses, which most otherperennials don’t always offer. Thegrasses provide a complete sensoryexperience as they sway in theLincolnshire breeze.Richard is an adventurous gardenerwho is not afraid to take risks. He isoften moving plants and trees andcreating new features. We asked him ifthe garden will ever be complete. Hetold us, “gardens don’t finish, theycan’t be finished, they are alwaysgrowing and evolving.” With such apassion for horticulture and thatwonderful creative streak, Richard’sgarden is a unique oasis just waiting tobe explored.Richard Chuck’s garden at MalachiCottage in Osgodby will be open on14th July to raise funds for localcharities. The garden is also open byappointment. Contact Richard on01673 828091.022-024:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:33 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25SOCIAL SCENEVery happybirthdayfor JohnBig-hearted John Hayes was 39 (again) recently andhosted a special birthday party at The White Heather at CaenbyCorner. He didn’t ask for any presents, though, but rather that theguests made a donation to When You Wish Upon A Star, one of John’sfavourite charities, which helps make dreams come true for very illchildren.John invited 120 friends to the party, who enjoyed fine food, greatcompany and entertainment from The Three Waiters.John is Chairman of the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association ofGreat Britain, in which role he recently held a special Chairman’sDinner in Chesterfield. Putting together the cash raised at both theseevents, John estimates he’s raised over four thousand pounds for thisfabulous charity.PHOTOS BY RICHARD PICKSLEYJohn Hayes (left) and his guests025:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:34 Page 126 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYNEWARKWhat George Wilkinson loves aboutNewark is its past - hundreds of years ofit, still there to be admired andenjoyed.A walk though the town with himbrings the past alive, as he populates itwith the characters whose vision andaspirations created the buildings thatform its fabric today.From the wealthiest businessman tothe most humble farmer, all played theirpart in the past of a town that grewthrough a combination of industry,agriculture, commerce and its positionon the Great North Road and the RiverTrent. With George’s help, it’s not hardto imagine people from all of thosegoing about their daily lives. His graphic descriptions recalldistinctive smells from the maltings, thecattle market and the ironworks; thetramping of the farmers’ rough boots asthey made for one of the 140 pubs thetown, and the coach traffic rattling upand down the Great North Road.It’s easy to imagine the conversationsthat might have taken place. Whatwas said about the imposingOssington Coffee Palace, builtopposite the castle in 1882 to offer atemperance alternative for travellersand market visitors? What was the reaction to the decisionby Sir William Gilstrap, when he lookedout of his imposing residence towardsthe castle and the Trent valley beyond,and declared, “I shall build a library”,and pointed to a site some hundreds ofyards away, where it would obscuresomeone else’s view?And what about the remarks, nodoubt as unprintable then as theywould be today, of Alderman Branston,who grew tired of drinkers in the pubnext door using the side wall of hishouse as a urinal? He put a stop to thepractice in a very pragmatic manner –by having a sloping stone shelf builtat knee height, so that the drinkerswould wet their own feet as theyrelieved themselves.Gilstrap was a very successfulhotelier, but moved into malting –preparing barley for the brewingprocess – when the coming of therailways heralded the end of thecoaching trade. Coaching had beenbig business in Newark – one inn hadstabling for ninety horses.The fortunes of other Newark innsfaded as the line of the Great NorthRoad shifted as traffic volumes grew.Hard to imagine Chain Lane, todaylittle more than an alleyway openingonto the Market Place, as what wouldbecome the longest numbered road inthe kingdom, but George assured me ithad indeed been the line of thaticonic route. “You could drive a Miniinto it, but you’d struggle to do athree-point turn,” he laughed. Oropen a door, we shouldn’t wonder.And then there’s the story behindpartially-repaired vandalism of thecastle. The building is now clearly aruin, but one of its chevron-rich archesstands to day in Gilstrap’s formerlibrary, which is the town’s touristinformation office – where George is aswell-known as he is welcome.“The arch was fished out of the riverstone by stone, and rebuilt here,” hesaid. “I imagine the stonemason goingout to work in the morning, and hiswife saying to him: ‘What are youdoing today?, and him replying‘Chevrons again, love, I’m still on thechevrons’.”The town’s market hall, built in1884 and re-developed in 1990, heldits own secrets. In the cool shade ofthe Buttermarket George took us bythe arm and drew us towards a ladies’What I love about…NewarkGeorge Wilkinson at Newark Castle. He creates theimpression that he just might know all the stones bytheir Christian names…The second in our series looking at towns and villages asyou’ve never seen them before takes us to Newark. Ourguide is George Wilkinson, the Chairman of Newark CivicTrust, who hasn’t lived all his life in Newark… yet.Impressive buildings surroundNewark’s Market Place026-027:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:36 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27NEWARKfashion shop, and encouraged us tolook inside. It was a departure wehadn’t expected, but he wanted toshow us a row of tiny doors on theback wall, incorporated into the shop’sdesign. “Cells,” he said. “This used tobe the police station.” We hadn’tnoticed the railings sticking out of theshop’s interior wall above the doors,for about six feet, before curving topoint at the ground. “They were thetop of the exercise yard. Prisoners hadto come out and walk up and down inthere for an hour,” he said.It’s a delight that such a detail, whichcould so easily have been obliterated,has been retained in a redevelopment,and full marks to Newark for making itso. It’s a delight too that anorganisation like the Newark CivicTrust, with George as its Chairman,should champion the past so strongly.Of course, that championing couldbe a little fierce at times, as Georgeadmits, citing the success of the CivicTrust in its battle to save one buildingwhich might not have deserved it. “Itwas a pyrrhic victory, but we had tofight the battle. If we hadn’t, thatcould have set a precedent when otherbuildings needed to be saved,” he said.So, George loves Newark, but thefeeling is undoubtedly mutual. Ourwalk round the town was punctuatedby passers-by and shopkeepers saying‘hello George’, and his cheery replies.They taught us much about his senseof humour, which is why, when weasked if he’d lived all his life inNewark, he said, with a twinkle in hiseye: “Not yet.” We’d heard it before, or course.Having known George for even acouple of hours, we should haveknown better than to ask…Social coffee-drinking isn’t a new phenomenon, as The Ossington proves. Built in 1882, it servedcoffee to visitors until just before the Second World War, when it was converted for use asgovernment offices and airmen’s billets. Today is has been split into a restaurant and private homesAbove: This arch was hurled into the Trent when the castle was destroyed, and wasfished out when the Town Bridge was modifiedRight: The Old White Hart is the oldest inn in Newark. The front was built in 1459,but this is the back, which is even older – built in 1313. The entire building was savedfrom collapse in the 1970s026-027:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:36 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNSHIRE WALKSExploring Lincolnshireon footWe begin however at the footof the heath in Barkston village,originally “Barkr’s” farmsteadand then “Barchestune” in theDomesday Book. St Nicholas’schurch is the dominant featurehere standing as it does on risingground with its C15th crocketedspire soaring above the villageroofs. The exterior is mostlyPerpendicular in style, but with C13thand C14th work inside; restorationtook place in 1865 and 1887. Justaround the corner are almshousesrebuilt in 1839.Having climbed onto the heath wepass Barkston Heath airfield firstopened in April 1941 as a subsidiary tonearby Cranwell. By January 1944 itsgrass runways were replaced withconcrete in the standard three-runwaytriangle layout – the longest being6,000 feet. It was a USAAF base formost of the war and afterwards from1954 resumed its role as a relief landingground for Cranwell.The outstanding feature of this walkmust be Honington Iron Age fort;though whether it is Early, Middle orLate is uncertain. Although fenced off aBarkston’s church there is an EarlyEnglish tower but Normanmasonry inside. Again there wereVictorian restorations in 1873 and1889. Keys are available nearby.Beyond Honington we cross therailway opened in June 1857 bythe Boston and Midland CountiesRailway Company fromGrantham via Sleaford to Boston.This line is still operative but a fewyards northeast of Honington crossinganother line was built ten years laterthat branched northwards to linkGrantham with Lincoln. This wasconstructed by the Great NorthernRailway to provide a more direct route(via Grantham) to London; indeed itshaved 45 minutes off the journey timeof the Newark alternative. Also to thenortheast, but now long gone for itclosed in 1882, was a loop line thatallowed trains to run direct fromLincoln to Sleaford.The latter part of the walk climbsgently up Frinkley Lane, part of theViking Way, onto high ground againbefore round off the day with anadventurous (optional!) crossing of theRiver Witham.APPROACHINGHONINGTONBARKSTONTHE IRON AGE FORTBarkston, Honington &Frinkley LaneOur first walk for 2012 explores Barkstonand Honington Heaths to visit a prehistoricfort before returning partly along the VikingWay. There are fine views throughout.grass set-aside strip round most of itensures that it can be viewed easily. It isperhaps the best prehistoric structure inLincolnshire in terms of its preservationand its 0.6 hectares of double banksand ditches are clear to see.Furthermore its location commands far-reaching views in all directions and itbecomes obvious, once standing besideit, why our ancestors chose the site. Italso lies on the presumed line of theJurassic Way. The first full account of itwas by Lincolnshire’s own antiquarianWilliam Stukeley of Holbeach in 1724.Down in the valley again liesHonington village, an ancientsettlement whose name derives fromthe Old English for “Hunda’s” farm andhere St Wilfred’s church is tucked awayup a gravel drive behind the houses ofChurch Grove. Somewhat older than028-029:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:41 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY29LINCOLNSHIRE WALKSNOTES.Please park considerately in Barkston and actresponsibly where the route is not a right of way.THE ROUTE.Walk up Barkston’s main street, bearleft past the church and then take the first right(Minnett’s Hill) onto the heath. Where the tarmac endscontinue for another mile along a track (an unclassifiedroad) until with the airfield control tower in full view anunsigned track departs to the left. This is not a right ofway on OS maps but is the only way of accessing theestablished footpath to Honington fort.The track runs parallel to the airfield boundary andsoon becomes grassy before coming to a hedge. Gothrough and turn left continuing to a footpath sign nearthe field corner. Cut the corner, though it’s only a fewextra feet further round the edge, to a waymark in ahedge gap. Now look for a line of earthworks and shrubson the skyline; this is the Iron Age fort. Aim just to theright of it where you will find another waymark.From there maintain your line over the field aimingfor the left-hand one of two gaps in the trees ahead. Aimfor a footpath fingerpost and there join a track thatdescends to the A153 road near Honington. Follow thelane opposite into the village, keeping right at the firstjunction. There’s a signpost for the church. Continue outof the village and cross the A607 Lincoln road, keepingahead over the railway to eventually reach a “T”junction. Take the track opposite; this is Frinkley Laneand the Viking Way.Ignore the first footpath on the left (after about aquarter of a mile) but continue uphill to the nextsignpost at a good viewpoint where a track, and theViking Way, bears off leftwards. Walk downhill to reachanother track junction. You now have two options.Bear left and then right over a bridge, passing underthe railway before joining a surfaced road (West Street)back into Barkston.Alternatively, turn right for 200 yards, cross a baileybridge over the River Witham and immediately turn leftalong the riverbank. In about 300 yards a grass rampdrops left down to the river and some stepping-stones.On the far bank follow the path through woods andcross the railway, then walk diagonally over a meadowaiming left of some farm buildings. From a footpath signand bridle gate walk past the farm (via two more gates)to pick up a track and join route 1 at a road. Keep aheadinto Barkston.by Hugh MarrowsFACTFILESTART: Barkston villageMAPS: OS Landranger 130 (Grantham) • Explorer 247 DISTANCE: 7¾ miles • 12.5 kilometresREFRESHMENTS: Stag Inn, BarkstonRIVER WITHAMSTEPPING STONESSt NICHOLAS'S CHURCHBARKSTONHONINGTON SEENFROM FRINKLEY LANESt WILFRED'S CHURCHHONINGTON028-029:Layout 1 8/12/11 14:41 Page 2Next >