< Previous50 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNSHIRE WALKSThis triangle of villages has a long history.A Neolithic flint axe (4000 BC) has beenfound near Brinkhill and there are at leastthree mediaeval moated sites around thevillage. The best, easiest to see and passedon our walk is at grid ref 374738. Themediaeval church has long gone and thepresent day St Philip’s dates from 1857.Costing £560 to build, it is in a neo-EarlyEnglish style but with a unusually strikingexterior of horizontally striped greenstoneand brick. The bottom six feet of therestored churchyard cross is mediaeval. Brinkhill is also perhaps the onlyLincolnshire village to have experienced agold rush. Local marcasite, a brassycoloured mineral and a form of “fool’sgold” was apparently mistaken for the realthing sometime during the reign of QueenElisabeth I from which time, presumably,the name of Goldfield Farm derives.At Calceby we briefly follow theprehistoric trackway of the Bluestone Heathroad. On the hillside above Calceby Beckand the site of the lost mediaeval village,stand the gaunt ruins of St Andrew’schurch. The remains are part of the westtower and the north wall of the nave datingback to Norman times and constructed oflocal chalk and greenstone. The last servicehere was in 1692. In a lay-by just below theruins is an information board and map.Note the unusual window layout of CalcebyManor just across the road.Driby was the “Dribi” of the DomesdayBook, translating from the Old Danish asthe “village on dry ground”, when therewas a mill and a population of some sixty toseventy souls. Even so the finding ofRomano-British pottery has proved evidenceBRINKHILL, CALCEBY AND DRIBYThis month we return after a long absence to the Tennyson Country of thesouthern Wolds where history and stunning scenery combine on a fine walk.Exploring Lincolnshire on footBRINKHILL CHURCHYARD CROSSBRINKHILL MOAT SITEAPPROACHING DRIBYFOOTPATHNEAR DRIBY50-51_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:11 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE WALKSof earlier settlement. Here, thoughobscured from view, are more moats andearthworks around Driby Wood and thesite of the manor house of yet anotherlost mediaeval village; the present dayManor is 17th century. The church heretoo is fairly “modern” – only seven yearsolder than Brinkhill’s – having been builtin 1850. Declared redundant in 1974 itwas converted into a private home fouryears later.Although there is a short cut back toBrinkhill - see the route guide - the mainwalk eschews this in favour of the climbto the road at Sutterby Top for theoutstanding views - take time to “standand stare”!NOTES.The route crosses severalarable fields.THE ROUTE.Walk through Brinkhillvillage, pass Goldfield Farm and keepahead at a junction to also pass thechurch. Beyond the church, where theroad bends left, climb the stile on the rightby the information board. Keep aheadover a meadow (with moat and fishpondearthworks on your right) aiming for theleft-hand corner of some woods andanother stile. Continue alongside thewoods (with a right-left zig-zag) toreach a footpath sign.Now bear slightly left over anyards, then look for a waymark directingyou to walk on opposite side of thehedge. Continue down to a footbridge,cross it and turn left. At a fence climb thestile to your left, walk up a grass paddocktowards Driby church and join a track at afootpath sign.Go left and after the second cattle gridbear right. In a quarter of a mile this trackdivides at a 3-way bridleway sign. Theright-hand track provides a simpleshortcut back to Brinkhill.Our route however keeps forwarduphill, the track leading to the road aboveSutterby to benefit from the particularlyfine views it offers. Turn right and beyonda “T” junction take the first field path onthe right across a deep valley - the routeis clearly marked - to meet a lane aboveBrinkhill. There are now two options.Follow the lane downhill and turn leftin the village back to the start.Alternatively go left and at a left-handbend leave the lane for a footpath on theright. After a few yards the path turnssharp right. It then descends, in a directline, a meadow, steps through trees, anarable field, a second meadow andstiles at Goldfield Farm yard. Finally afenced path leads to the road. Turnleft back to the start.by Hugh MarrowsFACTFILESTART: Green Lane, Brinkhill. (Grid ref 369734)OS MAPS: Landranger 122 (Skegness) •Explorer 273DISTANCE: 6¼ miles • 10 kilometresREFRESHMENTS: None on routeNearby inns are in South Ormsby, Tetford andHagworthinghamVIEW ABOVE DRIBYarable field - look for two large trees at thefar side and aim to the left-hand one - to afootbridge.From it walk ahead on grass to a stile andthen a footpath sign by a hedge at a track.Turn right towards more woods. FurzeCloses. Go left parallel to the tree line butgradually veer leftwards aiming out about 80yards to locate a footbridge and then aheadacross arable fields to two kissing gates.From the second one bear half right towardsa grey barn and join a road opposite a farm.Now turn right across Calceby Beck and upto the “T” junction below the church. Thereis an information board in a lay-by on yourleft just below the ruins.Keep ahead at the “T” junction and levelwith the Manor House locate a stile on theright with another behind the hedge. Crossa small arable field to a fingerpost seen onthe skyline. Get here more easily by stayingon road and going right at a track. Turnright (or ahead if using the track) beingsure to keep the hedge on your left for 400ST ANDREW’S CALCEBY 50-51_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:11 Page 252 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYBusiness inLincolnshireonlincolnshire launches e-learning portalKeeping up to date with the latestcomputer software or advances in socialmedia can be a daunting prospect formany businesses. However, thanks to anew e-learning portal developed byLincolnshire County Council’sonlincolnshire project, information andtraining on everything from social mediato search engine optimisation is nowavailable at the click of a button.The Business Lincolnshire E-learningPortal, which is hosted on the existingBusinessLincolnshire.com website, is open to all small and medium sized businesses in theGreater Lincolnshire area. As well as factsheets, how-to guides and videos it also offers a range of free online sessions,from courses on cloud computing through to developing a digital marketing strategy. Lincolnshireproperties attractnational andinternational buyersA number of Lincolnshire properties whichwent to auction attracted national andinternational buyers – reflecting a massiveconfidence in the property market outside ofLondon, a leading auctioneer has revealed.Property auction house John Pye and Son isthe first in the UK to take its auctions entirelyonline – attracting a broader reach of buyers.Lincolnshire landmark Sleaford’s Moneys Mill isyet to find a lucky buyer as it goes unsold atthe last John Pye Property Auction.John Pye launched its online auctions in2014, offering 0% seller fees. The company isstaging its next auction later this month afterrecording a 75% increase in lots between itsfirst two online property auctions.The auction house had the striking Grade IIListed mill up for auction at a guide price of£180,000.Port of Immingham to have newlink road within a yearA vital link road to improve access to the Port of Immingham and remove lorrytraffic travelling through the nearby town will be built thanks to nearly £5 millionfrom the government. The A18/A180 link road will improve capacity and remove heavy goods vehiclesfrom the nearby town. The road will provide a new link at the A180, connectingto the B1210, and is expected to be finished by this time next year. It will have about a kilometre of new single carriageway, a new ‘arm’ to the existing roundabout at the A180 Stallingborough Interchange and anew three-arm roundabout constructed at the termination point with the B1210. Coun Ray Oxby, portfolio holder for regeneration at North East Lincolnshire Council, says, “This is brilliant news for Immingham and the widerNorth East Lincolnshire area. We have been developing this scheme for a number of years, and I’m delighted it has now come to fruition. It willtake about a year to complete, but it’s much needed investment in a vital part of our infrastructure.”Energy feeds 17%turnover boost forBritconBuilding, civil engineering and structural steelworkcontractor Britcon has announced a turnover of £31.5million for 2014. This represents a 17% increase on tradingfor 2013 and is attributable in the main, to significantsuccess in the energy and renewables sectors.Headquartered in North Lincolnshire, Britcon directly employs 70 people on its project sitesacross the UK. Key contracts that have contributed to its success in 2014 include a new £5.5million state of the art toll collection system on the Humber Bridge in collaboration with aSpanish tolling contractor.Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Britcon, says, “We are pleased to report a return tohealthy growth and profitability in the business after a challenging period through theeconomic crisis. A deliberate effort to focus on key growth areas, including renewables, energyand emergency services, has not only expanded our specialised capabilities but also securednew market opportunities.”52_Layout 1 23/02/2015 11:43 Page 1PETS CORNERtropical - marine - coldwater - pondVictorAquaticsOur outdoor pond section is now openSelling pond fish, plants, pumps, food & moreOpening TimesMonday: 10am - 7.30pmTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10am - 5.30pmSunday: 10am - 3pm185 Victor Street, Grimsby DN32 7QBT: 01472 358698 - www.victoraquatics.co.ukTraditionally one of the first pets a child has, fish are lowmaintenance and require little interaction from humansbeyond feeding and cleaning of their tank. They are theperfect pets for people who work busy hours, who mightwant the companionship of an animal, but worry aboutleaving them alone for a full working day. What’s more, fish make incredible attraction pieces in thehome. With well-maintained aquariums or fish tanksoffering an exciting and brightly coloured decorative piecethat is sure to bring a touch of excitement to a livingroom. Building your own aquarium turns into a hobby for manypeople who try it. With a wide array of colourful andexciting breeds of fish available, there is also a host ofinteresting reefs of coral or other paraphernalia for the fishto play with. These include the ubiquitous sunken pirateship, or perhaps something more modern like a miniaturehouse, or a favourite sports car. For those who are considering the hobby for themselves,it’s advised to speak to an experienced aquarium store to seewhat breeds of fish get on well with one another. Aquariumslook more colourful and exciting with a wider array ofspecies, but it’s important to ensure that none of them are onthe food chain of any other. Bright and beautifulDogs may be man’s best friend, but fish can be a perfect choice for those who wantserenity and style PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/S-FLINCOLNSHIRETODAY5353_Layout 1 23/02/2015 11:44 Page 1Ratty is backDespite his similarity to the characterfrom Wind in the Willows, this “rat” is areally a vole – a water vole. It’s beenmany years since he was paddling acrossour dykes and streams but at last he’sback and in good numbers again, at leasthere in Lincolnshire.I spent a pleasant afternoon watchingthese charismatic little guys going abouttheir business. Their home is a burrowjust above the water level in the riverbank, containing nest chambers, foodstorage areas and interconnectingtunnels. Just in front of the entrance hole,there’s usually a muddy patch where theysit and watch to see if the coast is clearor clean their fur.In fact their eyesight is pretty poor butthey do seem to see enough movementand hear enough sounds to give themsome kind of warning. A hungryowl could drop down onthem from above andeasily take one as it wasswimming, or theattack could comefrom below in theform of a hungrypike.Thankfully, therewas no sign of thatoutrageous predator,the feral American mink.The mink, very much athome in water, can even getdown the vole’s burrows and kill bothadults and young, so while the minkwere so numerous, the vole numbersplummeted. Thanks to the efforts of localwildlife trusts and gamekeepers,mink numbers are now verylow, and it’s been a coupleof years at least since Ilast saw one. The risein water volenumbers is alsomirrored in the risein the number ofotters. Although I’venever seen an otterattack a mink, I don’tthink the two things areentirely unrelated.The voles all vanished when Iarrived, but after only about ten minutessitting quietly, the first one popped hisCountry DiaryTalesfrom theriverbankOur wildlife expert Colin Smale spotssome visitors to Lincolnshire’s waterlands54-55_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:12 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFEhead out and then sat at theburrow entrance posing like theLord of all he surveyed! Soonfood was on his mind again – heonly had to reach out and grab anearby leaf which he grasped inthose tiny hands and the leaf gotsmaller and smaller until it wasgone.It wasn’t long before he took tothe water, but he didn’t seem tohave any real direction, and justwent from one side to the otherfor no apparent reason. The waythey paddle themselves along hasalways amused me – like a doggypaddle but twice as fast.March is the beginning of theirbreeding season and so thingswill be hotting up down at theriverbank soon. There will be nestmaterial gathering, territorialbattles and hopefully some baby voles tosee. The gestation period is only threeweeks and so before the end of thismonth, there may be up to six new volesin there. I’m looking forward to watchingthem.We often seem to take very little noticeof really common species, even the exoticlooking ones like shellduck or lapwing,but if their numbers were ever to crash, itseems only then we’d appreciate them. Ithas been like this with these voles, andI’m glad they’re back.Winter turns the cornerOur salt marshes are my favouriteplaces to wander and to photographwildlife. They can be dangerous, they canbe unpredictable when wind and tidecan catch out the unwary, but they growand move entirely as they wish which iswhy I find them so interesting.Even at this time of the year, thosemyriad creeks are filled with feedingbirds, while seals are sleeping quietly onthe dry banks of sea purslane. Marshmud has more tiny life forms in it thanyou might imagine – worms, shellfish,crabs – and the water is a nursery formany fish species as well as millions ofshrimps. It’s quite understandable thatfolk can look over the marsh and declarethere’s nothing there, though – very littlecan be seen from the bank.Last winter, as the sun dipped towardthe horizon, a short eared owl appearedright in front of me, had a brief lookaround, decided it was time to hunt andflew off along the shoreline. It had beensleeping there right in front of me, out ofthe wind and out of sight – and just toshow how good they are at hiding, outpopped four more!My favourite visitor to the marshes isthe Brent Goose, that winter visitor fromthe tundra regions that is always on themove. When the weather is nice andsunny for a change, they look so nice asthey twinkle across the blue sky.As I write, the woodland snowdropsneed another week to fully open. I’vephotographed them many times beforebut they are so beautiful, who can resistthem? I’ll be sure to include them on thispage next month.To purchase photos from any ofour wildlife articles, visitwww.fotolincs.comBrent Geese54-55_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:12 Page 256 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYBRANSBY HORSES RESCUE AND WELFARECome and visit us...Meet more than 300 rescued horses, ponies,donkeys and mules – from tiny Shetlands toenormous Shires and everything inbetween!Learn about the fantastic work that BransbyHorses does to help horses in need. Eat & drinkat our new Feedroom Café and browse theshop for gifts and mementos of your day out!BRANSBY LINCOLNLN1 2PHt: 01427 788464www.bransbyhorses.co.uk Registered Charity Number 1075601Giving horses asecond chanceBransby Horses Rescue & Welfare is a charity dedicated to improving equine welfareacross the country. Throughout the course of 2014, their committed staff were able togive over a hundred horses a much deserved second chance.Visitor andEducationCentre open10am - 4pmdailyIf you’re interested in finding outabout the work they do at Bransby,why not come and visit during thisEaster holidays? At the Visitor’s Centreyou can meet the selection ofwonderful adoption animals, and whileyou’re there, why not adopt yourfavourite? Each time an adoption isreceived for one of the animals, itprovides much needed funds to allowthe provision of individual care to allthe equines.The newly refurbished RehomingCentre is home to a small number ofsuccessfully rehabilitated horses that areundergoing their initial education tobecome either a riding or driving horse.You will be able to see how the horsesprogress from initially arriving, tobecoming safe and happy horses in theirnew disciplines.During your visit, why not drop intothe Feedroom café where you can grab abite to eat or enjoy a steaming hot coffeeand a delicious homemade cake?There’s a range of activities for all thefamily during the holidays so check outthe calendar atwww.bransbyhorses.co.uk/calendar tofind out what exciting opportunities areon offer! The team look forward toseeing you and don’t forget to visit thegift shop on your way home!56_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:28 Page 1WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NETFarm&Country•Farming News •Farm Management •County Shows •Equine•Farming News •Farm Management •County Shows •EquineFarm&CountryFor farmers through the countyWWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NETLinkLinkPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/STEPHEN MEESE57_Layout 1 23/02/2015 11:44 Page 1Lincolnshire gets funding forfood enterprise zone pilotsThree projects in Lincolnshire have been successful in attracting funding to supportpilot schemes for developing Food Enterprise Zones. The schemes focus on Europarc inNorth East Lincolnshire along with two areas in Lincolnshire with strong agri-fooddevelopment potential in the Holbeach and Hemswell areas.This funding will enable the LEP to develop a strong business case for each areawhich will be required to apply to become a Food Enterprise Zone, bringing hugebenefits to companies operating within those areas.Councillor Colin Davie, a Director of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, says, “The foodsector is of enormous importance to Greater Lincolnshire – it’s our third biggest sectorand contributes £2.5 billion every year to the area’s economy. This is the first steptowards creating new Food Enterprise Zones in North East Lincolnshire, South Hollandand West Lindsey which will be a welcome development and play a vital role in helping us to achieve our vision of doubling the economic value ofthe agrifood sector in Greater Lincolnshire by 2030.”58 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFARM & COUNTRY LINK - NEWSPerfect storm brewsfor small food retailersThe UK’s largest supermarkets are pushing many foodsuppliers and smaller high street grocers to the brink,warns business recovery specialists Begbies Traynor.According to Begbies Traynor’s Red Flag Alert research,the UK’s food retailing industry experienced one of thesharpest increases in ‘Significant’ financial distress of allsectors monitored, rising 58% to 4552 strugglingbusinesses compared to the same quarter last year.The statistics show the UK’s SME food retailers andsuppliers have been the worst casualties so far of theenduring price war between the UK’s supermarket giants,who have been slashing prices, while squeezing suppliers’margins and elongating payment terms in a bid to offerconsumers the lowest prices available in today’scompetitive retail environment.Julie Palmer, Partner at Begbies Traynor, says, ”A perfectstorm is brewing for SME food suppliers at the bottom ofthe food supply chain, with many suffering a double hitfrom larger suppliers demanding “loyalty” payments aswell as vanishing margins as a result of the inevitableaggressive supermarket price war.“Unless the supermarkets start treating their suppliersmore fairly and find longer term solutions to their costcutting exercise, we expect that more than a hundred ofthese suppliers will fall into administration before the yearis up.”Council plans training tosupport farming industryThe growing agri-food business in Lincolnshire is part of an £18 billion nationaleconomy, so a new council-led training programme is making sure that WestLindsey businesses have the relevant skills in place needed to meet demand in thefuture.As part of the Agri-food Skills and Manufacturing Development programmeWest Lindsey District Council is working with a range of local and regionaltraining providers to address training needs in areas that have been identified bylocal rural businesses as key to their growth and performance.West Lindsey District Councillor Owen Bierley, chair of the ProsperousCommunities Committee, says, “This is a real chance for those in this highlycompetitive and growing sector to pick up skills that will put them lengths aheadof the rest of the industry. West Lindsey has many impressive Agri-food companiesalready, but those that want to excel will want to take part in this training in orderto help realise their full potential.”To find out more, contact Sarah Franklin on 01724 294040 or emailkcinfo@northlindsey.ac.uk.58-59_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:13 Page 1Lincolnshire firm boosts UKfood and farming exportsElderflower presse from Grantham-baseddrinks manufacturer Belvoir is expectedto become the company’s numberone seller in America this year onthe back of a surge in companyexports to £2.6 million.The development is part of asurge in exports of fruit andvegetable juices from the UK as awhole, which have increased byalmost 40% since 2010 and were worth arecord £65 million last year.Peter Webster, Belvoir’s Head of International, says, “Export sales worldwideare becoming increasingly important to the Belvoir business, driven by oursignature Elderflower Presse which still makes up the largest proportion of allof our global sales and is soon set to be our number one product in the USA.Belvoir Fruit Farms has seen sales soar with exports rising 60% between2013 and 2014 to £2.6 million. Its drinks are found in a growing number ofcountries across Europe, Scandinavia, America, Canada, the Middle East andSouth East Asia. Its USA market more than doubled in the last year and it hasnow secured new business in Austria, Slovakia, France and South Korea.Lincolnshire helps CropIntellect sow seeds of successA Lincolnshire agricultural research and development company has made newconnections with potential investors and major producers and distributors thanks tofree support provided by SUPPLY Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire County Council’s ERDF-funded supply chain building initiative.Established in 2011, Lincoln-based Crop Intellect develops innovative agriculturaltechnologies and offers a state-of-the-art range of products based on theseinnovations. In addition to technologies designed to increase the quality, yield andshelf-life of produce, the firm also develops specialty fertilisers and bio-pesticides thathelp make agriculture more sustainable and environmentally friendly.Nicolas Garnier, Project Manager at Pera Consulting,the firm tasked with providing supply chaingrowth support for SUPPLY Lincolnshire, says,“We couldn’t be happier with the progressCrop Intellect has made towards achievingits goal of connecting with more potentiallocal partners. Not only have theystrengthened their presence within thelocal supply chain, but over the next fewmonths, we believe Crop Intellect willgrow thanks to a combination of newbusiness relationships, the company’s in-depth scientific knowledge and its innovativerange of agricultural solutions.”LINCOLNSHIRETODAY59FARM & COUNTRY LINK - NEWS01522 568000 www.rimmerbros.co.ukTelephone: Website:Farming Minister paysvisit to HolbeachPromoting agri-technology to the next generation to createa highly skilled food workforce and building on the potentialof food exports were key issues raised by the Farming MinisterGeorge Eustice MP when he visited Holbeach.Mr Eustice was at the National Centre for FoodManufacturing to launch the Greater Lincolnshire LocalEnterprise Partnership’s Food Board and Agrifood Plan 2014-2020.The Food Board is made up of senior figures from food andfarming across Greater Lincolnshire and its purpose is to informand advise the LEP on issues and challenges which face thesector such as water management, planning, transportinfrastructure, the translation of research to industry and skillsrequirements. The agrifood sector in Greater Lincolnshireemploys around 56,000 people and is worth £2.5 billionannually to the economy.After the launch, Mr Eustice toured the National Centre forFood Manufacturing and QV Foods nearby.George Eustice is pictured with Mark Tinsley, who leads onagrifood for the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, and Ursula Lidbetter,Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.58-59_Layout 1 23/02/2015 12:13 Page 2Next >