Greatford
Encyclopedia
Greatford is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven
district of Lincolnshire
, England. It lies 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the A15
, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-east of Stamford
, and 5 miles (8 km) south of 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.
as "Greteford" and "Griteford", indicating that the local pronunciation is closest to the original. The name is believed to be derived from its location on a gravel or 'grit' ford of the West Glen River
. The variable pronunciation and spelling seems to be accepted, as some local records spell the village's name "Gretford" as late as 1900.
of Banthorp, mentioned in Domesday. A 1334 tax list puts the site of Banthorp to the west of Greatford at Banthorpe Woods and Lodge.
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
).
of Aveland & Ness with Stamford. The incumbent is The Revd Carolyn Kennedy. The church used to be part of the Greatford with Wilsthorpe group.
During the Second World War, the Hall was owned by Lancaster Gate Hotels. Around 2003 it, with its 62 acres, sold for £2.85 million.
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 World War II.
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
).
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.
South Kesteven
South Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping.-History:...
district 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. It lies 2 miles (3.2 km) west of 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...
, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-east of Stamford
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
, and 5 miles (8 km) south of Bourne
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
. Greatford is noted for Greatford Hall, once the home of Francis Willis.
In the 2001 census, Greatford's population was found to be 260.
Etymology
There are several generally accepted pronunciations and spellings for this village's name, including Greatford (the common modern pronunciation), Gritford (an older version), and Gretford (the general local pronunciation). Greatford was listed in the Domesday bookDomesday 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 "Greteford" and "Griteford", indicating that the local pronunciation is closest to the original. The name is believed to be derived from its location on a gravel or 'grit' ford of the West Glen River
River Glen, Lincolnshire
The River Glen is a river in Lincolnshire, England with a short stretch passing through Rutland near Essendine.The river's name appears to derive from a Brythonic Celtic language but there is a strong early English connection.-Naming:...
. The variable pronunciation and spelling seems to be accepted, as some local records spell the village's name "Gretford" as late as 1900.
History
The parish contains the now untraceable medieval hamletDeserted 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 Banthorp, mentioned in Domesday. A 1334 tax list puts the site of Banthorp to the west of Greatford at Banthorpe Woods and Lodge.
In October 1892 a granary
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
full of barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
collapsed at the farm of the Dean family, killing four people: two from Greatford, one from Langtoft
Langtoft, Lincolnshire
Langtoft is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire on the A15 road, about ten miles north of Peterborough and about eight miles east of Stamford, Lincolnshire on the edge of The Fens....
and one from Market Deeping
Market Deeping
Market Deeping is a market town in Lincolnshire, England, on the north bank of the River Welland and the A15 road.-Geography:It is the second largest of The Deepings and its eponymous market has been held since at least 1220. The river here forms the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border with...
).
Church
The church, built in the Early English style is dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. It is part of the Uffington 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 Aveland & Ness with Stamford. The incumbent is The Revd Carolyn Kennedy. The church used to be part of the Greatford with Wilsthorpe group.
Greatford Hall
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.During the Second World War, the Hall was owned by Lancaster Gate Hotels. Around 2003 it, with its 62 acres, sold for £2.85 million.
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
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
, made at Tallington
Tallington
Tallington is a small village of around 200 houses, situated four miles east of Stamford in South Kesteven, on the southern edge of Lincolnshire, next to the borough of Peterborough.-Geography:...
2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of Greatford. The company is now Tarmac
Tarmac (company)
Tarmac is a company that is based in Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom and operates internationally. The company produces aggregates and road-surfacing materials, including tarmacadam, from which the company's name is derived...
Precast Concrete. In 1940 Dowsett bought the Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
-based firm of shipbuilders, Brooke Marine
Brooke Marine
Brooke Marine was a Lowestoft-based shipbuilding firm. The company constructed boats and small ships for civilian and commercial use, as well as minor warships for the Royal Navy, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Australian Navy, Kenya Navy and United States Navy.The company was founded in 1874 as a...
that made Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
landing craft during World War II.
Geography
To the west, the parish boundary meets Braceborough and WilsthorpeBraceborough and Wilsthorpe
Braceborough and Wilsthorpe is a civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 268. The parish covers Braceborough and Wilsthorpe....
to the north, passing through Banthorpe Lodge, 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...
, 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
Carlby
Carlby is a small village/parish in the district of South Kesteven in Lincolnshire, England.It is located four miles south of Bourne on the A6121 near the Lincolnshire/Rutland boundary, which is partly the River West Glen....
. It follows part of the Macmillan Way
Macmillan Way
The Macmillan Way is a long-distance footpath in England that links Boston, Lincolnshire to Abbotsbury in Dorset. The route's distance is . It is promoted to raise money for the charity Macmillan Cancer Relief....
(which passes straight through the parish, broadly following the Glen) near some coppices. It rejoins the West Glen River, crossing the road to Wilsthorpe
Wilsthorpe, Lincolnshire
Wilsthorpe is a village in the district of South Kesteven in the county of Lincolnshire, England, about north-east of the town of Stamford and about south of the town of Bourne....
. East of Fletland Mill, it meets Thurlby
Thurlby by Bourne
Thurlby is a village and civil parish in the District of South Kesteven in the English county of Lincolnshire, on the edge of The Fens. It is sometimes referred to as Thurlby by Bourne to distinguish it from other villages in Lincolnshire called Thurlby...
(Obthorpe
Obthorpe
Obthorpe is a hamlet located in the English county of Lincolnshire.It is about a mile south of the village of Thurlby and is in its civil parish that, in turn, forms part of the district of South Kesteven....
).
At the A15 bridge over the West Glen River, where the Macmillan Way crosses, it meets Baston
Baston
Baston is a parish on the edge of The Fens and in the administrative district of South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. Like most fen-edge parishes, it was laid out more than a thousand years ago, in an elongated form, to afford the produce from a variety of habitats for the villagers...
, to the east. The boundary now follows the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
King Street
King Street (Roman road)
King Street is the name of a modern road on the line of a Roman road |Durobrivae]]. The whole is I.D. Margary's Roman road number 26. -The Roman road's route:Archaeological work has revealed more of its length than is in use nowadays...
, and the King Street Drain, to the south. For 200 metres it meets Langtoft
Langtoft, Lincolnshire
Langtoft is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire on the A15 road, about ten miles north of Peterborough and about eight miles east of Stamford, Lincolnshire on the edge of The Fens....
, then meets Barholm and Stowe
Barholm and Stowe
Barholm and Stowe is a civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 87...
, and leaves King Street to the west, passing through some coppices. north of Barholm
Barholm
Barholm is a village in Lincolnshire, England. It is off the A15 road, eight miles south-west of Bourne.It is first recorded as Bercham in 1086; the name is from Old English beorg + hām or hamm and means 'homestead or enclosure on a hill.'...
, 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
River Welland
The River Welland is a river in the east of England, some long. It rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. For much of its length it forms the county boundary between...
west of Market Deeping
Market Deeping
Market Deeping is a market town in Lincolnshire, England, on the north bank of the River Welland and the A15 road.-Geography:It is the second largest of The Deepings and its eponymous market has been held since at least 1220. The river here forms the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border with...
, and to stop the River Glen from flooding. It passes north of Maidens' Farm and at the East Coast Main Line meets Uffington
Uffington, Lincolnshire
Uffington is a village in the valley of the River Welland, between Stamford and The Deepings, in the South Kesteven district of the English county of Lincolnshire.-Geography:...
, passing along the southern edge of Browne's Oaks.
See also
- HMS Greatford (P3109), a 1950s Ford class seaward defence boatFord class seaward defence boatThe Ford class seaward defence boats were built for the Royal Navy in the 1950s.HMS Droxford served for a time as the tender for Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities Royal Naval Unit, and was administered by RNR Clyde. The vessel was used to train Midshipmen who were students of the universities...
, built for initial training for University Royal Naval UnitUniversity Royal Naval UnitA University Royal Naval Unit is a Royal Navy training establishment connected to a university, or a number of universities concentrated in one area...
. It was 35 metres long, and was around 120 tonnes with one 40 mm and two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.
External links
- Greatford Parish Council, parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2011
- "Greatford", homepages.which.net. Retrieved 15 August 2011