Grimsthorpe Castle

Stunning family home surrounded by 3000 acres of parkland, gardens, woodland and lake walks, an adventure playground and more.

OPEN FROM APRIL, PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ON OPENING TIMES, TICKETS AND PRICES

A FRESH LOOK at LOUTH

This month we’re enjoying fresh air and spring sunshine at Hubbard’s Hills, and the other delights of Louth, the market town at the foot of the Wolds with more than its fair share of history, independent retailers and green spaces...

>> LOUTH MUSEUM, rather hidden away in Broadbank, the road up to the hospital, is recognisable because of the snail on its roof. An odd decoration, perhaps, but one which pays tribute to one of the town’s famous sons, the 19th century wood carver Thomas Wilkinson Wallis.

Wallis’s nationally-renowned collection of carvings – usually game birds and botanicals – are among the 18,000 artefacts cared for by about 40 volunteers who look after Louth Museum, established in its present location on Broadbank in 1910, and is run by the Louth Naturalists’, Antiquarian and Literary Society (helpfully abbreviated to Ant & Nats).

Honorary Archivist Ruth Gatenby is proud of the museum’s collection of records and artefacts, from documents and old photos to glass slides: its flagship piece is a huge twopiece panorama of Louth, reproduced from a painting created in the 1840s by William Brown, on an acrylic display which is backlit to show off its incredible detail.

Nearby, the Grade I listed 15th century St James’ Church has the tallest steeple of any medieval parish church in Britain, at 287ft (87.6m). In the 1840s, work was being completed on the spire and local painter (of houses; think glosswork and emulsion) William Brown took advantage of the fact and ascended to the tower to complete a series of seven sketches on timber panels which he used to create Brown’s Panorama, now owned by Louth Town Council with the backlit reproduction of the work on permanent display in the museum.

The museum also has a more poignant permanent exhibition of the Louth Flood on Saturday 29th May 1920. A cloud burst at 4.30pm resulted in water running off the Wolds and a natural dam giving way which sent a wall of water 14ft high through the town. Twenty-three people died and entire rows of houses were destroyed (50 properties in total), with 800 people rendered homeless, put up in tents and wooden shelters. >>

>> The floods were well covered and made national news because, by chance, the town was holding a by-election at the time, which saw the election of Thomas Wintringham.

The death of that Member of Parliament for Louth, a year after the floods on 22nd September, then saw his widow, Margaret Wintringham, victorious in the 1921 byelection, and she subsequently became the second woman – and the first British-born woman – to take her seat in the House of Commons. Margaret used her position to campaign for equal pay for women, for state scholarships for girls as well as boys, and women-only railway carriages.

One of Louth’s other famous daughters is Annie Pahud, who married Swiss-born Grammar School teacher Auguste AlphonsePahud. Annie would die in 1889 leaving a broken-hearted Auguste to take his own life. With no children to succeed them, Auguste left his money to the town to create an Edwardian pleasure garden for the public to enjoy in Annie’s memory.

“From the moment the 35 acres of glacial valley was gifted to the council, Hubbard’s Hills was intended to be an area of natural beauty for everyone to enjoy,” says Andrew Leonard, Chairman of the Trustees for the site. “Its custodianship was transferred from the district council to the town council and then into a formal trust 13 years ago.”

“In a way it’s a bit of a victim of its own success. Hundreds of thousands of people enjoy it each year, all throughout the year.”

“The town council is financially supportive for which we’re very grateful, but both the car parking areas and café are privately owned, so they’re not a source of income for the trust, and as such the responsibility falls to the trust to maintain the sloping landscape of mature trees and to ensure it’s safe and pleasant for visitors.”

“Substantial investment will be made this year with the acceleration of an ongoing riverbank maintenance project, restoring the river and its natural habitat.” >>

>> “Visitors are very appreciative of the site and love its beech trees, dog walks and the Hallington Beck – a tributary of the Lud –which flows through the site, beloved by children who want a paddle in the summer.”

“But the site doesn’t just exist, the nine trustees and our volunteers work hard to keep it looking lovely but also ensuring it’s accessible all year round. The local Lions club are an important supporter with their annual duck race, and visitors can gift a tree to Hubbard’s Hills too, as we’re planting 8ft-10ft mature species to ensure it’ll remain for visitors to enjoy for generations to come, just as Pahud envisaged.”

Auguste and Annie would, we think, make good names for the resident pair of Peregrines which have made their home in the spire of St James’ Church... although as far as we’re aware the two birds of prey (given their location, perhaps that should be birds of pray?) are unnamed. The two have made the church their home for seven years, and provide pro bono pest control services, keeping pigeon guano from damaging the fabric of the building.

Last year saw the 90th anniversary of the town’s Louth Playgoers’ Society, which maintains and runs the Riverside Theatre. Its role in the town is celebrated on Sunday 12th March with the LOV Your Venue Festival which is a day of live music, theatre, dance and workshops designed to reflect the theatre’s role in community.

Also worth a visit when you’re in the area is the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, the only standard gauge railway, dating back to 1848. The line closed in 1980 and was taken on by enthusiasts who refurbished and reopened the North Thoresby station ready for the first arrival there by a train in 2009.

And finally, there’s just time to mention Louth Museum’s spring/summer exhibition Louth Made Clocks, from 5th April to 8th July. A beautiful collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century longcase clocks, have been kindly loaned to the museum for visitors to enjoy... another reason, if one were needed, to pop into the museum April to October, Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. n