< Previous30 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYTo be honest, Caistor and its surroundingvillages is steeped in history and has somefantastic views, so it’s easy to see why the area issuch an attractive proposition to ramblers, andthis month we look at a relatively short walk fromCaistor Town to Nettleham and return on theViking way.As can be testified from local archaeologicalfinds, Caistor and the surrounding area wasoccupied during prehistoric times although mostpeople know it better as a fortified Romansettlement. In fact, Caistor is proud of its heritageand displays signs depicting the town wall whichwe take in on our walk.The walk also traces many of Caistor's oldestbuildings, such as the church of St Peter and StPaul, which features an 11th century tower and14th Century pinnacles. Inside you can find a rare curiosity, the "GadWhip" which was ‘cracked’ every Palm Sunday upto 1846 in the church porch and then over theclergyman's head during the lessons before beingplaced in the Lord of the Manors pew. Across the road from the church is CaistorGrammar School which was founded in 1631 andnext-door is the impressive Congregationalchapel built in 1842.We leave Caistor via Navigation Lane once theaccess to the Caistor Canal, which never reachedthe town but terminated at Moortown a fewmiles away. The canal was four miles long andbranched from the New River Ancholme, but wasconsidered a financial failure as – a little like ourpresent day Humber Bridge - its income couldn’teven make a dent on the loan interest it incurredto build.Returning into Caistor along the Horsemarketit’s worth stopping at what remains of the old fireExploringLincolnshireon footRamblers'paradiseThe Wolds have beendescribed by thenational press as “aramblers’ paradise”and has featured inThe Times’ top 20walks so it seemed asuitable choice for ourJanuary 2017 edition. 30-31_Layout 1 16/12/2016 10:57 Page 1into Church Folly, passing the church ofSt Peter and St Paul. At the bottom ofChurch Folly - just around the corner tothe left is the Sypher Spring, a prettylittle feature at any time of year.Turning right along the pathbordering the lower side of thechurchyard we see part of the Romanwall. And, on joining the road, we keepleft and descend the steep, windingCromwell View then keeping ahead to aroad junction we bear right downNavigation Lane. This soon becomes atrack and we continue until we reachopen fields.From here, we turn left and then maketwo right turns following a grass patharound the field edges. After a further leftturn we come to a footpath fingerpostand just beyond this take anotherfootpath veering off to the left by ahedge.From a kissing gate we turn leftwalking between trees marking anancient track until we can cross afootbridge. Then turning left, we passbetween the stream and a small brick hutto a second footbridge. We then headover a meadow, aiming for the righthand end of a fence. From the gate, wecross the housing estate road into a lanethat emerges at the A46 opposite theLINCOLNSHIRETODAY31station which is dug into the hillsidebelow South Dale and adjacent to it, thePigeon Spring and nearby the sypherspring which, at the time of our visit,looked splendid with a few ferns bravingthe cold Lincolnshire weather.Nettleton could be considered a sleepyvillage these days compared to Caistor,which always seems to have somethinghappening. But its history suggests anindustrial past as the nearby valley playedits part as an important ironstone miningarea. These 135 million years oldironstone beds are 10 feet thick andoriginally supplied Scunthorpe’ssteelworks almost up to the seventies.The church of St John the Baptist inNettleton is also worth a visit as it displaysthe lovely golden hues of this local stonewell and has stood the test of time havingbeen there since Saxon times. The church clock is worth a mentiontoo as it was installed in 1837 for QueenVictoria's coronation and was constructedby James Harrison, the grandson of thecelebrated John Harrison, who inventedthe famous "Longitude" chronometers. Route GuideWe leave the Market Place via the loweredge through Bank Street and walk downChurch Street to the church. We turn leftSalutation Inn. Cross carefully and walkthrough Nettleton passing the church ofSt John the Baptist and at Mansgate Hillwe turn left uphill.100 yards (or metres) on, we go leftover a stile with an old sign "Footpath toCaistor"; this puts us on the Viking Way.We cross a paddock to the far right handcorner and at a hand gate join a pathover several meadows to a ramp up tothe Caistor by-pass. Crossing carefully toanother ramp opposite we follow a pathby gardens to a road. Turning right andright again, and at the end of the roadwe pass to the left of some lock-upgarages. Here we cross the road and turnright along the Horsemarket and upPlough Hill back to the Market Place.Refreshments are enjoyed in the villageHeritage Centre which houses a library,internet café and more importantly arather splendid coffee and cakeshop…another ramblers paradise!FACTFILESTART: Market Place, CaistorMAPS: OS Explorer sheet 284OS Landranger sheet 113DISTANCE: 4 milesREFRESHMENTS: Caistor Arts andHeritage Centre30-31_Layout 1 16/12/2016 10:57 Page 2Sunflower BallThe Stott family organised a special Charity Ball at Jocastasin Lincoln to raise funds for ‘Meningitis Now’. It’s a causevery close to the family’s hearts, as their son Dylan, tragicallydied of Meningitis B in 2005.As Dylans father, Quent Stott explains: “We’ve undertaken various fundraisers over the years,including a climb of 19,000 feet up Mount Kilimanjaro, and have so far raised £150,000. But, wewanted to keep that going, in memory of Dylan, and I have to hand it to my wife, Surj, who workedtirelessly to make this happen.”The ‘Bollywood meets Hollywood’ themed event attracted over 260 guests who, after aChampagne drink on arrival enjoyed a delicious Indian Meal and were entertained by the ‘NachdaSansaar Bhangra Dancers’ and Live Music from ‘Sway’ (reputedly, one of Richard Branson’s favouriteparty bands). The Ball, which was named after Dylan’s favourite flower, the Sunflower , raised a further £17,000which will help the Meningitis Now charity continue its work. Surj and Quent, wish to thank guestsand sponsors for their generosity and helping to make it such a memorable evening.The Charity’s vision is a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyoneaffected gets the support they need to rebuild their lives. Anyone wishing to make a donation toMeningitis now can do so by logging onto www.meningitisnow.org LEANNE SELLERS, AMY CLIFTON,ROBERT & KATE HALLANTHONY & ZOE RANTELL,JOSS & JULES VINCENTJAMES & JOANNEKIRBYLAURA CLARK,HEATHER YOUNGJOHNNY & EMILYWOODMOLLIE JACKSON,WILL CRAWFORD32 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSOCIAL SCENEPHOTOS: RICHARD PICKSLEY32-33_Layout 1 16/12/2016 10:59 Page 1Create your perfect event with Jocasta’swhatever you need!Moor Lane, Thorpe on the Hill, Lincoln LN6 9BWCall 08456 025 062and we will beat any like for like quoteor see www.jocastasgroup.netJAMES & LYNN KNOWLES,CHLOE DURANCETHE HALL PARTYLAUREN DICKERSON, MARTIN BUCKTHORPE,MARK & DEBBIE DICKENSONDAVID & DEBBIE BROCKLESBY,TRACEY SMITH, DAVE COLEMANINDIA STOTT,CHLOE DURANCEQUENTIN & SURJSTOTT (ORGANISERS)LINCOLNSHIRETODAY33SOCIAL SCENE32-33_Layout 1 16/12/2016 10:59 Page 234 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONGet thisparty startedChristmas might be behind us foranother year, but with celebrations stillbringing in the New Year, andValentine’s Day on its way, the partyseason is far from over. 34-45_Layout 1 16/12/2016 11:49 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY35FASHIONNumphShades of blue – the beautyof Numph’s design is in itssimplicity, making it ideal fora party atmosphere or just anafternoon out on the town. 34-45_Layout 1 16/12/2016 11:49 Page 236 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONAbove left: IchiIchi strike a balance between gown and party dress with a gorgeous flowing outfit – try pairing with a shawlor overcoat. Above middle: Marc Cain All eyes will be on you in this sexy and audacious Marc Cain get-up rocking a rainbow of red shades. Above right: LauRieA more mature twist on the classic school uniform or office wear, this LauRie outfit is a stylish safe bet forany gathering. Opposite: MasaiWith Masai, simple elegance is the name of the game, and with this outfit, it’s easy to see why it works. 34-45_Layout 1 16/12/2016 11:49 Page 334-45_Layout 1 16/12/2016 11:50 Page 438 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHION12341) BaslerWho says you have to wear a dress to lookfabulous? This Basler jacket and pantcombo is sleek, stylish and feminine with itsfigure hugging contours. 2) TaifunTaifun show off exactly what can beaccomplished with muted tones and simplepatterns and the results are outstanding. 3) GantA touch of androgyny will add a playful noteto your evening ensemble, and with thisGant outfit to draw from, you won’t be shorton inspiration. 4) Ted Baker Bearing more than a passing resemblanceto the colour-swapping dress thatdominated 2016’s headlines, this Ted Bakernumber is guaranteed to make a statement. 5) OililyBright and flirty patterns characterise thisstunning Oilily number with an ocean effectin pink accents. 34-45_Layout 1 16/12/2016 11:50 Page 5534-45_Layout 1 16/12/2016 11:50 Page 6Next >