IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Chapel Lane, LINCOLN, LN4 1LA

Now a house.

Mid 18th century Grade II Listed farmhouse. Summerdale was Springfield Farm, occupied in the 19th century by Henry Grimes II who appears to have moved out in the late 1880s to make way for his cousin William Grimes who had fallen on hard times. The 1891 census suggests he is here with farm foreman, William Pacey and family, and three lodging waggoners. It seems William Grimes was, in the early part of the 20th century, a local part time tax collector. The property is now a substantial refurbished 5 bedroom, 3 reception room home.

Most of the church was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1963, but the Saxon tower with Perpendicular spire survive.

A project by the local history group the 2006-7 carvings reflect past, present and potential future uses of the produce grown in neighbouring fields, with wheat in the past, potatoes in the present and sunflowers in the future. Carving sessions were led by Newark artist Denise Marshall. This is reputedly the former location of the stocks.

Grade II Listed 18th century house. Listed as Co-op House a former farm house it is apparently now 4 Melville Close. The north-eastern two bays appear to be a later addition when compared to the profile and position of the building on late 19th and early 20th century maps. Indeed visually the two right hand bays that are rendered appear to have narrower first floor windows and it is possible it was two dwellings at some stage.

Early 19th century Grade II Listed row of cottages. Labelled on the OS map as Westward Cottages, I seem to remember the adjacent shop (35) was known as Westward's Shop in the 1950s/60s. Pevsner comments that they are 'in a Lovely style' in reference to Thomas Lovelee (1808-1877) a Corn Miller, Stonemason, and Lime Burner who built Stonefield House (14 Sleaford Road). Silver Street was formerly known as Bleak Street.

Former blacksmiths. In the late 1950s and/or early 1960s if you knocked on the door and asked, the occupant, (I forget his name) would take you a few yards up the road to a shed and cut your hair for a small charge. An application to extend the property was apparently rejected in 2007.

Grade II Listed former early 18th century inn. The former thatched Bertie Arms, converted by William Cucksey, was a home and dairy from 1912 until 1940. The pub was named after Lord Vere Bertie who built the Branston Hall that was destroyed by fire in 1904. The plaque reads 'IN THIS HOUSE FORMERLY AN INN KNOWN AS "THE BERTIE ARMS" WAS HELD ON THE 26TH MAY 1765 THE INAUGURAL MEETING TO INSTITUTE THE ENCLOSURE OF THE PARISH LANDS OF BRANSTON'. (In the years between 1760 and 1820 there was wholesale enclosure in which, in village after village, common rights were lost, described by E P Thompson as 'a plain enough case of class robbery'.) Felicia Richardson, one of the current (2020) owners has told me that they purchased it in 1986 and have subsequently renovated the interior which has mud and stud walls, two Inglenook fireplaces and very old oak beams. Felicia also informs me it was very briefly known as Berties Inn named by people who owned it for a few months prior to them.

History of the church here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peter.fairweather/docs/Branston_all_saints.htm