Bicker, Lincolnshire
Encyclopedia
Bicker is a village in Lincolnshire
, England. It is around 9 miles (14.5 km) west-south-west of Boston
, on the A52
.
which, together with Boston
, form the Borough of Boston
in the county
of Lincolnshire
, England
. The local government has been arranged in this way since the reorganization of April 1, 1974, which resulted from the Local Government Act 1972
. This parish forms part of the Five Villages electoral ward.
Hitherto, the parish had formed part of Boston Rural District, in the Parts of Holland. Holland was one of the three divisions (formally known as parts) of the traditional county of Lincolnshire. Since the Local Government Act
of 1888, Holland had been in most respects, a county in itself.
The civil parish has an area of around 3800 acres (15.4 km²), and includes the hamlet of Hoffleet Stow.
Mill Lane (B1181) joins the bypass to the A17. Bicker and Donington
lie either side of the South Holland
and Borough of Boston
boundary. The boundary follows to the south of the B1181, north of Donington Eaudike. To the west is North Kesteven
on the other side of the South Forty-Foot Drain
.
The boundary with Donington follows the Old Eau to the south-east, passing the northern edge of Rabbit Hills Farm. To the south it meets the parish of Wigtoft. It passes to the west of the A17/B1181 junction at Bank House, named after the former sea bank of Bicker Haven. It follows the A17 to the west, and meets Swineshead at Bolle Hall, following the west of the A17. About 100 metres of the A17 is in the parish, including the Bicker Bar roundabout at the A52, and the Bicker Bar motel and Texaco
services. The boundary with Swineshead follows to the north-west along a drain south of East Low Grounds, and includes Bicker Gauntlet
. It follows North Drove to the north, along Bicker Fen, south of West Low Grounds. At Holt Hills it meets North Kesteven and borders Great Hale
for around 300 metres, then at Ferry Farm borders Little Hale. Near Eau End Farm (on the other side of the drain), it meets South Holland om Middle Fen then passes close to the line of the pylons on North Fen.
, Bicker Haven took its name from the town of Bicker, which is now a village. It originally formed the outlet of the River Witham
which diverted to Boston
after a flood in 1014.
Once the English settlers
began to enclose the marsh
for pasture
and the tide no longer flushed-out the haven, it silt
ed up and Bicker changed from port to farming village. This was a process which had already begun in the Donington
branch of the haven. Bicker seems to mean 'the town marsh' (cf. Swedish
Bykärr, meaning the same), the town being Donington.
The parish church is dedicated to St Swithin.
The A52 used to go through the village, but it is now bypassed to the south. The Bicker Bar roundabout is part of the Swineshead bypass which opened in 1985.
for EdF. Not everyone wanted them built. They are of the type REpower
MM82, made in Hamburg
.
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. It is around 9 miles (14.5 km) west-south-west of Boston
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, on the A52
A52 road
The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from the junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness before terminating on the east Lincolnshire coast at...
.
Geography
It is one of 18 parishesCivil 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...
which, together with Boston
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, form the Borough of Boston
Boston (borough)
Boston is a local government district with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Boston. It lies around N53°0'0" W0°0'0"....
in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of 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...
. The local government has been arranged in this way since the reorganization of April 1, 1974, which resulted from the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
. This parish forms part of the Five Villages electoral ward.
Hitherto, the parish had formed part of Boston Rural District, in the Parts of Holland. Holland was one of the three divisions (formally known as parts) of the traditional county of Lincolnshire. Since the Local Government Act
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of 1888, Holland had been in most respects, a county in itself.
The civil parish has an area of around 3800 acres (15.4 km²), and includes the hamlet of Hoffleet Stow.
Mill Lane (B1181) joins the bypass to the A17. Bicker and Donington
Donington, Lincolnshire
Donington is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies north of the market town of Spalding on the A152, and is bypassed by the A52. The parish includes the hamlet of Northorpe, and...
lie either side of the South Holland
South Holland, Lincolnshire
South Holland is a local government district of Lincolnshire. The district council is based in Spalding.It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the Spalding urban district with East Elloe Rural District and Spalding Rural District...
and Borough of Boston
Boston (borough)
Boston is a local government district with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Boston. It lies around N53°0'0" W0°0'0"....
boundary. The boundary follows to the south of the B1181, north of Donington Eaudike. To the west is 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...
on the other side of the South Forty-Foot Drain
South Forty-foot drain
The South Forty-Foot Drain is the main channel for the land-drainage of the Black Sluice Level in the Lincolnshire Fens. It lies in eastern England between Guthram Gowt and the Black Sluice pumping station on The Haven, at Boston...
.
The boundary with Donington follows the Old Eau to the south-east, passing the northern edge of Rabbit Hills Farm. To the south it meets the parish of Wigtoft. It passes to the west of the A17/B1181 junction at Bank House, named after the former sea bank of Bicker Haven. It follows the A17 to the west, and meets Swineshead at Bolle Hall, following the west of the A17. About 100 metres of the A17 is in the parish, including the Bicker Bar roundabout at the A52, and the Bicker Bar motel and Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
services. The boundary with Swineshead follows to the north-west along a drain south of East Low Grounds, and includes Bicker Gauntlet
Bicker Gauntlet
Bicker Gauntlet is a village in Lincolnshire, England....
. It follows North Drove to the north, along Bicker Fen, south of West Low Grounds. At Holt Hills it meets North Kesteven and borders Great Hale
Great Hale
Great Hale is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the B1394 road, immediately south of Heckington and north of Helpringham.-History:...
for around 300 metres, then at Ferry Farm borders Little Hale. Near Eau End Farm (on the other side of the drain), it meets South Holland om Middle Fen then passes close to the line of the pylons on North Fen.
History
The medieval estuaryEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, Bicker Haven took its name from the town of Bicker, which is now a village. It originally formed the outlet of 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...
which diverted to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
after a flood in 1014.
Once the English settlers
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
began to enclose the marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
for pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
and the tide no longer flushed-out the haven, it silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
ed up and Bicker changed from port to farming village. This was a process which had already begun in the Donington
Donington, Lincolnshire
Donington is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies north of the market town of Spalding on the A152, and is bypassed by the A52. The parish includes the hamlet of Northorpe, and...
branch of the haven. Bicker seems to mean 'the town marsh' (cf. Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
Bykärr, meaning the same), the town being Donington.
The parish church is dedicated to St Swithin.
The A52 used to go through the village, but it is now bypassed to the south. The Bicker Bar roundabout is part of the Swineshead bypass which opened in 1985.
Amenities
The Yeo Olde Red Lion public house is on Donington Road. The village has a shop.Bicker Fen windfarm
North of the main line of 275kV pylons is the Bicker Fen windfarm consisting of 13 turbines producing 26MW (2MW each), enough for 14,000 homes. They are north of Poplartree Farm and were built in June 2008 by Wind ProspectWind Prospect
Wind Prospect group undertakes all aspects of wind energy development, including design, construction, operation and commercial services ....
for EdF. Not everyone wanted them built. They are of the type REpower
REpower
REpower is a German wind turbine company founded in 2001, purchased December 2009 by Suzlon Energy Ltd. Its product range comprises several types of turbines with rated outputs of between 1.5 and 6 megawatts. It created the 5M, in 2005....
MM82, made in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
| Year | Population |
| 1801 | 485 |
| 1811 | 541 |
| 1821 | 644 |
| 1831 | 712 |
| 1841 | 859 |
| 1851 | 819 |
| 1881 | 723 |
| 1891 | 661 |
| 1901 | 668 |
| 1911 | 664 |
| 1921 | 674 |
| 1931 | 730 |
| 1941 | N/A (World War II) |
| 1951 | 799 |
| 1961 | 552 |
| 2001 | 826 |