The Vine Hotel, a guest house and event venue in Skegness, is to be sold.
Dating back to 1770 and reported to be the oldest property in Skegness, The Vine Hotel comprises 25 ensuite bedrooms, a restaurant, two bars, and function spaces, set within 3 acres of lawned gardens and outside dining areas including five dining pods. The property also has planning permission for a further 20 letting bedrooms which could be created under new ownership.
The Vine Hotel is known for its connection to poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and is home to ‘Tennyson’s Tree’, where he is known to have written much of his work.
The hotel was acquired by the current owners over 10 years ago, and has since undergone significant investment and development.
Matt Hill, Senior Business Agent at Christie & Co who is managing the sale, said: “The Vine Hotel is a busy, successful and historic Hotel, Bar and Restaurant which we are proud to be marketing and would be an asset to any owner’s portfolio.
“The opportunity also offers further potential as there is granted planning permission for 20 additional lettings bedrooms within the ground of around 3 acres.”
The Vine Hotel is on the market with an asking price of £1,795,000.
The UK government will sell RAF Scampton on the open market, rejecting West Lindsey District Council’s bid to acquire the site for a £300 million redevelopment project.
Earmarked initially by the previous Conservative government for migrant housing, the site’s asylum plans were scrapped in September. The Home Office cited regulatory requirements preventing a direct sale to the council, emphasising that disposal of public land must follow market rules.
Since March 2023, the site has cost over £60 million. Government officials claim the sale will prevent further taxpayer losses. Meanwhile, the council, which had partnered with Scampton Holdings Ltd. for regeneration, argues that contamination, heritage issues, and infrastructure limitations make a public-private partnership the only viable option for redevelopment.
Scampton Holdings remains committed to the project despite setbacks. Chairman Peter Hewitt criticised the delays, while local MP Sir Edward Leigh called the government’s decision “madness,” arguing it wasted time and resources on failed asylum plans.
Charitable donations made by diners at a Lincoln restaurant will help keep children occupied whilst being cared for in hospital.
The children’s wards at Lincoln County Hospital have been stocked with new arts, crafts and play equipment thanks to a generous donation from Mowgli Street Food, Lincoln.
The popular Indian restaurant has been fundraising since June 2024 and has raised a staggering £7,775 by asking customers to donate an additional £1 to United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity when paying for their food.
Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group Chief Executive, Professor Karen Dunderdale, recently met with the restaurant’s Charity Leader, Jonny Clamp and his colleague Elli Gale to show how their donation had been spent. She said: “It is fantastic that the residents of Lincolnshire have supported our charity by making a donation when paying their bills at Mowgli Lincoln.”
The Mowgli team also met patients and staff during the visit and pledged to continue to fundraise for the children’s wards. Jonny said: “We are a local business, and we want to support a local charity that helps the people in and around Lincoln. Most of our customers donate, it is just £1 on someone’s bill, what is an extra £1 when it makes such a difference here in this ward.”
In 2024, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity received over £1 million in donations and funded projects across the county’s hospitals in Lincoln, Boston, Grantham and Louth.
Picture shows: Jonny Clamp and Ellie Gale from Mowgli Lincoln with Professor Karen Dunderdale and team from Lincoln County Hospital Childrens’ Wards
A key tenant has been secured for a new building in Scunthorpe town centre. The Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) will take over the office space at Elizabeth Quarter.
Elizabeth Quarter is a newly developed three-storey building owned by North Lincolnshire Council, featuring a ground-floor café and reception area, with modern office spaces on the first and second floors, covering approximately 1,250 sq m.
RDaSH will lease the office space for 15 years. The space will be used for clinical consultations, patient appointments, and as the headquarters for the Community Mental Health and Talking Therapy workforce.
The occupation of the offices by RDaSH is expected to facilitate the lease of the ground-floor café to another tenant.
Image credit: North Lincolnshire Council
Lincolnshire Today caught up with Hannah Dale, a wildlife illustrator, founder of Wrendale Designs, and self-proclaimed “Lincolnshire girl at heart,” ahead of the publication of her new book, A WILDING YEAR: Bringing Life Back To The Land, an illustrated journal of a year during the ambitious rewilding project that Hannah and her husband have undertaken on their farm.
A self-proclaimed “Lincolnshire girl at heart,” Hannah Dale is a wildlife illustrator and founder of the award-winning stationery and gift design company, Wrendale Designs, specialising in watercolour illustrations. Having grown up in the countryside of rural Lincolnshire and influenced by the local landscape, Hannah admits she’s never wanted to be anywhere else. Her background has informed everything from establishing her business in North Lincolnshire to the county’s wildlife sparking her inspiration to start drawing animals.
Roe Deer illustration taken from A WILDING YEAR Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, published by Batsford in hardback at £14.99
With a deep connection to nature and a passion for ecology and conservation, in 2019 Hannah and her husband embarked on an ambitious rewilding project on their 300-acre farm in North Lincolnshire. We caught up with Hannah ahead of the publication of her new book A WILDING YEAR: Bringing Life Back To The Land, an impassioned and personal illustrated journal of a year during their rewilding journey. From the return of orchids to beavers becoming the most recently introduced animal to the farm — the first to return to Lincolnshire in 400 years — it is certainly an inspiring story, though not one without its challenges.
“One of the biggest challenges initially is that we didn’t really know what we were doing,” Hannah shared. “We just felt that the farm wasn’t suitable for producing food. The land that we’re on is incredibly heavy clay, it sits wet all winter and then in the summer, because it has generations of drainage underneath, it bakes very dry and hard.” Going through four years of unproductive arable farming, the farm had equally lost its value to wildlife, creating a “worst of all worlds” situation. This, however, pushed Hannah and her husband to go down a different route, coming to the conclusion it was the perfect candidate for rewilding — a process of restoring ecosystems to the point that nature can take care of itself.
Starting their own rewilding project would not be easy, with advice and support difficult to find. “People were just so shocked at what we were considering, especially in Lincolnshire,” Hannah explained. “It was so different from what anybody else was doing and really difficult to get the support, but over the last five years rewilding has definitely entered the mainstream more.” In A WILDING YEAR, Hannah details the struggles of dealing with differing opinions on the project — of which there were many for and against. Not deterred, her commitment to rewilding has seen nature rapidly respond. “We didn’t know what to expect from day one, but very quickly we started to see lots of new species on the farm that we’d never seen before, and them returning with quite significant abundance,” Hannah said. Birds are one of the animals thriving, including 40 nesting sites of Skylark across the farm which did not exist before, the return of lapwing, and lots of grey partridge. “We have birds on the red list [those of conservation concern], that are really struggling and coming back to the farm in large numbers. That has been absolutely amazing to see.”
Skylark illustration taken from A WILDING YEAR Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, published by Batsford in hardback at £14.99
Butterflies are also a star of the rewilding project, showcasing how nature can heal within a short space of time. “Somebody from the local village, who’s been very supportive of what we’re doing, has been surveying butterflies in our local area and around our farm for the past 30 years,” Hannah explained, “and he’s seen the number of species decline and decline from in the twenties to 13 different species. Within two or three years of letting the scrub start to develop on the farm, we did a butterfly survey and recorded 23 different species of butterfly! Within that incredibly short space of time, you can see recovery starting to happen. The lepidopterist who did the survey said it is probably one of the best sites in Lincolnshire for grassland butterflies. It is astonishing to me that we went from being one of the worst sites for arable farming in the county to one of the best sites for grassland butterflies. It was an indication that we’re doing the right thing.”
One of the most exciting reappearances on the farm for Hannah, however, is orchids — now rare in our countrysides — due to the unique conditions it takes for them to grow. Hannah shared: “Last year we had common spotted orchid, pyramidal orchid and southern marsh orchid all growing on the farm. The reason that’s so exciting is because orchids produce seeds that are absolutely tiny. They’re like dust and they don’t have any resources within the seeds, so in order to be able to germinate they have to find a particular type of mycorrhizal fungus in the soil and then it forms this symbiotic relationship where the fungus feeds the seed and allows the plant to grow, and then as the plant becomes bigger, it can then supply sugars to the fungus. So, you can imagine when land is being farmed intensively it destroys the fungus within the soil and destroys these relationships. Starting to see the orchids growing on the farm again is an indication that that soil is starting to heal and some of those relationships are able to develop again.”
These wildlife wins are showcased in Hannah’s new book, A WILDING YEAR, the writing of which came naturally. “What we’re doing on the farm has provided so much more inspiration for my artwork,” she shared. “I find myself out there often with a sketchbook and recording what’s happening on the day-to-day basis on the farm through the art. That naturally then led to writing down some of those experiences and gave me the idea that actually this would make a really nice book. It’s part journal and part sketchbook and is filled with illustrations and lots of personal anecdotes and experiences of a year on the farm and through our rewilding journey.”
Fox illustrations taken from A WILDING YEAR Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, published by Batsford in hardback at £14.99
Hannah hopes the book will encourage people to see more beauty in wildness and understand that gardens don’t have to be neat and tidy spaces: “If we can leave our grass to grow a little bit longer, leave wild areas around the margins, stop using pesticides in the garden, it would make such a big difference to wildlife and we’d start to see more and more butterflies, hedgehogs and birds in our domestic spaces.” She added: “If I can play a little part in trying to restore nature and inspire people in Lincolnshire to do something similar, what a legacy. I’d be so proud to be able to do that.” For those who may want to follow in her footsteps and begin their own rewilding project, Hannah advised to “just go for it.” She said: “It doesn’t matter what scale you do it on, just follow the general principles of embracing wild, native plants and letting things grow and look a little bit untidy. It will absolutely encourage more wildlife into those spaces. There aren’t any hard and fast rules — that’s the other great thing about rewilding.”
With the rewilding of the farm well underway, Hannah is stepping back and letting nature take its course — for the most part: “The principle of rewilding is trying to let nature take the lead, but as we’re on 300 acres there are always going to be interventions that we need to do; playing those proxy roles of the animals that are missing from the landscape, like the large herbivores that once roamed and shaped it.” This includes digging holes as a proxy for a bull pit for when there were big aurochs, an extinct type of wild cattle, roaming the landscape. Hannah continued: “Largely it is a project where we can sit back and see what happens. We introduced beavers into the site just over a year ago and it’s exciting and interesting to see what they’re able to do in terms of creating wetlands and shaping the landscape, so there’s a lot of standing back and watching everything happen.” The introduction of the beavers marks the first in Lincolnshire in 400 years, having been native to the country but eradicated for meat, fur and castoreum.
The progress on the farm is “just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is to come,” however. Hannah is enjoying the journey rather than aiming for a goal or endpoint: “I’m sure that there’ll be surprises, you never know what’s going to come next, which is really exciting.”
An inspiring account of how, in a time of climate breakdown, nature can thrive when given the chance, A WILDING YEAR: Bringing Life Back To The Land is out now, with all the royalties Hannah receives from writing the book going back into the nature recovery project.See this interview in the April issue of Lincolnshire Today Magazine, here.
For a chance to win one of five free copies of A WILDING YEAR: Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, send an email to competitions@blmgroup.co.uk answering the following question: What animal has Hannah recently introduced to the farm, the first to return to Lincolnshire in 400 years?
Grimsby’s new Horizon Youth Zone has reached a major construction milestone, with work now complete on the roofline of the final building, which offers a first glimpse of how the development will look on the town’s skyline.
Located on Garth Lane, the development is being delivered by national charity OnSide in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council, which is contributing to the development as part of the Greater Grimsby Town Deal, and the Department of Culture Media and Sport, through the Youth Investment Fund.
The site is being transformed by Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter and is due to open this autumn. As part of the work, a series of Grade II listed 19th century maltings and grain store buildings, known as West Haven Maltings and Migar House, have been fully restored and repurposed.
The middle part of the building sits at the heart of the development alongside the River Freshney and on a river wall which had to be rebuilt using a pontoon in the river to create a safe working platform. The building had fallen into a state of disrepair but it has been rebuilt, and work is now complete on its new roof structure.
In addition to the refurbishment and restoration aspects of the project, the final piece of the scheme will see Hobson & Porter constructing a large outdoor multi-use games area (MUGA).
Horizon Youth Zone will offer a safe and inspiring place for young people aged 8 to 19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs, to enjoy their leisure time.
Joe Booth, Business Development Director from Hobson & Porter, said: “With construction due to complete this summer ahead of the Youth Zone opening in autumn, this part of the development and restoration of the building, which was in a poor state of disrepair, is an achievement worth marking for the whole project team.
“It’s been a highly complex part of the scheme, that also required a retaining river wall to be built, but it’s the final piece of the jigsaw that now shows how Horizon Youth Zone will integrate into Grimsby’s skyline.
“The feedback we’ve received from the people of Grimsby has been fantastic, regardless of whether or not they’re connected to the project, because it’s given these buildings and this site a new lease of life and is going to make a huge difference to so many local young people, as well as bringing a state-of-the-art facility to the town.”
Lucy Ottewell-Key, CEO of Horizon Youth Zone, said: “We’re delighted with how work is progressing and to see the completed roofline on this final building feels like a major milestone ahead of our opening later this year.
“There’s a genuine buzz across North East Lincolnshire about Horizon Youth Zone and what it means for young people throughout the region, especially because so many local businesses, organisations and patrons are supporting us and making it possible, which is very exciting for everyone involved.”
Horizon Youth Zone is an independent charity with a private sector led board, and once opened, it will be part of the OnSide network of 15 Youth Zones nationwide, which support over 50,000 young people annually. After completion, it’s estimated that Horizon could benefit up to 4,000 young people from North East Lincolnshire each year.
Capital funders of Horizon Youth Zone comprise of Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Architectural Heritage Fund, The Youth Investment Fund, Evergreen Life, St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation, Ørsted and Greencoats Wind UK.
Horizon Youth Zone is also building a family of Founder Patrons, comprising of local organisations and philanthropists, who will support the Youth Zone during its first four years.
Long Sutton Dentistry in Lincolnshire has been sold to an expanding group.
Set up by the previous owners, Kenny Doig, Jez Hyland, and Sam Wright, in 2013, it is located in the market town of Long Sutton, near Boston and Spalding in South Lincolnshire. Over the last 12 years, it has grown into a four-surgery practice and become a mainstay for the local community.
The practice was brought to market to allow the sellers to concentrate on their other business interests.
Following a confidential sales process with Tom Morley at Christie & Co, it has been sold to The Dental Design Studio.
Dr Kenny Doig, former owner of Long Sutton Dentistry, said: “It’s reassuring to know that our staff and patients are in excellent hands, thanks to DDS’s outstanding track record of professionalism and expertise. The trust and confidence we feel stems directly from their proven capabilities.
“We would like to express our appreciation for Jeff and Larry, who made every interaction a pleasure. Their approachability and professionalism ensured the process was not just straightforward but truly instilled confidence that we had made the correct decision to sell to a group rather than a large corporate.”
Dr Jeffrey Sherer, Clinical Director at The Dental Design Studio, said: “We’re very happy to have acquired Long Sutton – our twenty-second dental practice. It is a fantastic practice with a great team, and we are so pleased to have it as part of our group.”
Tom Morley, Associate Director – Dental at Christie & Co, said: “It was a pleasure to represent, Jez, Kenny, and Sam in the sale of Long Sutton, and I wish Larry and Jeff all the best with their new acquisition. Another successful sale in the East Midlands demonstrates to the market that quality private practices are continually acquired by aspirational groups.”
Long Sutton Dentistry was sold for an undisclosed price.
Image credit: Christie & Co
After clumps of burnt plastic ‘nurdles’ were washed ashore following an incident in the North Sea, teams from East Lindsey District Council have been cleaning up the plastic pellets from the beach.
As of Friday 28 March at 2pm, 10.18 tonnes of this material have been collected and brought to Lincolnshire County Council’s waste transfer station in Louth. Here, it will be bulked up and sent for safe disposal via energy from waste.
Thanks to reports from members of the public, the clean-up operation has been able to focus on the areas worst affected and quickly remove the plastic pollution from the shoreline. This work continues as more pollutants continue to wash up.
As crews focus on clearing the beaches and removing these pollutants from the environment, there may be a delay in emptying litter bins or street cleaning elsewhere in East Lindsey.
If you see any of the pellets, please leave them where they are, keep children and dogs away, and report them so they can be safely removed. You can report ‘nurdle’ pollution online at www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/plastic-nurdles this will then be distributed to the relevant authority for clean up.
Taking place on Sunday 6th April between 10am and 4pm, Countryside Lincs promises fantastic displays and demonstrations, as well as interactive activities and workshops.
New for 2025 is the Equine Display Area, featuring displays from Cleethorpes and Grimsby Riding for the Disabled and The Pony Club. Take a moment to enjoy performances from The Trickstars – as seen on Britain’s Got Talent.
For those wanting to get hands-on, there will be free interactive indoor activities taking place in the EPIC and EXO Centre, including cookery workshops and traditional craft activities such as spinning and weaving. Children can also enjoy tractor and trailer rides, circus skills, livestock displays, animal handling and an Easter trail.
The Equine Display Area will also offer a meet and greet with Tinkerbell the Mini Pony, as well as the chance to watch the NCPA Spring Pony Show.
Hosted by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society (LAS), a registered charity, the event aims to educate young minds about Lincolnshire food, farming and the countryside to foster a deeper understanding of where our food comes from.
There are lots of activities for families to get involved with across eight indoor and outdoor zones, and visitors will even have the chance to take a selfie with the brand-new Lincolnshire Show tractor as we count down the days until the 140th Lincolnshire Show on 18th and 19th June.
A jam-packed day filled with animals, activities, experiences and entertainment for all the family, it’s an event not to be missed!
Advance tickets are available to purchase online now, priced at £12 per adult, £6 per child (under 2’s go free) and £34 for a family of five. Booking fees apply.
On-the-day tickets are priced at £15 per adult, £8 per child (under 2’s go free) and £40 for a family of five.
To find out more about Countryside Lincs and to purchase tickets, visit www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk/countryside-lincs.
Grand Central has notified Network Rail of its plans to introduce a direct rail service between Lincolnshire and London, connecting Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, and Scunthorpe to King’s Cross.
The company will submit a formal application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and pending regulatory approval, services are expected to launch by late 2026.
The proposed route would add over 775,000 new seats annually, improving regional connectivity and optimising underused rail capacity. Trains will integrate with Grand Central’s existing services via Doncaster, offering more travel options for passengers.
Managing Director Paul Hutchings highlighted the significance of restoring direct rail links to Cleethorpes, last available in 1992. The service aims to enhance economic ties between Lincolnshire and London, benefiting passengers and businesses.
The initiative follows London North Eastern Railway’s failed attempt to establish a similar route in 2023. Grand Central’s expansion could reshape regional transport and support economic growth in underserved areas if approved.
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