< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE This month we look at the work of PaulJames, whose playful, often humorous,artwork explores the space betweenwildlife and the urban environment. WhenworldscollideIt was clear from an early age that PaulJames was gifted with artistic abilities. Bornand raised in Leicestershire, the youngupstart was encouraged and supported byhis first fans – his parents. This early brushwith art was a guiding light, like a compasscompelled north and pointing him towardsthe future. Art college was in his sights. There was something of the punk spiritabout Paul, who was a determined non-conformist, eschewing the fastidioustraditions of the art establishment in favourof his own path. After leaving college, Paulmade his living as an independent artist.During this time he was painting pictures ofbeautiful classic cars alongside commissionsof pet dogs and cats. Here the two opposingthemes that marked out his later work – thenatural and the manmade – were comingtogether. It wasn’t all focussed on visual media,though, with Paul peeling off for a foray intothe world of music. But his heart belongedto paint and canvas and following this briefspell, he eventually settled into life as aprofessional painter in 1986. Since then, hehas cemented himself as one of the UK’smost gifted animal artists, an accolade hecan trace back to those early commissions ofhousehold pets. There’s tremendous variation in Paul’swork. At one end of the spectrum, there arehis vivid and affectionate portrayals offarmyard and domestic animals, renderedwith a stunning level of realism. At the otherend are his more subversive and humorousworks. Here animals are painted in the urbanjungle and seemingly hostile scenes of thebuilt environment. Graffiti festoons the wallsand scattered bottles and cigarette buttslitter the floor. This dichotomy between thenatural and the man-made asks the viewer toquestion our position in the natural hierarchy,and ponder the effect of our towns and citieson wildlife. These big philosophicalStylish StanMontyWize GizePuddle Town20-21.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 11:26 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE questions by no means have easyanswers, but often it’s the asking that’simportant. Part of the brilliance of Paul’swork is in presenting his paintings with ahumour and flare that anyone can relateto, from the art professor to a child onthe street. A keen wit and subversive savant, to besure, but Paul’s work is as much acelebration of his skill as his smarts. Eachrendition of fleece, fur and feathers isfurther proof of his careful hand andattention to detail. Combined, these twoparts of his captivating style have wonhim widespread acclaim and legions ofloyal fans. As well as being a finalist inthe ‘Not the Turner Prize’, Paul wasawarded the ‘Addenda Award’ from theRoyal Birmingham Society of Artists,along with the ‘People’s Favourite’ at theRoyal West of England Academy. Paul currently calls Southern IrelandTHE LITTLE REDGALLERYLove art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat.The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas.8 Bailgate Lincoln LN1 3AE01522 5891348 St Mary’s Hill, Stamford, PE9 2DPart@thelittleredgallery.co.ukwww.thelittleredgallery.co.ukhome, though he can often be found onboard his boat both in the UK in theUSA. In 2006 he was awarded SignatureMembership of New York’s Society ofAnimal Artists, and his work has onlygrown in popularity with collectorsstateside since. To see some of Paul’s work first hand,or even snap one up for your own home,visit The Little Red Gallery in Lincoln orStamford. GrizzlyKred GordonTagging AlongSow SisterHip Hop Harriet20-21.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 11:26 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHaving been at the castle for over fortyyears, Eddie knows the estate inside outand there’s a lot to take in. Originallyaround four acres, the castle nowmanages around 25 acres or more ofspace, including six in the original walledgardens. Within the estate, there are vastwoodland sections, a walled garden, averdant and luxurious kitchen garden, arose garden and elaborate box hedging.The first thing you notice about theentire estate is how well it is maintained.With meticulous care, there’s nary a leafout of place and each walkway picks itsway carefully through flowers, vegetablepatches and under tall trees with a clean,manicured feel.Over time, the estate has beentransformed. The kitchen garden andvegetable garden were formerly an ashwood and the gardens have beenextended across former agricultural land.It takes a staff of five (including Eddie) anda trainee to look after everything, but it’sobviously something they take pride in.The current resident at Grimsthorpe isLady Willoughby, who has great pride inthe gardens and has taken down fencesto make the walk around the estate moreopen and inviting.Charting the sheer amount of plantsand flowers is mind-boggling. Suffice tosay there are some rare examples that areheld up as reasons to visit. For example,a fantastic and roaming Magnoliagrandiflora creeps up the side of theElizabethan side of the castle.The woodland section leads away fromour green andpleasant land22-25.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 13:28 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY23GARDENSthe castle itself and contains a fantasticarray of horticultural delights. As wellas tulips, aconites, snowdrops,bluebells and orchids, there arecountless examples of mature treeswhich will give any fan of rareexamples a treat on a walk round.Eddie lives on site in a cottagewithin the woodland section and closeby are bean trees, cedars, ash treesand even a Judas tree. There’s also afascinating Japanese Royal Cedarwhich Eddie describes as “layeringitself” in leaves. Close by again is acut-leaf walnut tree, which garnersmany comments from visitors. That’snot to mention the prehistoric Gingkotree.24 ÁThe current resident at Grimsthorpe isLady Willoughby, who has great pridein the gardens and has taken downfences to make the walk around theestate more open and inviting22-25.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 13:28 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENSReaching a far side of the woodland area, weare taken into the old Victorian walled gardenwhich is to become a sculpture garden due toopen soon. It’s a sloping and beautifully-renderedspace and future visitors will no doubt delight inits charm as well as the sculptural wonders set totake up residence there.The rose garden here is delightful too. In closestance to the house, it took around fifteen years toestablish and now has ornate boxing trimmed toneat and tidy lines and several rose varietieswithin that make it an ideal place to sit and whileaway an afternoon. Statues line the walkways andit certainly makes for a captivating spectacle.Within the kitchen garden there are lines andlines of over twenty lettuce varieties, apple trees,sweet peas and a whole bounty of other fruit andvegetables.Eddie also proudly points out a quince tree thathe trims in a way that fascinated His RoyalHighness Prince Charles on a recent visit, stoppinghim in his tracks and commenting that he’d neverLINCOLNSHIRE POOLS & SPAS LIMITEDLUXURY HOT TUBS & SWIMSPAS AT AFFORDABLE PRICESSpecialist in Hot Tubs & Swimspas coveringLincolnshire, Cambridgeshire & NorfolkVISIT OUR SHOWROOM AT UNIT 26, FLEET ROAD IND. ESTATEHOLBEACH, LINCOLNSHIRE PE12 8LYT: 01406 424504E: INFO@LINCOLNSHIREPOOLSANDSPAS.CO.UKW: WWW.LINCOLNSHIREPOOLSANDSPAS.COM22-25.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 13:28 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25GARDENSDo you have problems withlimescale build up?WE CAN:lAdvise on water softenerslGive a FREE quotationlSupply and install water softeners and filterslSupply and install cabinets for outside installationslService and repair all makes of water softenerslSupply and deliver salt for water softenerslProvide drinking filter cartridgesBESPOKE MADE TO MEASURE SERVICE AVAILABLEON WOODEN OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONSTel: 01205 367 355Mob: 07799 161 165Email: s.norrisplumbingandheating@gmail.comwww.snorrisplumbingandheating.co.ukseen a quince trimmed before.Talking of trimming, the famous box hedges you getthe feeling are Eddie’s pride and joy. We visited as wasis trimming them, but the matching birds give a regaland sophisticated feel to the small ponds gentlysplashing with diminutive fountains in a peaceful,separate garden near to the woods. For more information, visitwww.grimsthorpe.co.uk. The gardensare open until 30 September, though access is temporarily limiteddue to a sight upgrade22-25.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 13:28 Page 426 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWhile we may have the odd thunderyshower this month, the warm days willcontinue and so your garden will need aregular drink, and your pond will needtopping up due to evaporation. It is alsoworth bearing in mind that evaporation willbe quicker from a pond if it is hot andwindy. It is surprising how much the windcan reduce the water levels. Wherepossible use grey water, and if we have ahosepipe ban then you need to considerwhat really needs watering. Also, if you areplanning to go away you may want toarrange for someone to come and wateryour garden for you every so often.If you have a bird bath then keep thistopped up too, however clean it regularlyto ensure that you do not get mosquitos.You can continue to mow your lawn,This time of year is when weuse our gardens the mostand there are a few thingsyou can do to ensure thatyour garden continues to lookgood, as Ed Fuller fromFullers Forestry andLandscaping explains. GARDEN LIVINGhowever make sure that you raise theblades if it has been very hot and dry. Youmay not need to do as much weeding butmake sure you still keep on top of it and ifyou keep deadheading flowers this willhelp them continue for longer as they canput their energy into new flowers. Now is also a time to be keeping an eyeout for insect, slug and snail damage, anduse the relevant repellents wherenecessary. They can cause lots of damageto plants, flowers and vegetables if theyare not kept under control. Now your garden looks good you mightwant to add some things to make it moreuser-friendly. Fire pits are a good way toenable you to continue to use your gardenlong after the sun has gone down. Thereare many different styles, shapes and sizes© Shutterstock/White78Get the best of26-27.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 11:45 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27that you can get but they are a brilliant way to addform and function to your outdoor space. This couldalso be used in conjunction with some well-placedlighting. You can now get some really good solarlighting so you may not need to get it hard wired in,and this can add to the ambiance of your garden. Now is also the time to be planning any majorchanges you want to make to your garden. Byplanning now and getting the work done over thewinter you will have your garden makeover completedin time for next summer. However, the most importantthing to do for the last few weeks of the summer isenjoy your garden. Specialised Servicesin Garden DesignLandscaping andTree MaintenanceBacked by a highly-skilledand experienced team,we’ve built our reputationon an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutionsFREE NO OBLIGATIONQUOTATIONSFULLERSForestry & LandscapingCall 01522 868717 or 07867 510544info@fullersforestry.co.uklwww.fullersforestry.co.ukwww.landscapinglincolnshire.comGARDENS© Shutterstock/Sophie McAulay© Shutterstock/Tomasz MarkowskiAround thegarden•Prune Wisteria•Deadhead flowering plants regularly•Keep watering containers and new plants•Feed containers, and even tired border perennials, with a liquid tomato food each week to encourage them to bloom into the early autumn.•Collect seeds from favourite plants•Inspect chrysanthemums for the first signs of white rust and take immediate action•Harvest sweetcorn and other vegetables as they become ready•Continue cutting old fruited canes on raspberries•Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners•Most perennial weeds are best dealt with when in active growth. Apply a weed killer containingglyphosate•Keep ponds and water features topped up•Feed your soil with green manures26-27.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 11:45 Page 2LincolnshireheritageexploredIn terms of public ease of access, substantialsurviving remains and having a truly mediaevalatmosphere Temple Bruer is perhaps the bestTemplar site to visit in Lincolnshire. Although nowintensively farmed in the mid C12th century theLincoln heath was wild and dangerous country, andindeed stayed that way until at least the C18thwhen the Dunston Pillar, Sir Francis Dashwood’sinland lighthouse was built a few miles to thenorth in 1751 to guide travellers.However, this did not deter the Knights Templarwho came here around AD1150 to establish theirpreceptory on land given by William Lord ofAshby. (de la Launde) (A preceptory is the term foran entire Templar “estate” embracing theirchurch, domestic and farm buildings, the knightstheir servants and labourers.) The name “Bruer”here comes from the French “bruiere” meaning“heathland”. This estate was to become one ofthe Templars largest in England comprising some4,000 acres. (They were to hold 10,000 acres inLincolnshire all told.) By AD1154 they had acharter for a weekly market and annual fair thereand had created a village for their farmworkers –now vanished – in a shallow valley just to thesoutheast. As at South Witham and Aslackby(mentioned last month) Temple Bruer was sitedclose to a Roman road – here the Ermine Street.Although now only one tower remains, therewere two, which were built around AD1200, andthe site here would have been extensive.Domestic quarters were roughly where todaysTemple Farmhouse stands. The tower waslinked to the church, which was circular in layoutand about 60 feet in diameter, serving as areplica of their headquarters in Jerusalem, andstood just to the southeast of it. (There’s a planon one of the information boards and part ofthe circular wall is known, from an engraving bySamuel Buck, to have survived until at leastAD1726.) In addition to their farms there wasalso an extensive rabbit warren to the eastwhere the “green” track of Warren Lane stillruns. Most of the Templar income howevercame from sheep and the wool trade. TheThis month we continue ourexploration of the history of theKnights Templar in Lincolnshireby visiting Temple Bruer.28-29.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 11:08 Page 1the castle. Eventually, in the spring ofAD1310, their trials were heard in thecathedral chapterhouse when they wereaccused of various profane practices,chiefly committed during their initiationrites. One of the more ludicrous chargesagainst the Templars when their orderwas being attacked was that theyworshipped cats; something that is wellknown about the ancient Egyptians forexample. However far-fetched thesecharges may have been there isnevertheless a small feline carving atTemple Bruer; find it low down on the leftof the lower floor. The Pope finallydissolved the order in 1312.So, what was Temple Bruer’ssubsequent fate? Initially the estate wasgiven over to the Knights Hospitallers.Then in AD1536 following the Dissolutionof religious houses under Henry VIII theking gave it to the Duke of Suffolk and inAD1541 Henry himself along withCatherine Howard visited and wasentertained there. Under subsequent theowners the estate survived as a completeentity until 1935 until it was sold off asLINCOLNSHIRETODAY29importance of Temple Bruer estatecan be gauged from the fact that itwas the base for William de la Morethe Templars Grand Master inEngland.Although much of the site has beenrobbed for stone or ploughed out,two important archaeologicalexcavations have taken place. In 1833the Rev Oliver of Scopwick did somework but his results seem biased andtheatrical in their anti-Templarcharacter. Early in the C20th W.H. StJohn Hope carried out a much moreprofessional and objective assessmentthat overturned many of the RevOliver’s ideas.The tower itself is over fifty feet highand an extraordinary mediaeval relic witha fascinating interior. The lower floor,reached up some steps, was formerly achapel and has some impressive arcadingnear which lies an ancient stone effigy,possibly of a Templar knight. On theopposite side are some old quadrant-shaped stones that may be remnants of apillar from the circular church, and a smallcat carving (See below). Spiral stairs leadto the upper floor. There is aconsiderable amount of graffiti, some ofwhich is quite “artistic” – the oldest Icould find being dated 1689 - but thereare also some runic-style symbols thatspeculatively date back to the Templarstime here. (See my comments last monthabout Cobb Hall in Lincoln Castle.) Thetower has been conserved but notaltered.The Templars demise came early in theC14th. Arrests in Paris instigated by KingPhilip IV led eventually to similar action byEdward II in England and the Templarsfrom Temple Bruer were taken to Lincolnon 10th January 1308 and imprisoned inseparate farms by the current owner LordLondesborough.There are information boards bothinside and out, and on the entrance doora somewhat weathered plaque tells how itwas restored in 1961 and placed into thecare of the County Council the followingyear. There is an access track leading offTemple Road, the minor road linkingPottergate, above Welbourn, to the A15.This is driveable round past the farmbuildings to the tower - or park on thewide verge of Temple Road itself. TempleBruer tower is located at OS gridreference 008537.And some further reading? The TVhistorian Dan Jones has written a bookon the history of Templars whilst DrDennis Mills has produced booklets forLincolnshire Heritage about the Templarsin Kesteven. Also, Simon Brighton’sGuide to Knights Templar Sites in Britainhas an extensive chapter on Lincolnshire.by Hugh Marrows28-29.qxp_Layout 1 18/07/2018 11:08 Page 2Next >