Members of the SLHA IA team recorded the small sewage treatment plant built in c.1900 for Canwick Hall.

In the photograph: Ken Hollamby, Chris Lester, Stewart Squires (prostrate), Mrs Singleton, Alan Singleton, Eric Hair.

The sun shone brightly on RAF Cranwell when a group of SLHA members made a two-hour visit to the prestigious training establishment near Sleaford on 12 June.

Details were given by the guide about the history of the college and some of its eminent staff, students and visitors.

Several fine portraits and group photographs were admired in the entrance hall and adjoining corridors.

The tour concluded in the fine library.

The annual SLHA sudy tour, led this year by Pearl Wheatley, was centred around Lancaster.

In very wet conditions we enjoyed a guided tour of the centre of Lancaster.

The award-winning book Building a Railway: Bourne to Saxby, published jointly by the Lincoln Record Society and the SLHA, was based upon a unique album of photographs taken by Charles Stansfield Wilson who was the principal civil engineer of the line.

The album was passed down through his family to his great granddaughter, Mrs Hogan, who brought it to the attention of the SLHA IA Team in 2007.

Mrs Hogan's husband presented this important album to Lincolnshire Archives for safekeeping and public access at a short ceremony in the Cathedral's Wren Library.

The photograph shows, from L to R, Stewart Squires (joint-editor), Alan Hogan, Adrian Wilkinson (Lincolnshire Archives) and Ken Hollamby (joint-editor).

A large group of members and friends of Dr Dennis Mills met in Branston Village Hall on 26 March to celebrate his 80th birthday and launch a book - a festshrift - written and published in honour of Dennis's achievements.

Mick Jones, SLHA President, welcomed guests and Andrew Walker, formerly of the University of Lincoln and joint editor of the festschrift, spoke about the book and its contributors.

Kate Tiller, University of Oxford, gave her own personal tribute to Dennis and formally presented him with a copy of the book.

The new book, Lincoln Connections, is a collection of essays written by Dennis's academic friends on aspects of Lincoln and its neighbourhood covering the period 1700 to the present day.

St James's Minster Grimsby was the venue for a vibrant Heritage Fair arranged by SLHA on Saturday 9 April.

Thirty societies and groups had stalls with attractive displays about Lincolnshire's heritage - including archaeology, local history (Grimsby and several villages), family history, churches, RAF stations, windmills and watermills, pumping stations, archive film, Wesley, Tennyson and Joseph Banks.

The local Civil War re-enactment group, Sealed Knot, camped on the green outside and demonstrated warfare techniques.

This photo shows David Cowell at the SLHA stall.

SLHA held its Annual General Meeting in the W.I.Hall at Burgh le Marsh on Saturday 18 June. The Burgh History Group acted as hosts for the day.

At the AGM, conducted by SLHA President Dr Michael Jones, the following key officers were elected for 2011/12: Stewart Squires - Chairman; Chris Lester and John Wilford - Vice-Chairmen.

A satisfactory year, both financially and in terms of activities, was reported.

The Flora Murray Award for 2010 was made to Sue Edlington and Dr David Rose for their book Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Ltd, and SLHA Awards of Excellence were presented to David Robinson for Adam Eve and Louth Carpets; and the Story of Eve and Ranshaw Ltd, and to the Fiskerton History and Archaeology Group (Sally Scott) for Yellowbelly Youth: A Fiskerton Boyhood by Fred Thompson.

A special presentation was also made to Steven Betteridge for 20 years continuous service as Secretary of the SLHA Industrial Archaeology Team.

Photograph (l to r): Stephen Betteridge, Sally Scott, Mick Jones (SLHA President), Susan Edlington, David Robinson

A small party of SLHA members and friends visited Edinburgh and the Scottish Lowlands in July 2011. The main stop en-route was at Alnwick for the castle, gardens and the famous station bookshop.

Ken Hollamby, our tour organiser, had arranged a visit to the National Map Collection, and in the afternoon there was a choice of venues in Edinburgh: John Knox House, the Cathedral, the new Parliament, the Royal Mile, the Royal Yacht or the Botanic gardens.

Sunday morning we had a mini-cruise on the Falkirk Wheel followed by a guided tour of the Museum of Rural Life at East Kilbride. On Monday morning, on the return journey home, we enjoyed a guided visit to Corbridge Roman town.

On Sunday 14 August a group of SLHA members visited some of the surviving features of the Tattershall to Horncastle Canal.

Having examined some of the surviving canal features in Horncastle, locks were visited at Thornton, Kirkby on Bain and Coningsby.

This photograph shows the fine railway bridge over the canal at Coningsby. (It carried the Kirkstead to Little Steeping line, the so-called 'New Line', of 1913-1970.)

At Tattershall the original Gibson Cut of 1784 formed the final link to the Witham. Here a surviving C18 grain warehouse in dark-red brick was long ago converted into 3-storey housing.

As part of the Heritage Open Days events this year (September 8 to 11) Stewart Squires, Chairman of SLHA, led a 2.5 mile walk along part of the former railway line between Bourne and Saxby to look at two of the main engineering features and how they were built.

These were the 300-yard Toft Tunnel (TF078190) and the Lound Viaduct (TF062186).

On the 17th September 29 members and friends joined the Mersey Ferry "Snowdrop” for a 6-hour cruise from Birkenhead along the Manchester Ship Canal to Salford Quays. Leaving Birkenhead, they sailed six miles up the river Mersey past Liverpool’s famous historic waterfront and into the canal at Eastham.

There was a comprehensive commentary throughout the voyage which supplemented some 30 pages of tour notes prepared by Ken Redmore, who also organised the trip. The party returned to Lincoln by coach after a long but thoroughly enjoyable day.

John Wilford, Roman Catholic deacon and SLHA vice-chairman, gave a fascinating account of "catholic dissent" in north Lincolnshire from the Reformation to the nineteenth century in a lecture at Caistor Town Hall on 13 September.

This was the annual Leach Lecture, held in memory of the eminent local historian Terence Leach (1937-94), arranged this year jointly by SLHA and Caistor Community Archives and Heritage Group.

In the photograph John Wilford is flanked by Alan Dennis (left, Caistor Heritage Group) and Stewart Squires (SLHA Chairman)

A new book published by SLHA, Growing Better : Lincolnshire and the Potato, was launched at the National Centre for Food Technology, University of Lincoln in Holbeach on Saturday 22 October.

The guest of honour was Tony Worth, Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire and SLHA Patron, who is shown here with the joint-authors Catherine Wilson and Stewart Squires.

On Sunday 27 November a group from the SLHA Industrial Archaeology team measured and photographed two locks on the Horncastle-Tattershall Canal.

Horncastle Lock, with its original stonework, shows unusual regular depressions on the north wall, thought to assist with "poling" through the lock.

A brick-capped farm reservoir (probably early 20th century) and the nearby fragments of the base of a steel-framed wind-pump were examined at Thornton.

The remains of a second lock were measured at Kirkby on Bain. Of particular interest in the stone structure was the gated opening and short curved channel of the former sluice.

St Hugh's RC church hall near the centre of Lincoln is the venue for a monthly evening lecture.

The lecture series was originated by the former FLARE organisation and the archaeoelogy theme continued under SLHA.

A small group of industrial archaeologists from the society walked the route of the small branch line from Edenham to Little Bytham.

In the photograph: Ken Hollamby Chris Lester and Stewart Squires.

The annual SLHA residential conference was held at Bishop Grosseteste University College over the weekend 10 to 12 February on the theme of Non-Conformity.

A visit was made to Central Methodist Church for a tour of the building and a view of this splendid mural triptych by Gary Drostle (2002).

The 2012 annual SLHA residential conference on Religious Non-Conformity was based at Bishop Grosseteste University College, and visits were made to chapels in the lower High Street, Lincoln.

At the Unitarian Chapel course members learned about the history of the church and its current activities.

On 7 March members of the SLHA Industrial Archaeology team were given a special tour by Dr David Waugh of the impressive laboratories and teaching rooms in the recently established engineering faculty at the University of Lincoln.

Members of the SLHA Industrial Archaeology team visited sites in and around Sutton Bridge on Thursday 22 March.

David Clowes and Beryl Jackson (local SLHA members) were the guides and interpreters of the complex system of sluices and bridges where the North Level Main Drain joins the River Nene at Foul Anchor to the east of Tydd Gote (TF 467180).

On a coach outing, which also included the Rutland Railway Museum (Rocks by Rail), SLHA members visited Ellys Manor House a fine stone house close to the church.

They were given a warm welcome by Clive Taylor the owner before undertaking a tour of the house which included the outstanding wall paintings on the first floor.

24 April 2012

An afternoon visit was made on 24 April to the Rutland Railway Museum near Ashwell which is currently being upgraded and re-branded as 'Rocks by Rail'.  

The museum location is the railhead for an extensive area of ironstone quarries which were served by a network of temporary lines, though only a relatively short section of line survives.

There are a large collection of working locomotives, almost all of which worked in ironstone quarries here or elsewhere, a wide range of wagons and other related rolling stock, and excavators to undertake quarry work.

The SLHA Industrial Archaeology team and the Dogdyke Pumping Station Preservation Trust joined forces on 21 May for a visit to the pumping station at Pyewipe on the Fossdyke to the west of Lincoln (SK 954720).

They were generously entertained by the Chairman, Chief Executive, Engineer and other staff members of the Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board.

The Flora Murray Award for 2011 was presented at the AGM to the Pickworth Local History Group in recognition of their excellent work in publishing books about the village and its school and in creating an informative website. Norman Whiting received the award on behalf of the group.

Awards of Excellence were made to History of Saxilby & District Group for the well-constructed village trail they had devised, and to Dr Katharine Sykes for her book Inventing Sempringham about the Gilbertine order, founded in Lincolnshire.

In the photograph (l to r): Mick Jones (SLHA President), Norman Whiting (Pickworth), Jane Hewis (Saxilby), Stewart Squires (SLHA Chairman)

On the afternoon of 16 June, following the AGM, SLHA members visited some of Stamford’s magnificent stone buildings.

At All Saints church (shown here) David Stocker provided an introduction to the building's architectural and historical significance.

SLHA had a stall selling books and meeting visitors at the history fair held at Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding in June.

Rod Callow, Society Administrator, is seen here as the friendly face of the Society.

The annual weekend study tour, again organised by Ken Hollamby, was based at Chichester and included several sites in West Sussex.

Included in the tour was a visit to the ancient walls of the city where information was given about the construction and function of the bastions.

Catherine Wilson's fine book, Lincolnshire's Farm Animals, commissioned by the Heckington & District Agricultural Society and published by SLHA was launched at the Heckington Show on 28 July.

Tributes to the book were paid by Tony Worth, Lincolnshire's Lord Lieutenant, and also by broadcaster and journalist, Alan Stennett.

In the photograph (l to r): Stewart Squires (SLHA Chairman), Catherine Wilson, Tony Worth, Charles Pinchbeck (HDAS), Anne Stennett (RBT) and Alan Stennett.

Books were sold - and many enjoyable discussions took place - when SLHA manned a stall in the heritage tent at Heckington's Annual Show at the end of July.

The University of Kent are currently digging at Otby Top in Claxby parish on the site of a late Iron Age/Roman enclosure identified from crop-marks.

The site was visited by a small group from SLHA on Sunday 26 August.

SLHA was represented by Ken Redmore when he took two parties around Horncastle to see features of its canal as part of the Heritage Open Days programme.

As part of the 2012 Heritage Open Days programme Stewart Squires took a party along the Grantham Canal from Woolsthorpe looking at the canal and its relationship with Sewstern and Longmoor Lanes.

This photograph shows the group at Woolsthorpe enjoying very warm sunshine.

The annual Leach Lecture was given by Jean Howard at St Mary’s Church at Harrington on 12 September. Her theme was the three Baring sisters, who spent much of their childhood at Harrington Hall and, in various ways, led notable lives as adults.

In the photograph are: Jean Howard, Joyce Leach (widow of T R Leach) and Stewart Squires (SLHA Chairman) 

The History of Lincolnshire Committee launched the third of its Studies in the History of Lincolnshire when a group of members and friends celebrated Thomas Green’s book Britons and Anglo-Saxons: Lincolnshire AD 400-650 at Lincoln’s Assembly Rooms on 18 September.

Dr Thomas Green, shown here with his book, is currently engaged in research at the University of Oxford, where he recently completed his doctoral thesis.

Speakers at SLHA's conference at Bishop Grosseteste University College on Saturday 22 September gave a history of wind-powered machinery from the mills of the medieval period to today's wind turbines.

In the photograph, Chris Lester is introducing David Pearce, the speaker on wind turbines.

The annual SLHA Archaeology Day on Saturday 6 October was held at St Wulfram's Church, Grantham, with contributions from seven eminent speakers, about churches and church architecture in Lincolnshire.

This is a photograph of the day's speakers.

At the annual party for SLHA volunteers on 2 December a bouquet of flowers was presented to Sue Smith, the Society's clerk/typist, in recognition of her 20 years' service.

Stewart Squires, SLHA Chairman, expressed the appreciation of the Society for Sue's hard work and dedication.

The five speakers at the annual Local History Spring Conference at Horncastle College on 9 February were (left to right): Prof David Stocker, Mary Powell, Dave Start, Mary Anderson, Dr David Roffe.

KR

On 16 February a group from the Industrial Archaeology team visited Gunby Hall and examined the surviving features of the Victorian/Edwardian water supply system.

They are seen here outside the dovecote in the hall gardens.

Ken Hollamby

The water supply system to the south-east of Gunby Hall was based on the site of a natural spring. A wind pump and later a ram pump were used to pipe the water to the house.

Jon Sass and Stewart Squires are here sorting out the levels.

A special social event was held at Jews' Court on 24 February to mark the retirement of Rod Callow, SLHA's Administrator.  He and his wife Jan are shown here together with Chairman Stewart Squires.

KR

Neil Wright led a walk along High Street, Boston on Saturday 2 March.  Several timber framed buildings were examined (two from the inside) and an extended tour was made of the recently restored 116 High Street (rear view shown here).

KR

A small group of Society members were given a tour of the private Stenigot Estate on 9 May.

This included a visit to the west portal of the Withcall tunnel on the Louth to Bardney railway line.

JS

Ten SLHA members met at David Stocker's house in Thorpe on the Hill on 16 March for introductory training in recording vernacular buildings.

Leadership was shared by David (right), Naomi Field (centre), Ken Hollamby and Graham Beaumont.

KR

On Sunday 19 May the SLHA took a bookstall and PowerPoint display to the Heritage Fair in Stamford's Arts Centre, a very well-attended event with some 20 stalls representing different heritage interests drawn from a wide area.

CJL

SLHA again organised a walk for the Wolds Walking festival.

Stewart Squires led a large and enthusiatic group on 22 May along the former Louth to Bardney railway line up to the tunnel at South Willingham.

KR

SLHA mounted a display and bookstall at the ground-breaking celebration of Lincoln's engineering - past and present - held in the Lincoln Cathedral over the Spring bank Holiday weekend, 25-27 May.

KR

Tony Hunt of the Branston History Group led a group of members round the village on 5 June.  The walk concentrated on the older areas which now feature in the splendid trail leaflet and are marked by metal plaques and photographs.

KR

Award winners (Flora Murray Award and SLHA Awards of Excellence): Keith Seaton & Geoff Taylor - Chain Bridge Forge, Spalding (left), Cheryle Berry - Sir Joseph Banks Society (centre), Paul Cockerham - joint-editor of book on Boston St Botolph's memorials (right)

KR

Following the AGM on 15 June walking tours of Kirton were given by members of the Kirton in Lindsey Society. Historic parts of the town seen included the church, former chapels and schools, the remains of the house of correction, whipping post, and several interesting domestic buildings.

KH

The annual Les Gostick Memorial Walk was organised and led by Michael Turland on 20 June.  The route taken was along the river Slea to the west of the town centre.

(Michael is seen right of centre wearing a turquoise anorac.)

CJL

A large group of members spent Saturday 6 July in Withcall at Home Farm viewing Henry Smith's large collection of old farm machinery and other local bygones.

They also visited St Martin's Church (under David Stocker's expert guidance) and took trailer rides along the former Louth-Bardney railway line to the Withcall tunnel.

KR

Chris Lester, SLHA Chairman, presents Henry Smith of Home Farm Withcall with books to acknowledge his generous hospitality.

KR

Chris Lester, SLHA Chairman, presented Julie Squires with a bouquet of flowers in thanks for her support for Stewart during his 24 months as chairman.  The brief ceremony took place in St Martin's church, Withcall during the society's outing on 6 July.

KR

The 2013 Weekend Study Tour to East Kent began at Lullingstone Roman Villa.  Members were given a general introduction to the site before viewing the extensive remains and fine mosaic floors.

KH

A full day in Canterbury began with a guided tour led by the Kent Archaeological Trust.  The city wall - interesting in itself - was an excellent viewpoint for several key features of the city's early history.

KR

A day in Dover included a full morning at Western Heights viewing fortifications of various periods.

PS

The Building Recording Group completed their detailed study of the re-used timbers of Manor Farmhouse, Thorpe on the Hill, and were able to reconstruct the medieval building which once stood on the site.

Here they are with David Stocker in his farmhouse kitchen chewing the fat.

SLHA hosted the twice yearly East Midlands Industrial Archaeology Conference on 26 October. Four excellent speakers about oil exploration in the E Midlands past and present.

CJL

The conference included a visit to Dukes Wood Museum near Eakring, site of an important WW2 oil field.

KH

SLHA contributed to a well-attended day at the Lincolnshire Showground on 27 October.  We had a bookstall and information point, and also provided three short talks around the Society's past and present activities.

CJL

At the annual SLHA volunteers' party on 1 December a presentation was made to Thora Wagstaffe, who has recently stepped down after more than 20 years' service in Jews' Court Bookshop.

SES

The annual day conference at Horncastle College on 8 February was entitled 'Architects and Antiquarians', and focused on the mid-19th century origins of SLHA.

Speakers were (l to r): Chris Johnson, Carol Bennett, Rob Wheeler, Pearl Wheatley and Chris Mackintosh Smith.

CJL

The Buildings Recording Group took measurements and photographs of buildings as part of a training exercise in Spridington on 22 March

A conference was held in Market Rasen on 25 May with presentations about various aspects of the First World War in Lincolnshire.

Speakers seen here (left to right): Molly Burkett, Mike Osborne, Cliff Clover, Terry Hancock.  Dr Stewart Bennett was the seventh speaker.

Jean Howard led a large group on a walk round her home village of Tathwell on Sunday 25 May.

This event, hosted by SLHA, was part of the 2014 Wolds Walking Festival.

At the AGM in Grimsby on 7 June, the 2014 Flora Murray Award was shared between projects in Nettleham and Market Rasen.

Shown here L to R: Chris Lester (SLHA Chairman), Caroline Foster (Rase Heritage Society), John Evans (Nettleham PC) and Mick Jones (SLHA President)

Food and farming in WW2 was the theme of a day arranged jointly by SLHA and the Museum of Lincolnshire Life on 8 June.

Over 600 visitors to the museum toured the agricultural machinery galleries, saw living history displays, listened to music, browsed the SLHA bookstall (seen here before the visitors arrived) and tasted food 1940s style.

A large group of former friends and colleagues met in Spalding on 14 June to celebrate the life of Hilary Healey (d.13.5.13), highly regarded archaeologist and local historian.

The event was organised jointly with the Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire.

On Sunday 29 June members visited Gunby Hall and its splendid gardens and were able to join guided tours.  This is the rear (east) of the Hall.

David Stocker spoke about the church (in the grounds of the Hall) and made special mention of the outstanding brasses in the floor of the nave.

On the visit to Gunby Stewart Squires explained the succession of systems for pumping drinking water from a source in the nearby park to the Hall and its outbuildings.

Rod Callow played the piano in the Music Room at Gunby Hall and also the fine organ in St Peter's Church on the day of the SLHA visit.

One of the Past and Present events in the Grantham area was a walk on 6 September, looking at the history of Sewstern Lane, the Grantham Canal and the railway line near to Woolsthorpe Wharf on the Grantham Canal.

This was led by Stewart Squires on behalf of the Society.

The donation of SLHA's library of Lincolnshire books to Bishop Grosseteste University was marked by a special event in the university library on 18 September.

Emma Sansby, Head of Library Services at BGU, is seen here with Dr Michael Jones, SLHA President.

The annual Lincolnshire Archaeology conference was held at Bishop Grosseteste University on 18 October.

Speakers on various aspects of the Norman period in Lincolnshire were: Drs Deidre O'Sullivan (University of Leicester), Robert Webley (University of York), Naomi Sykes (University of Nottingham), Glyn Coppack, Pamela Marshall, David Roffe and Jonathan Clark.

50 years of the IA team was marked at a conference at BGU on 15 November.  Presentations were given on the recording of the county's industrial structures and remains.

Photo of IA team members: Standing, l to r: Jon Sass, Stephen Betteridge, Colin East, John Turner, Derek Broughton, Chris Lester, Barry Barton, Ken Redmore, Eric Newton, Tony Wall, Ken Hollamby.  Seated: Neil Wright, Chris Page, Catherine Wilson, Stewart Squires

The entertainment for the Lincoln area Christmas party on 10 December was provided by a group from Branston who performed a traditional local Plough Play