Barkston
Encyclopedia
Barkston is a small village and civil parish
lying on the A607 three miles north of Grantham
in Lincolnshire
, England
, just south of the junction with the A153 (for Ancaster
).
passes through the west of the village. At the 2001 census, 100% of the population was white, and 87% declared themselves as Christian. 20% of the population are retired.
To the east on top of the Jurassic limestone
escarpment is RAF Barkston Heath
, next to the course of the Roman Road
Ermine Street
.
The parish boundary crosses the A607 at the northern end of the Syston
bypass. It follows to the south of Station Road, crossing the River Witham
, crossing the northern side of Hambleton Hill, crossing the East Coast Main Line
at Shire House, to the west. North of this point are the Barkston South and Barkston East railway junctions, situated either side of Westfield Farm, and now no longer needed since 2004. The boundary follows along the northern edge of Hurn Wood, where it meets Marston
. Northwards, it crosses the Grantham Avoiding Line at the Sand Lane bridge. It crosses the ECML, follows the Viking Way
eastwards and meets Hougham, and the River Witham
, south of Frinkley Plantation. At Far Hill, the boundary leaves the Viking Way, passing northwards through Old Gorse Wood, to the west of the former Barkston Gorse Farm, crossing Frinkley Lane. Eastwards, it briefly meets Carlton Scroop
, and at the top of a hill it meets Honington
at Spellar Wood, passing along the southern edge. Passing south-west, it crosses Frinkley Lane, also the Viking Way, crosses Hough Road along the southern edge of Grove Plantations, and the Grantham-Sleaford railway line (Poacher Line). It crosses the A607 at the A153 junction, passes through Minnetts Wood, north of Heath Farm, over the top of Honington Heath, meeting Ancaster
, and straight across the middle of RAF Barkston Heath
.
At Ermine Street (B6403 road) it meets Wilsford
and North Kesteven
, and is briefly the South Kesteven boundary. At the southern edge of Barkston Heath airfield, it follows Heath Lane westwards, and meets Syston. It follows Heath Lane, at this point a track, along Barkston Heath, passing through Minnett's Wood along Minnett's Hill.
of Loveden
, Diocese of Lincoln
. The incumbent is The Revd Stuart Hadley. The parish church is Dedicated to Saint Nicholas
.
Although the Chapel has closed, the Methodist Church still holds services, in the village hall.
The parish church of St Nicholas features a Norman
window, a 14th Century spire and 15th Century porch.
The village is named in the Domesday book as Barchestune, and the name probably means the farmstead of a man called Barkr
A horse by the name Barkston took part in the 1839 Grand National
failing to complete the course.
Barkston railway station
was at the junction of the ECML and Sleaford railways, near Barkston South junction.
, of Dad's Army, was stationed at Barkston with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
, which was tasked with servicing searchlights.
RAF Barkston Heath has in recent years been the base of the Joint Elementary Flying Training School (RAF and Fleet Air Arm) in 1995, and the Army Air Corps joined in 1996, which became the Defence Elementary Flying Training School in 2003 when the RAF left. Now 703 Naval Air Squadron
and 674 Squadron Army Air Corps are part of No.1 Elementary Flying Training School. The airfield is also used for the British Model Flying Association
national championships. In June 2003, the BBMF
moved to Barkston Heath for four months.
of Ringsthorpe was located just to the west of Barkston, on the other side of the river Witham. Mentioned in the Domesday book, the latest archaeology at the site is from the Medieval period, and the last documentary mention is in the 14th century.
and Brownies troop, a mother-and-toddler group, and an Indoor Bowls team. A produce show is held every summer.
The village public house is The Stag on Church Street.
Barkston has an active cricket club and a local football team that play in the Grantham & District League Premier Division, after finishing third in the 2007–08 season in Division One.
A mobile library calls once a month.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
lying on the A607 three miles north of Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, just south of the junction with the A153 (for Ancaster
Ancaster, Lincolnshire
Ancaster is a village in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, on the site of the Roman town of "Causennae"Ancaster Hall at The University of Nottingham is named after the parish and the, now extinct, title of the Earl of Ancaster....
).
Geography
The present route of the A607 through the village dates from the 1930s. The River WithamRiver Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
passes through the west of the village. At the 2001 census, 100% of the population was white, and 87% declared themselves as Christian. 20% of the population are retired.
To the east on top of the Jurassic limestone
Lincolnshire limestone
The Lincolnshire limestone is a feature of the Inferior Oolite Series of the Middle Jurassic strata of eastern England. It was formed around 165 million years ago, in a shallow, warm sea on the margin of the London Platform and has estuarine beds above and below it...
escarpment is RAF Barkston Heath
RAF Barkston Heath
RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force station near Grantham, Lincolnshire.RAF Barkston Heath is the home of the Defence Elementary Flying Training School which, for a period between approximately 1995-2010 operated the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly two seat trainer. The school now operates the Grob...
, next to the course of the Roman Road
Roman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
.
The parish boundary crosses the A607 at the northern end of the Syston
Syston, Lincolnshire
Syston is a small hamlet and civil parish located 3 miles north of Grantham on the A607 road which runs to the county town of Lincoln. Syston is linked onto the larger village of Barkston....
bypass. It follows to the south of Station Road, crossing the River Witham
River Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
, crossing the northern side of Hambleton Hill, crossing the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
at Shire House, to the west. North of this point are the Barkston South and Barkston East railway junctions, situated either side of Westfield Farm, and now no longer needed since 2004. The boundary follows along the northern edge of Hurn Wood, where it meets Marston
Marston, Lincolnshire
Marston is a village in Lincolnshire, England, just north of the A1 near Long Bennington.There is a church dedicated to St Mary, a Hall , a Fishery Marston is a village in Lincolnshire, England, just north of the A1 near Long Bennington.There is a church dedicated to St Mary, a Hall (Marston Hall),...
. Northwards, it crosses the Grantham Avoiding Line at the Sand Lane bridge. It crosses the ECML, follows the Viking Way
Viking Way
The Viking Way is a long distance footpath in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland. The Countryside Commission recognised the significance of the Viking Way as a high quality long distance walk linking other major routes in Eastern England, these...
eastwards and meets Hougham, and the River Witham
River Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
, south of Frinkley Plantation. At Far Hill, the boundary leaves the Viking Way, passing northwards through Old Gorse Wood, to the west of the former Barkston Gorse Farm, crossing Frinkley Lane. Eastwards, it briefly meets Carlton Scroop
Carlton Scroop
Carlton Scroop is a small village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 6 miles north-east of Grantham, 4 miles east of Hougham, 2 miles east of Ancaster and 1 mile south of Normanton...
, and at the top of a hill it meets Honington
Honington, Lincolnshire
Honington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Lincolnshire.Although not on either road Honington lies near to the junction of the A153 and A607 roads about 5½ miles north of the town of Grantham...
at Spellar Wood, passing along the southern edge. Passing south-west, it crosses Frinkley Lane, also the Viking Way, crosses Hough Road along the southern edge of Grove Plantations, and the Grantham-Sleaford railway line (Poacher Line). It crosses the A607 at the A153 junction, passes through Minnetts Wood, north of Heath Farm, over the top of Honington Heath, meeting Ancaster
Ancaster, Lincolnshire
Ancaster is a village in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, on the site of the Roman town of "Causennae"Ancaster Hall at The University of Nottingham is named after the parish and the, now extinct, title of the Earl of Ancaster....
, and straight across the middle of RAF Barkston Heath
RAF Barkston Heath
RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force station near Grantham, Lincolnshire.RAF Barkston Heath is the home of the Defence Elementary Flying Training School which, for a period between approximately 1995-2010 operated the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly two seat trainer. The school now operates the Grob...
.
At Ermine Street (B6403 road) it meets Wilsford
Wilsford, Lincolnshire
Wilsford is a hamlet and civil parish within the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:It is five miles west-southwest of Sleaford, and nine miles northeast of Grantham, and has a total resident population of 392.Located off Ermine Street, the parish of Ancaster...
and North Kesteven
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in the East Midlands. Just over north of London, it is east of Nottingham and south of Lincoln. North Kesteven is one of seven districts in Lincolnshire, England and is in the centre of the County...
, and is briefly the South Kesteven boundary. At the southern edge of Barkston Heath airfield, it follows Heath Lane westwards, and meets Syston. It follows Heath Lane, at this point a track, along Barkston Heath, passing through Minnett's Wood along Minnett's Hill.
Church
The Ecclesiastical parish of Barkston is part of the Barkston and Hough Group of the DeaneryDeanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Loveden
Loveden
Loveden is a Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln, England, and a former Wapentake.Loveden is located broadly to the North of Grantham and includes the villages from Long Bennington in the west to Culverthorpe in the east, and from Welby in the south as far north as Welbourn...
, Diocese of Lincoln
Diocese of Lincoln
The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire.- History :...
. The incumbent is The Revd Stuart Hadley. The parish church is Dedicated to Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
.
Although the Chapel has closed, the Methodist Church still holds services, in the village hall.
The parish church of St Nicholas features a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
window, a 14th Century spire and 15th Century porch.
History
Built in 1640 and re-built in 1839, Hickson's Almshouses still provide homes for local elderly people.The village is named in the Domesday book as Barchestune, and the name probably means the farmstead of a man called Barkr
A horse by the name Barkston took part in the 1839 Grand National
1839 Grand National
The 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of seventeen runners.Although recorded by the press at...
failing to complete the course.
Barkston railway station
Barkston railway station
Barkston railway station was a former station serving the village of Barkston, Lincolnshire. It was on the Great Northern Railway main line near to the now realigned junction with the lines to Sleaford and Lincoln. The station was closed in 1955 and has been demolished leaving no trace today of...
was at the junction of the ECML and Sleaford railways, near Barkston South junction.
Military history
During World War 2, Arthur LoweArthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
, of Dad's Army, was stationed at Barkston with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
, which was tasked with servicing searchlights.
RAF Barkston Heath has in recent years been the base of the Joint Elementary Flying Training School (RAF and Fleet Air Arm) in 1995, and the Army Air Corps joined in 1996, which became the Defence Elementary Flying Training School in 2003 when the RAF left. Now 703 Naval Air Squadron
703 Naval Air Squadron
703 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy was formed as a long-range catapult squadron on 3 June 1942 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent. During the Cold War it was reformed as an experimental trials unit, and then as a helicopter training squadron...
and 674 Squadron Army Air Corps are part of No.1 Elementary Flying Training School. The airfield is also used for the British Model Flying Association
British Model Flying Association
The British Model Flying Association is the body elected by the Royal Aero Club to be responsible for all aspects of flying model aircraft in the UK.-History:...
national championships. In June 2003, the BBMF
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane...
moved to Barkston Heath for four months.
Lost villages
The Deserted Medieval VillageDeserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
of Ringsthorpe was located just to the west of Barkston, on the other side of the river Witham. Mentioned in the Domesday book, the latest archaeology at the site is from the Medieval period, and the last documentary mention is in the 14th century.
Amenities
Barkston has a Girl GuidesGirl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
and Brownies troop, a mother-and-toddler group, and an Indoor Bowls team. A produce show is held every summer.
The village public house is The Stag on Church Street.
Barkston has an active cricket club and a local football team that play in the Grantham & District League Premier Division, after finishing third in the 2007–08 season in Division One.
A mobile library calls once a month.