Is God who created the Heavens the created who God Is

Is welcoming His friend. His welcoming Is 5 6 1 3 2 4

dead), and the struggle between faith and doubt. and faith between struggle the and dead),

That the Speckleby acres be tenantless still. tenantless be acres Speckleby the That

landscape. Is the Presence the angels hail, angels the Presence the Is

The same mysterious Godhead mysterious same The

loneliness in old age (Now all the world she knew is is knew she world the all (Now age old in loneliness

hill, and fenland o’er ring bells the as pray, I And

And the church and the rectory waiting to fall. to waiting rectory the and church the And

A wafer dipped in a wine-drop a in dipped wafer A

Here, as the rains descend, rains the as Here, how to look at and appreciate townscape and and townscape appreciate and at look to how

is unimportant: the subject is really about loss and and loss about really is subject the unimportant: is

yet, it through rush I that dark, the through rush a Such

Hall, the in grass was, village the where Marsh

By the white and silver veil, silver and white the By

There where the white light flickers, light white the where There

writing and TV programmes he showed us us showed he programmes TV and writing

apparently in , although the location location the although Spa, Woodhall in apparently forget, not shall I Visitation fell a Such

again marshland to reverting slowly Was There where the white light flickers light white the where There

To this green enormous marsh. enormous green this To

set set Rest, of House The third poem is is poem Lincolnshire third The the preservation of our heritage. Through his his Through heritage. our of preservation the

d demesne empty the ruined, was mansion The

Is the tabernacle of God. of tabernacle the Is Of some Indian Anglican Mission Anglican Indian some Of

John Betjeman was always concerned about about concerned always was Betjeman John

And there on the South aisle altar aisle South the on there And

That bore him from sun glare harsh glare sun from him bore That (he is buried in the churchyard). the in buried is (he And the Rector himself in his gown and his bands. his and gown his in himself Rector the And It toll’d from the church in the tenantless park. tenantless the in church the from toll’d It

(Unlocked, for these parts, is odd) is parts, these for (Unlocked, . . Bells by Summoned verse-autobiography verse-autobiography

I thought of the heaving waters heaving the of thought I

hands of pair long a showed door opening an Then dark the through strong and reed-beds the on loud As Christian Priest), vicar of from 1943 until 1959 1959 until 1943 from Huttoft of vicar Priest), Christian

The door swung easily open easily swung door The

Nor whether his flock was few was flock his whether Nor

re-issued in several editions including his his including editions several in re-issued air? the on thinned and tolling its ceased bell the When power! bell’s tenor the compelling strangely And And there he meets Rev. Theophilus Caleb (an Indian Indian (an Caleb Theophilus Rev. meets he there And

About eighteen-eighty-eight. About

Nor whether his flock was many was flock his whether Nor

there was stillness a what forget ever I Shall tower the was tall and ev’ning the was cold Oh were published in 1958 and have since been been since have and 1958 in published were But, he enters the church and all is light and beauty! beauty! and light is all and church the enters he But,

Restored with a vengeance, for certain, for vengeance, a with Restored

I neither asked nor knew, nor asked neither I

post-war drabness of (telegraph poles and tin). tin). and poles (telegraph England of drabness post-war

Poems Collected Trebetherick, . His His Cornwall. Trebetherick, But – – But A three-decker pulpit frowned over the nave. the over frowned pulpit three-decker A . mad be to said was Rector Speckleby the

A roof of unsuitable slate - slate unsuitable of roof A And why he was here in Lincolnshire in here was he why And

inadequate restoration of the church building; and the the and building; church the of restoration inadequate

sad or eccentric mostly were incumbents Our grave the as still and impressive, massive, While

buried in the churchyard of St Enodoc’s, Enodoc’s, St of churchyard the in buried “Cathedral Glass” in the windows, the in Glass” “Cathedral An Indian Christian priest. Christian Indian An

churchyard; a local woman (regretting Americans); Americans); (regretting woman local a churchyard; here; visiting for courage summoned not had I Crown, the for fight their in beasts sign-painter’s A

Sloping this way and that. and way this Sloping He stood in that lowering sunlight, lowering that in stood He Laureate in 1972. He died in 1984 and is is and 1984 in died He 1972. in Laureate

year, a many for Archdeacon the myself Though down look to paused arch chancel the from high And

Huttoft. The poem reflects on the poor state of the the of state poor the on reflects poem The Huttoft.

And grass is drowning the headstones the drowning is grass And There in the lighted East lighted the in There

was knighted in 1969 and appointed Poet Poet appointed and 1969 in knighted was

, is based on one specific church, St Margaret’s, Margaret’s, St church, specific one on based is , Church

The path is a grassy mat, grassy a is path The

“And my sin is ever before me.” before ever is sin my “And Swung, hollowly thundering, Speckleby bell. Speckleby thundering, hollowly Swung, As they soared to the dark of the Lincolnshire night: Lincolnshire the of dark the to soared they As

well-known as a television presenter. He He presenter. television a as well-known

A Lincolnshire Lincolnshire A Betjeman’s second Lincolnshire poem, poem, Lincolnshire second Betjeman’s What sort of church, I wonder? I church, of sort What From the heavily clouded wold. clouded heavily the From swell, a and roar a with dark, the on out And sight the to lost were rafters its and roof the But

for newspapers and journals, and became became and journals, and newspapers for

And with so little soul to win. to soul little so with And

With thunder sailing over sailing thunder With immense; and around fenland, invisible Of view, into baize brass-studded of caverns the Brought

Spilsby, both of which have three-decker pulpits. three-decker have which of both ,

was published in 1932. He wrote extensively extensively wrote He 1932. in published was Seemingly so indifferent so Seemingly The well-known phrases rolled phrases well-known The intense, stillness the awful, was remoteness The pew panelled high each on ensconced candles The

Georgian church of St Peter and St Paul at Langton-by- at Paul St and Peter St of church Georgian

Of telegraph poles and tin, and poles telegraph Of

“I acknowledge my transgressions” my acknowledge “I Zion Mount Oxford. His first book of poems poems of book first His Oxford.

When all of a sudden sudden a of all When the pony fell dead fell pony the . Sweet discolouration of umber and lime! and umber of discolouration Sweet

of several, perhaps including and the fine fine the and Haltham including perhaps several, of

Dear old, bloody old England old bloody old, Dear

Has brought me to my knees. my to me brought Has

Highgate and later to Magdalen College, College, Magdalen to later and

ahead glimmered carriage-lamps the feebly And time, with textured so plaster, the over And

Betjeman’s description, but it is likely that it is a conflation conflation a is it that likely is it but description, Betjeman’s

Manicuring her hands. her Manicuring

And the Presence of God Incarnate God of Presence the And

right, its on drain the bank, left its on Bain the With panes, diamonded in doubled Unevenly

of his childhood. He went to school in in school to went He childhood. his of

J

It is possible to speculate about which church fits fits church which about speculate to possible is It As a wireless croons in the kitchen the in croons wireless a As

That roar of churchyard trees churchyard of roar That

night the into narrowly lengthened lane The grains and ochres in woodwork of forest a What

London and lived in Highgate for most most for Highgate in lived and

Regretting Americans, stands Americans, Regretting

The great door shuts, and lessens and shuts, door great The

fictitious, though they sound authentically Lincolnshire. authentically sound they though fictitious,

The crunch of the wheels was a comforting sound. comforting a was wheels the of crunch The The dry smell of damp rot, the hassocky smell. hassocky the rot, damp of smell dry The

Cigarette in her mouth, her in Cigarette ohn Betjeman was born in 1906 in north north in 1906 in born was Betjeman ohn

d

of the poem. All the other place names in the poem are are poem the in names place other the All poem. the of

round me flooded that silence of ocean the In well, knew I scents on open it grated I The usual woman in slacks, in woman usual The

on-Bain near . Kirkby is in fact the first word word first the fact in is Kirkby Horncastle. near on-Bain

Of the slacks and the cigarette. the and slacks the Of wold, the from down cabbages) dead of scent a (In door; the at hand to courage summoned heart That The usual sprinkle of villas; of sprinkle usual The

friend Noel Blakiston at his father’s rectory at Kirkby- at rectory father’s his at Blakiston Noel friend To be worshipped by you and the woman the and you by worshipped be To roll’d mist autumn An nippy. grew air night The roar thunderous the in lights of lighting such And And around it, turning their backs, their turning it, around And

a part of the wolds that he knew well from visits to his his to visits from well knew he that wolds the of part a

Our Creator is with us yet, us with is Creator Our Lincolnshire Middle Pointed. Middle Lincolnshire

Old Caistorby tower take the last of the sun. the of last the take tower Caistorby Old The gleam of a taper, through clear leaded glass. leaded clear through taper, a of gleam The

A POET LAUREATE POET A There where the white light flickers, light white the where There . It reflects reflects It . Tale Lincolnshire A poems, Lincolnshire his Worn by sea-wind and shower, and sea-wind by Worn

done, marketing my journeyed, I as saw, I And repass and pass see to tombs the by stood I

And trees for making His rood. His making for trees And

place names, interests that came together in the first of of first the in together came that interests names, place Silver and brown in the sunlight, the in brown and Silver

OF TRAIL THE ON Beckby-on-Bain, to Muckby with Kirkby From ground waterlogged of acres listening Over

With stone for building His churches His building for stone With Topping some ash trees, a tower a trees, ash some Topping Spalding area. He also loved Lincolnshire’s churches and and churches Lincolnshire’s loved also He area. Spalding

drain and level bathed sunset great whacking A sound, of beacon a tenor, the swung down As

With fruit of the earth for his food his for earth the of fruit With And there, on a gentle eminence, gentle a on there, And

fact that his mother’s side of the family hailed from the the from hailed family the of side mother’s his that fact

BETJEMAN

I would drive into Wiss over Winderby Sluice. Winderby over Wiss into drive would I And doubly forbidding in darkness and cold. and darkness in forbidding doubly And

Is God who prepared His coming His prepared who God Is

In a huge cloud cavern of gold, of cavern cloud huge a In county by friends, by his love of Tennyson, and by the the by and Tennyson, of love his by friends, by county L

spruce, and well-harnessed Wednesdays, on often And wold, nor fenland neither place, sinister a ‘Twas

Who calls in the evening bell, evening the in calls Who But here the green marsh was alight was marsh green the here But

favourite maritime county. He was drawn to the the to drawn was He county. maritime favourite

SIR JOHN JOHN SIR

Lincs. of county the in lane long a down Is sprout, to attempting oak-trees old of stumps And

Who sings in the sky with the skylark the with sky the in sings Who Hung over the width of the wold the of width the over Hung

incolnshire, after Cornwall, was John Betjeman’s Betjeman’s John was Cornwall, after incolnshire,

Muckby-cum-Sparrowby-cum-Spinx with Kirkby about kingcups with springtime in even And And the wide green marsh as well as marsh green wide the And Greyly tremendous the thunder the tremendous Greyly

CONNECTIONS AND POEMS AND CONNECTIONS

A Lincolnshire Church Lincolnshire A Tale Lincolnshire A

LINCOLNSHIRE LINCOLNSHIRE

MATTERS HISTORY

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION LINCOLNSHIRE WHERE TO FIND ON THE AREA, VISIT - BRANCH OF THE OUT MORE ABOUT JOHN BETJEMAN’S VIEW ABOUT OUR COUNTY BETJEMAN SOCIETY JOHN BETJEMAN & “It is important that we should leave Lincolnshire something like the ON THE TRAIL OF lovelincolnshirewolds.com LINCOLNSHIRE Lincolnshire that Tennyson knew” The Betjeman Society exists to advance the appreciation Love of Sir John Betjeman (1906-84) as poet, writer, John Betjeman - The Biography SIR JOHN @LoveLincsWolds broadcaster and conservationist. We seek to inform and by Bevis Hillier ( John Murray, 2006) House of Rest inspire our members and the wider public through the BETJEMAN LoveLincsWolds Now all the world she knew is dead Her full grey eyes look far beyond study and enjoyment of his life and work. Betjeman by A N Wilson (Hutchinson, 2006) In this small room she lives her days The little room and me POET LAUREATE Membership of the Lincolnshire Branch is open to all. The wash-stand and single bed To village church and village pond We arrange a programme of events on topics such as John Betjeman: Letters Vol 1 & Vol 2 Screened from the public gaze. And ample rectory. architecture, railways and poetry. We are relaxed and edited by (Methuen, 2006) The horse-brass shines, the kettle sings, She sees her children each in place friendly. No special knowledge is needed in order to Coming Home: An Anthology of Prose The cup of China tea Eyes downcast as they wait become a member. by John Betjeman Is tasted among cared-for things She hears her Harry murmur Grace, Ranged round for me to see Then heaps the porridge plate. For further information please send an email to: Betjeman’s Lincolnshire [email protected] compiled by The Lincolnshire Branch of The Betjeman Lincoln by Valentine and Co., Aroused at seven, to bed by ten, Society (Marden Hill Press, 2006) Acknowledgements For details of the national Betjeman Society Now yellowish brown and stained, They fully lived each day, please visit our web page: But there some fifty years ago Dead sons, so motor-bike-mad then, Compiled by Lincolnshire Branch Her Harry was ordained: And daughters far away. of The Betjeman Society www.betjemansociety.com Outside the church in Woodhall Spa Now when the bells for Eucharist Photographs: The smiling groom and bride, Sound in the Market Square, Lincolnshire Branch of the Betjeman Society And here’s his old tobacco jar With sunshine struggling through the mist ELDC Dried lavender inside. And Sunday in the air, Permission to reproduce John Betjeman’s poems: I do not like to ask if he The veil between her and her dead John Murray Press, an imprint of Was “High” or “Low” or “Broad” Dissolves and shows them clear, Hodder & Stoughton Limited Lest such a question seem to be The Consecration Prayer is said Produced by District Council © 2017 A mockery of Our Lord. And all of them are near. JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE

LIFE AND WORK OF POET A JOURNEY THROUGH LAUREATE JOHN BETJEMAN LINCOLNSHIRE Discovering the places that 7 8 9 10 inspired Sir John Betjeman BARTON UPON LOUTH

outh is one of several market towns which lie at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds and is HISTORY MATTERS Lregarded as the capital of the Wolds. It has a market KIRKBY-ON-BAIN place and an intricate network of streets and fine ohn Betjeman stayed with his friend Noel Blakiston Georgian and Victorian buildings. John Betjeman came here several times, often staying with his friend ON THE TRAIL OF at The Rectory in Kirkby-on-Bain. The village and GREAT J Jack Yates in Westgate. He describes one visit: the surrounding areas were the inspiration for his poem BRUMBY “My panelled bedroom with thick 1680-ish panes of A Lincolnshire Tale (see overleaf ). BOTTESFORD glass, panelled rooms throughout, little garden opposite, walled garden behind. My room looked down the curve SIR JOHN BETJEMAN of Westgate, and I could see in that sharp winter morning sunlight the different browns and reds HUTTOFT and pale biscuit of the brick which is such a feature of Lincs; dark red for the 17th century and rather ituated in the Lincolnshire Marsh not far from the brighter reds for later periods until you get the coast, Huttoft is a small village with an impressive yellow brick of the Regency. And I saw the curve Schurch. John Betjeman came here in the 1940s when of these houses, each with its garden and a little he visited the church and was inspired to write A bit of lawn and a shadowy cedar, arching round Lincolnshire Church (see overleaf ), a poem not only MORTON MARKET past the winter trees and that spire of Louth RASEN about the church itself, but its setting, the local people LOUTH which was sharp in the winter sunlight, superbly GAINSBOROUGH and the Indian priest he met there. proportioned.” His fondness for the town is illustrated elsewhere in his writings: “Louth, in Lincolnshire”, he wrote, “is one of the less known, but most attractive towns that we possess. LINCOLNSHIRE It stands at the foot of the chalk wolds, cluster of old red-brick houses with lighter red-tiled roofs LANDSCAPE gathered round the magnificent golden-grey spire ALFORD ohn Betjeman had a keen appreciation of of its church.” Lincolnshire and of east Lincolnshire in particular. ThreeJ of his poems are set in Lincolnshire, and he wrote extensively about the landscape and churches of LINCOLN LINCOLN HORNCASTLE the county. He introduced a 1959 BBC broadcast from Gunby Hall by saying: “Lincolnshire is like a separate incoln, with its cathedral, castle, NORTH SPILSBY country. It is off most main roads, a wide rolling landscape HYKEHAM Roman heritage and rich history of silvery church towers, villages of old red brick with Lis a major tourist destination. In his WOODHALL groves of beech and ash and lime outlined against enormous SPA Collins Guide to English Parish skies”. He thought that this, the second largest English Churches John Betjeman wrote “The county, was the least appreciated. In his introduction county town and cathedral city of Lincoln to his Collins Guide to English Parish Churches, first is ancient on the hill and industrial in published in 1958, he recognised that despite some well the valley”. Uphill Lincoln has great known coastal resorts, most of the county’s 90 miles charm, and not all the lower levels are of coast consist of dunes, sandy beaches and the great industrial by any means. Others have NEWARK ON TRENT estuaries of the Humber and the Wash. “The scenery described the city as old, confused, runs from north to south down the whole length of the long, uneven, steep and rugged. John county in various bands.” He describes the limestone Betjeman spoke at a conference in the Thorpe cliff, Ermine Street, the Lincolnshire Limestone, the City in 1963 when he said “I have got BrothertoftBOSTON Fens, and the “chalky hills known as the wolds, which are Ancaster Asgarby Howell a really comfortable feeling to think that I Greylees Quarrington an unexplored variant of the Sussex Downs.” am in Lincoln, in the heart of Lincs…” Silk Willoughby Northbeck Swineshead Scrane End Aunsby Manthorpe Aisby Thorpe Latimer Frampton Welby Bicker Kirton WOODHALL SPA Dembleby Asperton Newton Hoffleet Stow Donington n John Betjeman’s poem House of Rest (see Walcot Sapperton Algakirk Old Pickworth overleaf ) the church at Woodhall Spa is Humby Hanby Eaudike Imentioned, and elsewhere he describes the town Woodnook Fosdyke Gosberton St Matthew Boothby Lenton Bridge Holbeach as “…something unexpected, that half-timbered Pagnell

St Marks Map not drawn to scale Kelsby Kirby Bournemouth-like settlement, among silver birches, Gosberton Spalding Moulton Underwood Clough Marsh SPALDING heather and rhododendron.” With its tree-lined Hawthorpe Seas EndHolbeach Holbeach Pinchbeck Bank Hurn streets, the unique Kinema-in the-Woods, and the ohn Betjeman’s mother’s family hailed from Spalding, West Weston Hanthorpe Morton and he spent some time there researching family history. headquarters of England Golf, Woodhall is a gem set Pinchbeck Spalding Moulton Holbeach Gedney Dyke J in the heart of the Lincolnshire countryside. Guthram Twenty Gowt Weston Cuckoo Bridge Hills