Chestnut Homes Baron to line up for Lincoln’s Magna Carta celebration

We are throwing our support behind Lincoln’s Great Magna Carta celebrations by sponsoring one of the 1.6m high Barons which are to be placed around Lincoln city centre in a trail.

The Barons’ Charter Trail will be unveiled during the Great Magna Carta weekend, which takes place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June, and the statues will remain in place until September.

The Baron Trail will commemorate the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, one of the most famous documents in the world.

Sealed by King John under pressure from 25 rebellious Barons, the Magna Carta established for the first time that everyone, including the King, had to obey the law. There are only four surviving copies of the document, one of which is in Lincoln.

For our construction-themed Baron, we chose a design by local artist Peter Segasby. Mr Segasby’s design depicts images of the housebuilding industry alongside iconic Lincolnshire scenes, which include the medieval High Bridge over the River Witham in Lincoln, the city’s cathedral and a Lincolnshire windmill.

David Newton, Managing Director of Chestnut Homes, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring a Baron. The celebration of the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta promises to be a momentous occasion for Lincoln and the county as a whole, so as a local company, we are thrilled to be supporting an event which will showcase our wonderful city to the world.

“Our Baron will feature a striking, colourful design, painted by local artist Peter Segasby, which we feel will capture the celebratory mood of the occasion.

“Peter has been busy painting the Baron and we can’t wait to see the finished article standing proudly in the city centre.

“We hope locals and visitors alike will enjoy meeting our Baron on the trail. We are also pleased to be supporting an important charity, as money raised from an auction of the statues will be donated to the Trussell Trust, which supports the Lincoln Food Bank.”

Organised by Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG) and Wild In Art, the Baron trail will be in place from June 13th until September 14th.

A special Barons’ Charter Trail map will be produced, while Lincoln BIG’s sister organisation Visit Lincoln is organising a treasure hunt encouraging people to ‘collect’ all the Barons.

The Great Magna Carta Weekend on June 13th and 14th will feature a variety of entertainment and activities, including live music, fireworks on the Brayford Waterfront and the University of Lincoln campus, a Magna Party at Lincoln Castle, Medieval storytelling on Steep Hill and a procession of community flags.