Greatford

Greatford

Church of St Thomas Becket, Greatford
Greatford
 Greatford shown within Lincolnshire
Population 260 
OS grid referenceTF089117
   – London 80 mi (130 km)  S
Civil parishGreatford
DistrictSouth Kesteven
Shire countyLincolnshire
RegionEast Midlands
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town STAMFORD
Postcode district PE9
Dialling code 01778
Police Lincolnshire
Fire Lincolnshire
Ambulance East Midlands
EU Parliament East Midlands
UK ParliamentGrantham and Stamford
List of places
UK
England
Lincolnshire

Coordinates: 52°41′37″N 0°23′34″W / 52.6937°N 0.3928°W / 52.6937; -0.3928

Greatford is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England.[1] It is situated 2 miles (3 km) west from the A15, 4.5 miles (7 km) north-east from Stamford, and 5 miles (8 km) south from Bourne. Greatford is noted for Greatford Hall, once the home of Francis Willis.

In the 2001 Census, Greatford's population was found to be 260.[2]

History

There are different pronunciations and spellings for this village's name, including Greatford, Gritford, and Gretford.[3] The name could be derived from its location on a gravel or 'grit' ford of the West Glen River.[3]

Greatford is listed in the 1086 Domesday book as "Greteford" and "Griteford",[3]

The parish contains the now untraceable medieval hamlet of Banthorp, mentioned in Domesday. A 1334 tax list puts the site of Banthorp to the west of Greatford at Banthorpe Woods and Lodge.[4]

In October 1892 a granary full of barley collapsed at the farm of the Dean family, killing four people: two from Greatford, one from Langtoft and one from Market Deeping.[5]

Landmarks

Greatford Grade I listed church, built in Early English style, dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury.[6][7] It is part of the Uffington Group of the Deanery of Aveland & Ness with Stamford. The incumbent is The Rev'd Carolyn Kennedy.[8] The church was previously part of the Greatford with Wilsthorpe Group.

Greatford Hall was originally a manor house built by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. It was the home and private asylum for Francis Willis, the physician who treated and 'cured' King George III of his 'madness' here in 1788. In 1922 the hall burned down and was subsequently rebuilt in a similar style to the original. There is no public access to the hall today.[3]

During the Second World War the Hall was owned by Lancaster Gate Hotels. In the 20th century Greatford Hall was the residence of the businessman Harry Dowsett who, in 1943, formed the civil engineering company Dow-Mac that first developed the use of prestressed concrete, made at Tallington 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of Greatford. The company is now Tarmac Precast Concrete. In 1940 Dowsett bought the Lowestoft-based firm of shipbuilders, Brooke Marine that made Royal Navy landing craft during the Second World War.

The village public house is the Hare and Hounds on Village Street. Serving Landlords Compiled by Mrs ‘Sunny’ Mason resident of Greatford for 80 years.

Landlords unknown prior to 1890 1890 – 1900 Mr & Mrs Starkie 1903 – 1928 Mr & Mrs Barnes 1940 – 1944 Reg & Martha Simpkins 1945 – 1951 Tom & Sylvia Bills 1952 – 1962 Earnie & Doris Groves 1962 – 1968 Keith & Sylvia (Surname unknown) 1968 – 1971 Jock & Joan Brown 1971 – 1975 Ted & Joan Pass 1975 – 1978 Malcolm & Jane Mills 1978 – 1979 Kay & Tim (Surname unknown) 1979 – 1980 Dave Medcalf 1980 - 1981 Alf Button 1981 – 1984 Peter & Valerie Wilkins 1984 - 1985 Nigel & Melinda Dawkins 1985 – 1986 Mr & Mrs Simpson (Brewery Managers) 1986 – 1987 Ricky & Olga Podmore 1987 – 1989 John & Pat Vasey 1989 – 1990 Michael Thurlby 1990 – 1993 Nigel & Melinda Dawkins 1999 – 2006 Nick & Bridie Hards 2006 – 2010 Gemma Dixie 2011 – to date Steven Rigby & Alexandra Faux

Geography

To the west, the parish boundary meets Braceborough and Wilsthorpe to the north, passing through Banthorpe Lodge, crossing the East Coast Main Line, then following the West Glen River through Shillingthorpe Park. Close to the village near Greatford Hall, the boundary passes north, crossing the road to Carlby. It follows part of the Macmillan Way (which passes straight through the parish, broadly following the Glen) near some coppices. It rejoins the West Glen River, crossing the road to Wilsthorpe. East of Fletland Mill, it meets Thurlby (Obthorpe).[9]

At the A15 bridge over the West Glen River, where the Macmillan Way crosses, it meets Baston, to the east. The boundary now follows the Roman road King Street, and the King Street Drain, to the south. For 200 metres it meets Langtoft, then meets Barholm and Stowe, and leaves King Street to the west, passing through some coppices. north of Barholm, it briefly follows the Greatford Cut, a navigation built in 1954 to connect the West Glen River, to the north at Greatford, with the River Welland west of Market Deeping, and to stop the River Glen from flooding. It passes north of Maidens' Farm and at the East Coast Main Line meets Uffington, passing along the southern edge of Browne's Oaks.[9]

The highest part of the parish is just above the 20m contour in the North west. The village and the remaining farmland is rather lower, perhaps less than 15m. (there is a 12m spot height for the lillage itself on the OS map)[9]

The underlying geology of the parish is Sedimentary: to the South and East is of a Kellaways sand and siltstone.mix, and to the North and West a Kellaways clay deposit where the land rises at the western edge of the Parish. The whole is overlaid with Quaternary 'river terrace' sands and gravels dating back 1 or 2 million years. Unlike Tallington to the south, there has been no extraction of these deposits in Greatford. From the south west to the Northwest the west Glen river lies in a shallow valley, its floodplain formed of its own aluvium of clay and silt.[10]

Community

The ecclesiastical parish is part of the Uffington Group of the Deanery of Stamford. The 2014 incumbent is Rev'd Carolyn Kennedy.[11][12]

The village has won 'Best Kept Small Village' awards in the first decade of the century[1][13]

There is a village hall.[14]

The Demand responsive Bus service 15B is available to Bourne or Deeping, but must be booked in advance.[15][16]

A mobile library visits monthly.[17]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Greatford Parish Council". Lincolnshire county council. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  2. ↑ 2001 census
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Village", Greatford Parish Council. Retrieved 15 August 2011
  4. ↑ "Banthorp", National Monument Record, English Heritage. Retrieved 15 August 2011
  5. ↑ "Fall of a granary - 4 killed at Greatford". Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury. 28 October 1892. p. 5 column 6.Microfilm at Grantham & Stamford Libraries
  6. ↑ "Church of St Thomas A Becket", National Monument Record, English Heritage. Retrieved 15 August 2011
  7. ↑ "Greatford (St. Thomas à Becket)", British History Online. Retrieved 15 August 2011
  8. ↑ "Greatford P C C", Diocese of Lincoln. Retrieved 15 August 2011
  9. 1 2 3 Bourne & Heckington:Billingborough & Morton (Map) (A1 ed.). 1:25 000. OS Explorer. Ordnance survey of Great Britain. 3 January 2006. § 248. ISBN 9780319238110.
  10. ↑ "Geology of Britain viewer". British Geological survey. Retrieved 12 September 2013.Zoom to the location, click to identify the geology.
  11. ↑ "Ecclesiastical parish details". Diocese of Lincoln.
  12. ↑ "The Uffington Group". Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "Greatford in Lincolnshire". Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Village Hall". Lincolnshire county council. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  15. ↑ "Bus timetable". Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  16. ↑ "Call Connect Bourne" (PDF). Lincolnshire county council. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  17. ↑ "Greatford". Boston & South Holland Mobile Library (DBH). Lincolnshire county council. Retrieved 12 September 2013.

External links

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