< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHOMEShave been reused to build the fireplace,inspired by local restaurant Uncle Henry’s. The house stands within endless fields,meaning the garden extends as far as theeye can see, originally seeded, the entireback garden is now turfed, meaning averdant and lush place to laze on summerdays, along with the secluded front yardwith brick barbecue and circular pond andcrafted ‘wobbly’ wall. Annette confesses tomoving round the various outdoor areaswith the sun in the summer, an enviableprospect.The conversion has also won the WestLindsey District Council’s coveted BuildingExcellence Award for Best DomesticConversion/Alteration.Quite how Annette and Stephen can nowbear to part with the propery is beyond us,but Northfield Barn is currently on themarket with Savils at £425,000, for moreinformation or to book a viewing, call Savilson 01522 508903.www.elixir-bathrooms.com01522878786A family run business, in Lincoln since 1999The Pelham Centre, Canwick Road, Lincoln, LN5 8HG (Next to Pelham Bridge)SUPPLY • DESIGN • INSTALLDiscount applies to RRP and does not include labour charges.JANUARY SALE3RD - 31ST JANUARY20% OFFEVERYTHINGMON - SAT 9AM - 5PM • SUNDAY 11AM - 4PM016-021:Layout 1 12/11/12 10:03 Page 5Time fora change?We look at them every day, but when was the last time youbought a clock for any other reason than functionality? There’s allsorts of choice out there which not only offers variety but styletoo. Why not go for something more exciting that suits your homeall the better? Take a look and find the time to improve yourhome’s clock offering!Thomas Kent ChateauFontaine Clock– This intricately-designed clock looks like it was found in a Paris back alley treasure trove. With darkblack Roman numerals, it’s perfect for adding a bit of French chic to your walls. Thedistressed creamy white wooden wall clock is incredibly on trend at the moment!Described in some circles as ‘shabby chic’ it’s certainly an eye-catching piece.£76 www.redcandy.co.ukKoziol Silk Wall Clock- We like to think that theconcept of this clock was formed in an interestingdesign experiment using liquorice laces. Whetherthat is true or not, there is no question that this clockis as stylish as it is unique. The black interwovenstrands of the clock make a stunning feature in anyroom or hallway. Perfect for anyone that lovesmonochrome or creative design.£35 www.redcandy.co.ukHOMESWoodpecker clock- A very interestingclock design that will bring out yourhome’s quirky side! The lovely browncolour makes a great contrast to theyellow, moving woodpecker. Thebranch and leaf detailing rounds offthis piece as a sure winner. £95 www.beautifulmodernthing.comIt’s Time For Good Music clock- Thisclock is definitely a retro winner in anymodern home. The brilliant vinyldesign is made ever more real by thebuilt in spinning function and looksdecidedly kitsch with the “It’s time forgood music” label. You’ll be rockingaround the clock to this one.£95 www.beautifulmodernthing.comFlying Birds Clock– This is a cleverly-designedclock that will bring a bit of nature to your home.This particular piece allows for the user tocustomise the birds positions, so telling the timecan be that extra bit different every day! It willalso create a talking point in any home, we think itwould work well in a stylish and minimalist lounge! £80 www.beautifulmodernthing.comLINCOLNSHIRETODAY21016-021:Layout 1 12/11/12 10:03 Page 6Harrington Hall, near Spilsby, issurrounded by six acres offabulous Tudor and 18thCentury gardens. This picturesque spaceincludes three walled gardens;herbaceous borders; and a croquet lawnleading to a viewing terrace, which wasthe inspiration for Tennyson’s HighHall Garden in ‘Maud’. There is also awonderful organic kitchen garden;shrub borders; roses and a wildlifepond, as well as a stall selling plantsand shrubs cultivated from the garden.Lincolnshire Today recently met withHead Gardener, Philip Maddison, whobegan working at Harrington Hall in1976! At that time, the hall was ownedby Sir John and Lady Maitland, beforebeing purchased by the current owners,Mr and Mrs David Price, in March 1991.They began renovating the hall before afire, in November 1991, completelydevastated the interior.For years the garden was smotheredin scaffolding, as builders laboured atthe restoration, but once it wasrepaired, the owners, together withPhilip, were able to carry out long termplans for the historic gardens.Philip explains: “The first to benefitInspirational gardens...Lincolnshire Today explores the beautiful gardensat Harrington Hall...Inspirational gardens...22 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENS022-23:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:26 Page 1was the walled Kitchen Garden, just behind the hall. Large plotswere broken up into smaller sections, each edged with dwarf box.It is now an attractive and fully functioning kitchen garden, withfan-trained fruit trees around the ancient walls.”He continues: “The steps up to the kitchen garden wereredesigned to create height into this area. Steps were put in togive better access and height was created by espalier apple treesand roses on post and wire frames.”Hazel hedges, beech, fruit trees and flowers were planted andpaths created to add intrigue and interest. Three of the originalmulberry and apple trees still remain, with fruit of the old Englishvariety. More recently, the dwarf box hedging has been replacedwith the honeysuckle shrub ‘Lonicera nitida’. Over 1,800 shrubswere planted earlier this year.Today, a wide variety of vegetables grow to organic standards inthe kitchen garden, many from the Heritage Seed Library at theHenry Doubleday Research Association, including blue potatoes,purple podded peas and black beans. Pillar roses and a dahlia bedadd colour, as well as supplying flowers for the house and thechurch next door.Harrington Hall is only two miles from Somersby, thebirthplace of Alfred Tennyson. His famous poem ‘Maud’ is said tohave been inspired by the gardens at Harrington, as well as by theheiress Rosa Baring whom he loved hopelessly while she lived atthe hall. In fact, the Terrace, which has views over the SquareLawn; the Lincoln Red cattle grazing nearby; and the remains ofthe medieval village in the park, is said to be Tennyson’s ‘HighHall Garden’. With six acres of gardens to explore, Harrington Hall is full ofintrigue and interest. It is a fabulous place to spend an afternoonand indeed one of Lincolnshire’s hidden gems. As well as theKitchen Garden, there is the lovely walled garden in front of thehouse, known as the Round Lawn. Here, there are two largeherbaceous borders with roses and climbing plants behind. It isopen to the west, with views across the original ha-ha to thewildlife pond and the park beyond.At the north end of the garden is the recently planted fruit andnut garden where calm ‘rooms’ are edged with cobnuts and thereis a little pond. The Square Lawn, perhaps the original Tudorbowling green, is also a walled garden and has borders on all foursides; the west (hot) and the east (cool) are the largest. From here,too, are the steps up to the Terrace. Beyond the walled gardens, to the south, is a more recent andless formal area containing the tennis court and swimming pool,which was added in 2003. The nineteenth century, listed pavilionwas originally situated at the Eastgate Tennis Club in Lincoln! Harrington Hall is a private house, but the gardens are open forcharity for four Sundays in the summer; and St Mary’s Church,which is next door, is also open for viewing. The Gardens are alsoopen every Wednesday from 11am to 4pm from mid-June to theend of September. The charity open days in 2013 are: Sunday 9thJune; 30th June; 21st July and 11th August. Shrubs and plants arealso on sale. For further information, visitwww.harringtonhallgardens.co.ukLINCOLNSHIRETODAY23GARDENS022-23:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:26 Page 2Spook-tacular ball at Belton ParkA fantastic charity ball at Belton Park GolfClub in Grantham was held in aid of CancerResearch UK. The scarily good line-upincluded live music from local band TheAttic Room and soloist Sophie Red. Guestsalso enjoyed a disco, party games, a raffleand a fantastic hog roast.There were prizes on the night for thebest-dressed guests and, as you can see,many decided to make an occasion andappear as frightful as possible!IMAGES BY STEVE OATLEY24 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSOCIAL SCENE024-025:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:51 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25SOCIAL SCENE024-025:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:51 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYPHOTO: PETER WOODMoods ofThis is the time of year when we tendto batten down the hatches and trynot to venture out until sometime in theSpring if we don’t have to – but ofcourse there’s plenty to enjoy inLincolnshire and some absolutelystunning sights. At this time of yearwhen the family might be driving youmad, why not make your escape byenjoying a frosty walk across some ofour fabulous countryside?Lincolnshire never looks quite asdramatic as it does in the winter. Thecounty’s overall flatness had led someto suggest that the county is somewhatboring – but look at the sky! The wideopen spaces of the county have anatmosphere unmatched virtuallyanywhere else in the UK and thatmakes for a spellbinding setting.The images on these pages againillustrate the many faces of the county– and we hope you enjoy them. We’dlove to see any shots you’ve taken –and we’ll feature the best on thesepages. Send them as a hi-res image fileto lincs-today@blmgroup.co.ukWe’d love to see your images of someof Lincolnshire's most stunning sights –and we'll feature the best on thesepages. Send them as a hi-res image fileto lincs-today@blmgroup.co.uk LincolnshirePHOTO: HUGH MARROWS026-027:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:29 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27PHOTO: DAVID DALESPHOTO: ASHLEY TAYLOR026-027:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:30 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFERobins are one of the mostdistinctive birds to visitLincolnshire thanks totheir obvious orangecrests on their chest and face. Thisdistinctive colouration led to theirclassification as Erithacus rubecula,the term “ruber” being Latin for red.Of course most of us know theRobin by its common nameredbreasts. Robins are mainly insectivorousbirds, though they have been knownto feed on spiders and worms,which they catch by watching formovement from a perch beforeswooping down on their prey.However they are extremely tameand have developed a taste for fruitand even cakes. Until such a time asa pair form for breeding, Robins willvigorously defend their feedingterritories against intruders. So theRobin you see in your garden mayvery well be the same bird eachtime! In British folklore it’s considered acrime to kill a robin, and as such thespecies have grown relativelyunafraid of humans. They have aparticular fondness for gardenerswho are digging up soil, as theyknow that worms and other insectsmight be dug up, but have also beenknown to accept food from peoplewho can sit still enough. In December Robins start to lookfor a mate for the next year, and likemany English birds they seek toattract a potential partner throughsong. What might seem a bit moreunusual is that the red crests hasabsolutely nothing to do withmating like many birds. What’smore it is actually the female robinswho will do the chasing in theirrelationships. Once he is win overhowever, it is his responsibility toshow his appreciation by bringingher gifts – usually in the form ofworms and insects.Official breeding mostcommonly starts in late March,though the pair will havefleshed out a nest by thatpoint. Traditional nestlocations include holes in treestumps, banks or walls and the nestsare usually made of grass, moss anddead leaves, lined with fur or wool.In today’s world however there arealso more than a few records ofRobins having nested in kettles, carsand even coat pockets! Some peopleeven like to provide small nests forany wandering robins to use, such asan open fronted nest box. Once eggs are layed, it is up to themale to gather food for both himselfHello Mr Seeing redResearch now suggests that the reasonfor the red crest on robins is to be usedas a threatening gesture in territorialdisplays and fights. Red triggersaggressive behaviour in males, andmale robins have been known toattack other small birds that have redcolourings. They will even attack fakebirds that have red tufts!One of the most iconic winter birds to visit Lincolnshire, we takea look at the life of the European Robin. Hello Mr PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/S.COOPER DIGITAL028-029:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:54 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY29LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFERobinand his incubating mate,who will stay with the eggsas much as possible to keepthem warm. It does not take longfor the eggs to hatch however,and in a little over two weeksthere will be small mottled-brownchicks in the nest. Once again theRobin shows just why it is such awell-loved bird by beingincredibly attentive parents,gathering food for theiryoung while also lookingout for up to two otherbroods at the same time!Thankfully the chicksfledge after around fifteendays, though they will stilllack the red breasts of theirparents. This gives the parentsa few months to rest and enjoy agood moult before the dramastarts all over again!RobinPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/SGALL028-029:Layout 1 12/11/12 09:54 Page 2Next >