Bracebridge Heath
Encyclopedia
Bracebridge Heath is a commuter
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...

 village approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....

, England. It lies at the junction of two major roads the A15 to Sleaford and the A607 to Grantham, and was (until modern systems of local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...

 were introduced in the 19th century) part of the Boothby Graffoe Wapentake. The village sits on top of the Lincoln Cliff
Lincoln Cliff
The Lincoln Cliff is the portion of a major escarpment that runs north-south through Lindsey and Kesteven, in central Lincolnshire and is a prominent landscape feature in a generally flat portion of the county...

, overlooking Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....

 and the valley 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...

. Along the cliff top runs 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...

, the 147 miles (236.6 km) long-distance footpath which runs from the Humber Bridge
Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 m single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the fifth-largest of its type in the world...

 to Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...

.

History

According to A.D.MIlls 'Dictionary of English Place Names', the name was first mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 as Brachebrige, which may have had its origins in the Old English braesc + brycg, meaning 'bridge or causeway made of branches'. 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...

 runs through the valley below, lending some credibility to this theory.

Bracebridge Heath lies on the route of the Roman 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,...

 that runs approximately 200 miles (321.9 km) from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

. The central road junction in the Bracebridge Heath is the junction of three roman roads, now the A15
A15 road
The A15 is a major road in England. It runs north from Peterborough via Market Deeping, Bourne, Sleaford and Lincoln along a variety of ancient, Roman, and Turnpike alignments before it is interrupted at its junction with the M180 near Scawby...

 (the Sleaford Road), the A607, (the Grantham Road), and Cross O'Cliffe Hill into Lincoln. The line of Ermine Street, when extended from its last traceable part at Harmston
Harmston
Harmston is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies just east off the A607. south of Lincoln...

, south of Bracebridge Heath, runs north through Waddington to Heath Road in Bracebridge Heath. Heath Road continues the line of Ermine Street.

According to White's 1876 Lincolnshire, the parish of 5.8 km² (1,482 acres) was part of Boothby Graffoe
Boothby Graffoe
Boothby Graffoe is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies approximately 7 miles south of Lincoln, on A607 . It's population is approximately 400....

 Wapentake, and consisted of the (on Sleaford Road), All Saints' church, and a vicarage. In 1876, 340 persons were recorded as living in the parish, the most notable of which included:
  • Thomas Allen, MD (at the Asylum)
  • William Andrew, Solicitor
  • Rev. William Bromehead BA, vicar
  • William Coupland, Blacksmith and Beerhouse
  • William Green, Blacksmith
  • George Kirkup, Asylum Steward
  • William Mills, Wards Brickyard
  • Edward Palmer, MD, Asylum Superintendent
  • George Wheatley, Carpenter
  • Charles White, Pattern and Clog Maker
  • John Wollfit, Licensed Victualler, The John Bull
  • Thomas Butler, Farmer
  • Charles Clarke, Farmer
  • Edwin Scrivener, Farmer
  • William Toulson, Farmer
  • Mrs Mary Winn, Post and Carrier from Lincoln
  • Harry Webber, Hall Farm hand

RAF Bracebridge Heath

RAF Bracebridge Heath opened circa 1919-1920, housing No. 121 Squadron RAF
No. 121 Squadron RAF
No. 121 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that during the Second World War was one of the three Eagle Squadrons manned by American volunteers.-In World War I:...

 and No 4 Air Acceptance Park RAF. A Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

 (RFC) aerodrome at Bracebridge Heath originally opened in 1916 for use by the Robey-Peters aircraft factory in the manufacture and flight testing of their own designs and licence-built Sopwith aircraft.

In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, an aircraft repair organisation at Bracebridge Heath, managed by A V Roe and Co Ltd, recovered large numbers of damaged Lancaster bombers, which would otherwise have been scrapped, returning them to service and making a major contribution to the bomber offensive against Nazi Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

There was a Grade II listed triple aircraft hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...

 here of unique interest (a Belfast truss hangar), but this was demolished in 2001.

Modern Bracebridge Heath

Bracebridge Heath has obviously changed considerably since White's description of 1876. The village boundary is now much extended north in the direction of Lincoln and south towards the nearby village of Waddington.

A prominent local landmark is the water pumping station (known locally as 'The Water Tower') and reservoir located on the Grantham Road, the water reservoir itself was extended in the early 1970s.

Prominent buildings other than the old mental hospital include St John's Church (Church of England) on the Grantham Road and the Methodist Church almost on the opposite side of the road. St John's primary school (formerly known as Bracebridge Heath County Primary School) is also located on the same road along with a small parade of shops.

Just off Sleaford Road (A15) in the direction of Lincoln is the village hall almost behind 'The Bull' Public House, previously the church hall situated behind St John's Church served in this function until the current village hall was built in the 1970s.

The church hall was taken over by the local Scout group (21st Lincoln) in the early 1980s. They had used it as their HQ for many years.

Also along the Sleaford Road (A15) heading in the direction of Lincoln can also be found a medical centre, the public library and the local police station.

A war memorial can be found at the head of the junction of the Sleaford Road and the Grantham Road.

The 'Asylum' (St John's Mental Hospital) closed down in 1990 and was sold a few years later to a property developer who constructed nearly 1,000 new houses in the village. The original hospital buildings themselves are classified as Grade III listed buildings and are protected from demolition. During the redevelopment of the hospital site, a number of these protected buildings were refurbished and converted into flats and offices.

A large housing development was constructed at virtually the same time on the A15 Sleaford direction. The effect of these developments was to virtually double the size of the village.

Building work has continued with the construction of a new housing development on the Grantham Road in the area of the old 'Texaco' petrol station . Almost opposite is the area of the old Pegasus service station (now derelict for some years) which is now used as a car wash and the new pegasus car garage.

Modern Bracebridge Heath has three public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

s. 'The Blacksmiths Arms' on the site of the blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

's shop run by William Coupland at the point where London Road forks into Sleaford Road (A15) and Grantham Road (A607). Opposite this on the western side of Grantham Road is the 'John Bull
John Bull
John Bull is a national personification of Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...

' public house (now re-named 'The Bull'). The last of the trio, 'The Homestead', is a relatively recent addition, a late-1990s building conversion of one the former hospital buildings which served originally as the hospital medical director's residence.

The village is also home to the headquarters of the regional health authority, a local cricket club (Bracebridge Heath CC) has its pitch within the grounds.

Further along the Sleaford Road (A15) in the direction of Lincoln is an area of open land which was known locally as 'The Hillies'. Although privately owned it served for many years as unofficial common land and was used for sheep grazing, there was a rough and ready football pitch and people would often freely walk their dogs in this area. However in the 1980s the owner of the land turned it over to crop growing after irresponsible dog owners allowed their animals to 'worry' the sheep. A public footpath which forms part of 'The Viking Way' stills runs through it.
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