August 19, 2015 11.27 am This story is over 102 months old

Lincoln Barons to be given fitting farewell in castle grounds

Final gathering: The trailblazing Barons will come together for a special reunion before they are auctioned off for charity.

The trailblazing Barons which have been one of the highlights of Lincoln’s summer so far will come together for a special reunion before they are auctioned off for charity.

A Barons’ Farewell Reunion Event is taking place at Lincoln Castle – from September 24 to 29 – when people can see all 25 Barons, before they head off to be auctioned.

Entry to the castle grounds is free and the Barons can be seen between 10am and 5pm each day.

The Barons were brought to Lincoln by The Trussell Trust in partnership with Lincoln BIG to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

The popular charter trail devised by Wild in Art will remain in place until September 13 before the Barons are sold by professional auctioneer, Ian Walter on October 1 at the DoubleTree by Hilton.

Money raised from the auction will be used by national food bank charity The Trussell Trust, which fed over a million people across its 400 sites last year.

Souvenir guides are being produced to cover the auctions and will be available from mid-September. Costing £5, the programmes will be available at Lincoln’s Visitor Information Centre and at the farewell event.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

People unable to bid for one of the Barons should not be disappointed, because mini Paint Your Own Barons are now available from the Lincoln Visitor Information Centre in Castle Hill.

The mini Barons cost £9.95 each, which includes a donation to The Trussell Trust.

Every shop in the city centre will be given their own mini Baron to paint and decorate in time for the festive season, thereby creating a Christmas Barons’ Trail.

Matt Corrigan, Chief Executive of Lincoln BIG, said: “These Barons, which have been modelled on a Lewis Chess piece, are a great reminder of the full-sized trail Barons. They are made of bisque, sold plain and people can enjoy decorating them to their own designs.

“These cute characters will be keeping a slightly lower profile than their bigger cousins, and will be spotted hiding in windows of shops and businesses. We are challenging people to see how many they can find.”

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

People who have completed the trail are also being urged to let Lincoln BIG know what they think about it, by answering a small survey online before September 30.

Tickets for the auction, priced at £20, are now on sale, and can be purchased here.