Heritage Lincolnshire Breathes New Life into 16th Century Building
The first major renovation on The Old King’s Head – a grade II listed building in Kirton near Boston, Lincolnshire – is now complete thanks to Heritage Lincolnshire.
The former inn, pub, hotel and family home on the corner of King’s Street and London Road in Kirton is currently being transformed into a luxury B&B, café and deli by local charity and buildings preservation trust, Heritage Lincolnshire – and will open to the public in the spring of 2020.
Renovation work on the building started in February and last week the first construction milestone was passed when the remains of the original thatched roof were removed, and re-roofing work was completed. The new roof was revealed to the former residents of The Old King’s Head during the final hard hat tour on Friday 20th September as part of the Heritage Open Days festival which the charity co-ordinates for the county.
Hannah Thompson, Business Development Manager at Heritage Lincolnshire, said: “We’re delighted with how the project is going and we were thrilled to share our progress with both the Lavender and Duff families who previously lived here.
“We’re excited to see the new building bringing life back into Kirton, especially as the village has seen many of its local amenities like the bank, butchers and library close over the last few years.
“Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the support of the local community, works are well under way to restore this previous coaching inn to its former glory – and we can’t wait to reveal the finished project in the spring next year!”
Timothy Lavender is the son of the former landlord and landlady who ran The Old King’s Head as a pub from 1958 to 1969, after buying it from former professional boxer Johnny Cuthbert.
Speaking at the hard hat tour, Tim said: “I have wonderful memories of living here; I remember Kirton being a sleepy village but at the weekends it would come alive as The Old King’s Head was the only pub in the area to have a music licence – and there would be people in the car park queuing up waiting for the pub to open!
“I feel honoured to play a part in the history of the building and privileged to be invited along today. It’s been wonderful meeting the Duff family who turned the pub into a family home after we left. We’ve been exchanging stories and today I found out that a letter I once sent to Santa as a child and tucked up inside the chimney was found by the Duff family!
“It’s fantastic that Heritage Lincolnshire are breathing life back into the building which is going to be a great hub for the village.”
To find out more about Heritage Lincolnshire and to keep up to date with The Old King’s Head project, follow Heritage Lincolnshire on Facebook and Twitter or visit: https://www.heritagelincolnshire.org/.
Notes for editors:
- Founded in 1988, Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire is a charity working to conserve the rich history of Lincolnshire for the benefit of locals, professionals and visitors.
- The Trust secures funding for the development of conservation projects and historic buildings at risk. The charity also offers a range of opportunities for education, volunteering and leisure activities to encourage people to explore and conserve the heritage of the area. It also undertakes archaeological fieldwork and research to advance the public understanding of Lincolnshire’s history.
- As of 2019 the charity has raised around £30 million towards saving historic buildings from dereliction and has welcomed over 25,000 visitors to its annual Heritage Open Days across Lincolnshire.
- The Old King’s Head project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. For a full list of the project’s benefactors please visit: https://www.heritagelincolnshire.org/explore/the-old-kings-head-project
- To find out more about Heritage Lincolnshire, follow the company on Twitter, Facebook or visit the website: https://www.heritagelincolnshire.org/
