Housebuilder’s statue is set to be a Knight to remember

One of the companies which is sponsoring a Knight on this year’s trail in Lincoln hopes its design will be fun, memorable and will impress visitors.

The trail, which has been organised by Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG), will comprise 35 decorated Knight statues which will be displayed around Lincoln from 20^th May to 4^th September 2017.

Chestnut Homes, which is based in Langworth, near Lincoln, will sponsor one of the Knights after it sponsored the Construction Baron in 2015’s Barons’ Charter Trail.

Artist Peter Segasby, who designed Chestnut Homes’ Baron, has already started working on designs for the company’s Knight, which it hopes will wow visitors to Lincoln next summer.

David Newton, Managing Director of Chestnut Homes, said: “It was wonderful to be a part of the Barons’ Charter Trail, which really captured the imagination of people in Lincoln – both locals and visitors – so we jumped at the chance to support the Knights’ Trail.

“We are working closely with Peter on designs for our Knight, so that we can produce a statue which really catches the eye.”

Visit Lincoln and Lincoln BIG are organising a trail map and competition which will encourage participants to visit all of the Knights.

Following the trail all the Knights will be reunited at Lincoln Castle between 20^th-27^th September, before being auctioned by JH Walter on 30^th September.

The auction will raise money for homelessness charity The Nomad Trust and its new accommodation and day centre project.

At the end of the 2015 trail, the Barons were sold at auction, raising £167,000 for good causes.

David Newton said: “We bought our Construction Baron at auction at the end of last year’s trail, and since then he has been a popular fixture in our head office – as well as making various trips out of the office to visit local schools and businesses.

“So when we were offered the chance to be part of the Knights’ Trail, it was something which we didn’t want to miss out on.”

The Lincoln Knights’ Trail is a Wild in Art event brought to the city by Lincoln BIG and will form a mass participation public art event in the city.

A spokesperson for Wild in Art said: “Designed and created by Wild in Art’s Creative Director Chris Wilkinson in the style of a Lewis Chess piece, the Knight sculpture is the perfect canvas through which to unite visual art and this celebration of the country’s legal history.”

The Trail is being held to commemorate the 800^th anniversary of the Battle of Lincoln and the sealing of the Charter of the Forest.

For more information on the Knights’ Trail, visit knightstrail.com