6 minute read
CONINGSBY & TATTERSHALL
EXPLORING CONINGSBY & TATTERSHALL
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From its RAF heritage to modern resorts for holidaymakers, the little villages of Coningsby and Tattershall have plenty to attract visitors all summer long... as we find out this month with a visit to the heart of Lincolnshire!
Normally, we’ll begin a feature about a Lincolnshire village by talking about how tranquil the place is... but in the case of Coningsby, with its RAF fast jet operations and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, that’s not the case this month.
The roar of a Typhoon jet overhead with its 40,000lb of afterburner and maximum speed of Mach 1.8 does rather cut through the rural idyll. Indeed so does that gruff power of the BBMF’s Lancaster, one of just two airworthy Avro Lancs left anywhere in the world. You’d think the operations of RAF Coningsby would bother locals, but no. In fact, the village’s residents and its RAF community have a great relationship with one another, says Coningsby’s Mayor, Paddy Donnellan.
“I was actually born in Gloucestershire, and graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in Botany. I took my first job in horticulture nearby, and that was back in 1974. I moved to Coningsby in 1982 and even worked pulling pints in the local pub restaurant, the Leagate, which is still a great place to eat and drink.” “The noise really doesn’t bother residents. In fact, it’s just background noise, and the fact that we’ve such a busy, professional RAF base here is something we’re really proud of.” Besides... the RAF base isn’t actually the noisiest place in Coningsby. Just ask Peter Bass and his deputy John Pinion. They’re paid by the parish council to wind the mechanism of the clock in the tower of St Michael’s Church every day. And you only need to be in the tower once when the 2 x 12 bells start ringing to know to avoid being next to them in future! >>
Above: Tapestries in Tattershall Castle, and the onehanded clock of St Michael’s Church, Coningsby. Opposite: Tattershall Castle itself.
>> “The role of clock winder requires 15 minutes each day,” says Paddy. “There are two mechanisms to wind; one for the clock and one for the bells. Peter took over from his father and John steps in if he’s away. With 35 stone steps up to the clock, Peter reckons he and his father have climbed over half a million steps during their tenure as clock winders.
The clock dates from about 1665 and is 16ft in diameter, with a face painted directly onto the tower. It was last repainted in 2019 and is maintained by father and son Edmund and Michael Czajkowski. In the C17th, one-handed clocks were common. As clock mechanisms weren’t that accurate, the absence of a minute hand wasn’t all that important. RAF Coningsby, meanwhile, is home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, with its priceless aircraft. The venerable squadron is 65 years old next month and as well as its Lancaster, the flight has a Dakota, half a dozen Spitfires, two Hurricanes and a Chipmunk. The BBMF is commanded by Squadron Leader Mark Sugden and one of its veteran pilots with over 4,000 flight hours under his belt is Flight Lieutenant Andy Preece who has spent six years with the team after flying Tornados and Harriers. He was awarded an MBE a year ago and remains one of just two pilots employed by the flight, in a team of nearly 100 people, including the sometimes unsung but definitely essential engineers who keep the old aircraft in good condition. Also based at Coningsby is two fast-response squadrons, 3F and XI(F). These, much as the description suggests, are responsible for providing rapid QRA or Quick Reaction Alert air defence in the event of, for example, terrorist threats or Russian incursion into UK airspace. In total over 3,000 people work at RAF Coningsby, with nine different squadrons based there. These include the Typhoon Display squadron and 41 Squadron which is responsible for testing and evaluating the Typhoon, as well as four operational fast jet squadrons.
The Battle of Britain Visitor Centre Discover Bomber County’s role in the second world war at the BBMF visitor centre, open Tuesday - Friday, from 10am - 4pm. Call to check aircraft availability during display season on 01522 782040. Back in simpler times, though, you didn’t need a £100m fighter jet to defend yourself... just a sturdy stone wall and a moat. And that’s exactly what Tattershall Castle provided back in the 15th century. Lord of the Manor Robert de Tattershall replaced what was either a stone castle or
Stay in a treehouse!
Luxury near Tattershall & Coningsby...
If you’re keen to explore the area, you’ll love the quirky, luxurious accommodation offered by Treetop Hideaways. Based at nearby Woodhall Spa and set in 17-acres of mature woodland, the site features six luxury treehouses, each elevated with views over the site’s lake. Every treehouse has an en suite shower and toilet, fridge, cooker, sink, log burner and breakfast terrace. There are outdoor bathtubs on the balcony overlooking the lakes – don’t worry; they afford total privacy – and each treehouse has its own rowing boat, too. For more information call 07771 867907 or see www.treetophideaways.co.uk. a fortified manor house with a more substantial structure which was rebuilt and expanded between 1430 and 1450 by Ralph Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell and also the rather wealthy Treasurer of England. Normally castles are made of stone but on this occasion the influence of Flemish weavers meant fancy red bricks were used instead... 700,000 of them, in fact. The castle is 130ft (40m) tall, and 66ft (20m) wide. It was also the envy of an American chap in 1910, who purchased the site and began to rip out its fireplaces until Lord Curzon of Kedleston stepped in last minute. He purchased the castle and restored it between 1911 and 1914.
Curzon’s experience led him to push for better protection of historic buildings, and this was enshrined in the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913 which was superceded by similar legislation in 1979.
Curzon died in 1925, and gifted the castle to the National Trust. It remains today one of just three brick castles from the C15th in the UK, not to mention the site of a new study of the Castle’s graffiti. PhD student James Wright is leading the project, which has already uncovered stonemasons’ working drawings scrawled onto the building’s fabric, as well as well as names and dates from Medieval builders, Civil War soldiers and C18th farm workers.
From the top of Tattershall Castle, you can look down on Tattershall Lakes, with its adventure golf course, splash zone, spa, gym and sauna as well as its outdoor pool and its extensive watersports provision. The site was revamped by owners Away Resorts in 2019 with a £5.5m revamp of the site. Today, locals and those from out of the county keep timber cabins and holiday homes on the site, enjoying life on the lakes all summer long. It’s an idyllic place to spend time, even with the odd state-of-the-art aircraft flying over the countryside! n
