Horncastle
Encyclopedia
Horncastle is a market town
of some 6,090 residents in the East Lindsey
district of Lincolnshire
, England, 22 miles east of Lincoln.
, where the (north-south) River Bain
meets the River Waring
(from the east), and north of the West and Wildmore Fens
. The south of Horncastle is called Cagthorpe
. Langton Hill
is to the west. It used to be part of Horncastle Rural District
in the Parts of Lindsey
, but is now in the district council of East Lindsey
, based in Manby
, east of Louth
.
North of the town, the civil parish meets West Ashby
and Low Toynton
, south of Milestone House on the A153 (Louth Road). The boundary skirts the east of the town, crossing Low Toynton Road, following the Viking Way then meeting the River Waring. It briefly follows north of the A158, to a caravan park, where it meets High Toynton
. Southwards on Mareham Road it meets Mareham on the Hill
, east of Stonehill Farm. South of the town, and north of Telegraph House, it meets Scrivelsby, following High Lane westwards to cross the B1183, south of Loxley Farm, then the A153 and skirts the southern edge of the sewage works next to the River Bain where it meets Roughton
(Thornton
). It follows the Old River Bain west of the A153 northwards across the river meadows, crossing the Horncastle Canal (and Viking Way
). Eastwards it crosses the B1191, south of Langton Hill, where at Lowmoor Lane it meets Langton
. It follows Langton Lane northwards, with Mill House Farm (Langton Mill) to the west, meeting Thimbleby
. It meets the B1190 where the pylons cross the road then the A158 at the B1190 junction, briefly following Accommodation Road to the east. It skirts the north of the town, briefly following Elmhurst Road, passing south of Elmlea Farm. and straight through Elmhirst Lakes. At the River Bain near Hemingby
Lane, it meets West Ashby.
built a fort at Horncastle, which possibly became a Saxon Shore Fort. Although fortified, Horncastle was not on any important Roman road
s, which suggests that the River Bain was the principal route of access.
Roman Horncastle has become known as Banovallum (i.e. "Wall on the River
Bain") – this name has been adopted by several local business
es and by the town's secondary modern school
– but in fact the actual Roman name for the settlement is not definitely known: Banovallum was suggested in the 19th century through an interpretation of the Ravenna Cosmography
, a 7th century list of Roman towns and road-stations; Banovallum may in fact have been Caistor
.
The walls of the Roman fort remain in places — one section is on display in the town's library
, which is built over the top of the wall. The Saxons
called the town Hyrnecastre, from whence its modern name arose.
of 1086, when it was listed as consisting of 41 households, including twenty-nine villagers and twelve smallholders, and had 100 acres of meadow and two mills, all belonging to King William.
, where, during the Battle of Winceby
in 1643 – which helped to secure Lincolnshire for Parliament
– Cromwell
was almost killed. Local legend has it that the thirteen scythe
blades which hang on the wall of the south chapel of the town's church (St. Mary's) were used as weapon
s at Winceby. This story is generally regarded as apocrypha
l, and the accepted opinion is that they probably date from the Lincolnshire Rising of 1536.
trading event which lasted until the early 20th century. The town is now known as a centre for the antiques
trade.
The great annual horse fair probably first took place in the 13th century. The fair used to last for a week or more every August, and in the 19th century was probably the largest event of its kind in the United Kingdom. "Horncastle for horses" made the town famous – the fair was used as a setting for George Borrow
's semi-autobiographical books Lavengro
and The Romany Rye – but the last fair was held in 1948.
In 1894 the Stanhope Memorial was erected in the centre of the Market Place in memory of Edward Stanhope
MP by E. Lingen Barker. Built of limestone
, red sandstone
and pink and grey streaked marble
, it is a grade II listed structure.
, a ville de marché (market town) in the French département of Sarthe
with a population of 4,000 (approximately). The towns' relationship is commemorated by a Rue Horncastle in Bonnétable, and a Bonnetable (sic
; no acute accent
on the 'e') Road in Horncastle.
is based next to the war memorial and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
is based in Banovallum House. Mortons of Horncastle
is a main national magazine publisher of aviation and road transport heritage titles; it is situated in the south of the town on the industrial estate off the A153 (Boston
Road). Gymphlex, who make sports clothing, is also situated in this part of the town. Polypipe
Civils has a base on the industrial estate.
The St. Lawrence school is a special school with people going to it from the whole of Lincolnshire. It is placed down Bowl Alley Lane.
runs west-east, joining the county town of Lincoln
with the resort of Skegness
on the Lincolnshire coast
; the A153 joins Louth
in the north with Sleaford
and Grantham
in the south. These two roads meet at the Bull Ring in the centre of Horncastle.
The A158 through Horncastle becomes particularly busy during the summer holidays
, as holidaymakers
travel to and from Skegness. To alleviate the pressure on the town centre caused by this traffic, a relief road
, Jubilee
Way, was constructed in the 1970s. Minor roads run out of Horncastle to Bardney
, Boston
(via Revesby
), Fulletby
and Woodhall Spa
.
Horncastle is home to a 'hub' for the InterConnect rural bus
service. Regular buses run to Lincoln, Skegness, and across the Wolds. The Viking Way
long-distance footpath also runs through Horncastle.
Lincoln-Boston line ran through Kirkstead, 8 miles from Horncastle, and a branch line from Kirkstead (later renamed Woodhall Junction) through Woodhall Spa to Horncastle opened on 11 August 1855. The last passenger service ran in 1954, with complete closure to freight traffic in 1971. Horncastle railway station
was demolished in the 1980s and the site is now a housing estate. Today the nearest station is Metheringham
on the Peterborough to Lincoln Line
. The Horncastle Branch
was a line that ran from Woodhall Junction
to Horncastle, and is now the Viking Way.
, based upon the River Bain was Constructed from 1792
In 2004, it was suggested that the Horncastle Canal
(originally opened in 1802) be renovated and promoted as a route for pleasure craft
, but the waterway remains as yet unrestored.
; their ground
is on The Wong. The team is sponsored by Paul Riddel Skip Hire Ltd. The club also have a Saturday reserve side, sponsored by S.P. Lowe Plastering and a Sunday side, sponsored by the Black Swan. The club has a thriving junior section with teams at U10s, U11s, U12, U13s, U14s, U15s, sponsored by Abbey Joinery (who won their league) U16s and U18s. The club had a somewhat intense period of restructuring prior to the 2008/2009 season,due to the resignation of its former manager and the loss of players he brought to the club from out of town, where it was decided that the clubs base should be drawn back to more local roots. This has had the effect of galvanising the club and putting it on a much more sustainable footing. The club has also achieved FA Charter Standard status which is testament to its continuing hard work and desire for self improvement for all age groups. htfc.eu
club which is made up of 2 men's teams, and 5 youth squads. All of the teams are sponsored by the Lincolnshire Pallet Group.
club currently made up of two men's teams and a ladies team. The Men's 1st XI won the NE14HOCKEY East Men's League Division 5NW title in 2008. Following promotion in the 2009/2010 season with and unblemished record of played 22, won 22, Horncastle Men's 1st team now play in Division 3(NW) of the East region. Horncastle Men's 2nd team play in Division 6NW(N) of the East region after finishing as runners up in the 2009/2010 season. The Horncastle Ladies have won Division 1 of the Lincolnshire Women's Hockey League for 2010/2011.
. The vicar changed in 1919 and 1959, both less than a year before a flood. The flooding of the early 1980s has been all attributed to the change of vicar in 1980; it must be said however there was no flooding in Horncastle following the latest change in 1999. However both the River Bain
and River Waring
burst their banks during the 2007 United Kingdom floods
.
On 7 October 1960 Horncastle entered the UK Weather Records
with the Highest 180-min total rainfall at 178 mm. this record remains.
or panther. The mystery cat has been christened the "Lindsey
Leopard" or "Beast of the Wolds" by the local press.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of some 6,090 residents in the East Lindsey
East Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards....
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, 22 miles east of Lincoln.
Geography
It lies to the south of the Lincolnshire WoldsLincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds is a range of hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and the highest area of land in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent...
, where the (north-south) River Bain
River Bain
The River Bain is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Witham.The Bain rises in the Lincolnshire Wolds at Ludford, a village on The Viking Way long-distance footpath, and flows through or past the villages of Burgh on Bain, Biscathorpe, Donington on Bain, Goulceby with...
meets the River Waring
River Waring
The River Waring is a small river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Bain. The Waring rises in the parish of Belchford and runs through Belchford village, passing between the villages of Fulletby, West Ashby and Low Toynton before arriving at Horncastle, where it divides...
(from the east), and north of the West and Wildmore Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
. The south of Horncastle is called Cagthorpe
Cagthorpe
Cagthorpe is suburb of the town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, south of and separated from the historic town centre by the re-aligned River Waring and the A158 . It is accessible by vehicle only from The Wong and Hopton Street...
. Langton Hill
Langton Hill
Langton Hill is a small hill in the town of Horncastle in the English county of Lincolnshire. It is one of the first larger hills that form the hilly area that becomes The Lincolnshire Wolds on the other side of Horncastle...
is to the west. It used to be part of Horncastle Rural District
Horncastle Rural District
Horncastle was a rural district in Parts of Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England, from 1894 to 1974.It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from the Horncastle Rural Sanitary District...
in the Parts of Lindsey
Lindsey
Lindsey was a unit of local government until 1974 in Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it...
, but is now in the district council of East Lindsey
East Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards....
, based in Manby
Manby
Manby is a village in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Situated approximately five miles east of Louth, the village had a population of 833 at the 2001 Census....
, east of Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
.
North of the town, the civil parish meets West Ashby
West Ashby
West Ashby is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about a mile north of the market town of Horncastle. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 252....
and Low Toynton
Low Toynton
Low Toynton is a hamlet and civil parish about north east of the town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England. It sits in the Lincolnshire Wolds a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
, south of Milestone House on the A153 (Louth Road). The boundary skirts the east of the town, crossing Low Toynton Road, following the Viking Way then meeting the River Waring. It briefly follows north of the A158, to a caravan park, where it meets High Toynton
High Toynton
High Toynton is a village and civil parish about east of the town of Horncastle, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies in the Lincolnshire Wolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
. Southwards on Mareham Road it meets Mareham on the Hill
Mareham on the Hill
Mareham on the Hill is a village and civil parish about south east of the town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.Mareham on the Hill was listed in Domesday Book of 1086 as having one household and eight acres of woodland....
, east of Stonehill Farm. South of the town, and north of Telegraph House, it meets Scrivelsby, following High Lane westwards to cross the B1183, south of Loxley Farm, then the A153 and skirts the southern edge of the sewage works next to the River Bain where it meets Roughton
Roughton, Lincolnshire
Roughton is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.The village lies about south of Horncastle and near the hamlets of Thornton) and Kirkby-on-Bain...
(Thornton
Thornton, Lincolnshire
Thornton, or Thornton by Horncastle, is a small hamlet about south of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, in the civil parish of Roughton.The village was mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086, when it had 19 households, and the Lord of the Manor was Robert the bursar.The greenstone parish church is dedicated...
). It follows the Old River Bain west of the A153 northwards across the river meadows, crossing the Horncastle Canal (and 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 it crosses the B1191, south of Langton Hill, where at Lowmoor Lane it meets Langton
Langton near Horncastle
Langton is a village south west of the town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.The village church is a grade II listed building dedicated to Saint Margaret, and is a small structure built of greenstone, limestone and red brick. The original church on the site wasmedieval. It was restored in 1750...
. It follows Langton Lane northwards, with Mill House Farm (Langton Mill) to the west, meeting Thimbleby
Thimbleby, Lincolnshire
Thimbleby is a village and civil parish about west of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.It was mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086 as Stimbelbi and consisted of 67 households, which at the time was considered very large...
. It meets the B1190 where the pylons cross the road then the A158 at the B1190 junction, briefly following Accommodation Road to the east. It skirts the north of the town, briefly following Elmhurst Road, passing south of Elmlea Farm. and straight through Elmhirst Lakes. At the River Bain near Hemingby
Hemingby
Hemingby is a dispersed village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies about north of the market town of Horncastle and just west of the junction of the B1225 road and A158. It is surrounded by the villages of Baumber, Goulceby and West Ashby...
Lane, it meets West Ashby.
Romans
The RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
built a fort at Horncastle, which possibly became a Saxon Shore Fort. Although fortified, Horncastle was not on any important 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...
s, which suggests that the River Bain was the principal route of access.
Roman Horncastle has become known as Banovallum (i.e. "Wall on the River
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
Bain") – this name has been adopted by several local business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
es and by the town's secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
– but in fact the actual Roman name for the settlement is not definitely known: Banovallum was suggested in the 19th century through an interpretation of the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
, a 7th century list of Roman towns and road-stations; Banovallum may in fact have been Caistor
Caistor
See Caistor St Edmund for the Roman settlement in Norfolk or Caister-on-Sea for the town in NorfolkCaistor is a town and civil parish situated in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman castrum or fortress...
.
The walls of the Roman fort remain in places — one section is on display in the town's library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, which is built over the top of the wall. The Saxons
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...
called the town Hyrnecastre, from whence its modern name arose.
Domesday Book
Horncastle is mentioned in 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...
of 1086, when it was listed as consisting of 41 households, including twenty-nine villagers and twelve smallholders, and had 100 acres of meadow and two mills, all belonging to King William.
Church
Dating from the 13th century, the parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary, and is a grade II* listed building which was heavily restored between 1859 and 1861 by Ewan Christian.English Civil War
Four miles from Horncastle is the village of WincebyWinceby
Winceby is a village in the civil parish of Lusby with Winceby in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, located in the Wolds, about from Horncastle and the same from Spilsby....
, where, during the Battle of Winceby
Battle of Winceby
The Battle of Winceby took place on 11 October 1643 during the English Civil War near the village of Winceby, Lincolnshire about 4 miles east of Horncastle.-Prelude:...
in 1643 – which helped to secure Lincolnshire for Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
– Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
was almost killed. Local legend has it that the thirteen scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
blades which hang on the wall of the south chapel of the town's church (St. Mary's) were used as weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s at Winceby. This story is generally regarded as apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
l, and the accepted opinion is that they probably date from the Lincolnshire Rising of 1536.
Markets and Horse Fairs
Horncastle was given its market charter in the 13th century. It was formerly known for its great August Horse Fair — an internationally-famous annualYear
A year is the orbital period of the Earth moving around the Sun. For an observer on Earth, this corresponds to the period it takes the Sun to complete one course throughout the zodiac along the ecliptic....
trading event which lasted until the early 20th century. The town is now known as a centre for the antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
trade.
The great annual horse fair probably first took place in the 13th century. The fair used to last for a week or more every August, and in the 19th century was probably the largest event of its kind in the United Kingdom. "Horncastle for horses" made the town famous – the fair was used as a setting for George Borrow
George Borrow
George Henry Borrow was an English author who wrote novels and travelogues based on his own experiences around Europe. Over the course of his wanderings, he developed a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe. They figure prominently in his work...
's semi-autobiographical books Lavengro
Lavengro
Lavengro: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest is a work by George Borrow, falling somewhere between the genres of memoir and novel, which has long been considered a classic of 19th century English literature. According to the author lav-engro is a Romany word meaning "word master". The historian...
and The Romany Rye – but the last fair was held in 1948.
In 1894 the Stanhope Memorial was erected in the centre of the Market Place in memory of Edward Stanhope
Edward Stanhope
Edward Stanhope was a British Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:Born in London, Stanhope was the second son of Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope, by his wife Emily Harriet, daughter of General Sir Edward Kerrison, 1st Baronet...
MP by E. Lingen Barker. Built of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and pink and grey streaked marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, it is a grade II listed structure.
Population Figures
| Population of Horncastle Civil Parish 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... |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 |
| Population | 2,015 | 2,602 | 3,058 | 3,988 | 4,521 | 5,017 | 4,818 | 4,374 | 4,038 | 3,900 | 3,459 | 3,496 | 3,809 | 3,771 |
Twin town
Horncastle is twinned with BonnétableBonnétable
Bonnétable is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.Bonnétable is twinned with Horncastle in rural Lincolnshire. The towns' relationship is commemorated by a Rue Horncastle in Bonnétable, and a Bonnetable Road in Horncastle.-References:*...
, a ville de marché (market town) in the French département of Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
with a population of 4,000 (approximately). The towns' relationship is commemorated by a Rue Horncastle in Bonnétable, and a Bonnetable (sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
; no acute accent
Acute accent
The acute accent is a diacritic used in many modern written languages with alphabets based on the Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek scripts.-Apex:An early precursor of the acute accent was the apex, used in Latin inscriptions to mark long vowels.-Greek:...
on the 'e') Road in Horncastle.
Local economy
Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency ServiceLincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service
Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service is a registered charity staffed by volunteers providing prehospital care services across Lincolnshire, UK...
is based next to the war memorial and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the whole ceremonial county of Lincolnshire England...
is based in Banovallum House. Mortons of Horncastle
Mortons of Horncastle
Mortons of Horncastle Ltd is a publishing company based in Horncastle in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England.-History:At the age of 21, WK Morton bought the Horncastle-based printing company owned by D Cousans. He started the Horncastle News in 1887...
is a main national magazine publisher of aviation and road transport heritage titles; it is situated in the south of the town on the industrial estate off the A153 (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...
Road). Gymphlex, who make sports clothing, is also situated in this part of the town. Polypipe
Polypipe
Polypipe is a large manufacturer of plastic pressure pipe systems, made out of high-density polyethylene , a polyethylene thermoplastic. These pipes are used for waste water and piped water.-History:...
Civils has a base on the industrial estate.
Secondary schools
- Queen Elizabeth's Grammar SchoolQueen Elizabeth's Grammar School, HorncastleQueen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle, is a selective, co-educational, foundation status Grammar School and Sixth Form College in the market town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth's gained joint specialist status for science and mathematics inpartnership with Banovallum...
was founded in 1571, and is among the top schools in Lincolnshire; it has at times been one of the top in the country. It has been known for very strong sports teams such as the region-winning tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
team in 2005 in the British Schools Tennis Championships. Also notable in regional sports in Hockey, Netball and Cricket. It is classified also as a Science College and as of recently Modern Languages too. The Design and Technology department recently entered two teams in the National 4X4 for Schools engineering competition, one of which came first nationally in their age group, while the other team came second nationally overall.
- The Banovallum SchoolBanovallum SchoolThe Banovallum School is a co-educational secondary modern school in Horncastle, East Lindsey in Lincolnshire LEA.-History:The school was built in the early 1960s. The previous school it replaced was called the Cagthorpe School. It is a specialist science college...
is a non-selective community school serving Horncastle and the surrounding villages; it is a science specialist schoolScience CollegeScience Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
on a joint basis with Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School. The most recent OfstedOfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
inspection was in 2005 and judged the school to be satisfactory. The school has recently undergone a massive change, with the addition of the new Building, which caters for Cookery, Resistant Materials Technology (Woodwork, Metalwork, Etc) Art, and Music.
The St. Lawrence school is a special school with people going to it from the whole of Lincolnshire. It is placed down Bowl Alley Lane.
Colleges
- Horncastle College – a 'lifelong learning' adult educationAdult educationAdult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
college – runs short and residential courses in I.T.Information technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, artArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, languageLanguageLanguage may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s and local historyLocal historyLocal history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
.
Roads
Horncastle sits at the crossroads of two of Lincolnshire's major roads: the A158A158 road
The A158 road is a major tourist route that heads from Lincoln in the west to Skegness on the east coast. The road is located entirely in the county of Lincolnshire and is single carriageway for almost its entirety. The road is approximately long...
runs west-east, joining the county town of 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....
with the resort of Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
on the Lincolnshire coast
Lincolnshire coast
The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than down the North Sea coast of eastern England, from the estuary of the Humber to the marshlands of the Wash, where it meets Norfolk...
; the A153 joins Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
in the north with Sleaford
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
and 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 the south. These two roads meet at the Bull Ring in the centre of Horncastle.
The A158 through Horncastle becomes particularly busy during the summer holidays
Summer vacation
Summer vacation is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students and instructors are off school typically between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on the country and district.-Students:In some countries, students participate in programs such as organized sports, summer camps, and...
, as holidaymakers
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
travel to and from Skegness. To alleviate the pressure on the town centre caused by this traffic, a relief road
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
, Jubilee
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
Way, was constructed in the 1970s. Minor roads run out of Horncastle to Bardney
Bardney
Bardney is a village and Civil Parish east of Lincoln, sitting on the north side of the River Witham in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-The village:...
, 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...
(via Revesby
Revesby, Lincolnshire
Revesby is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies south-east from Horncastle, east from Woodhall Spa and north from Boston, on the A155. The parish in includes the hamlet of Moorhouses to the south of Revesby village.Revesby Grade II listed...
), Fulletby
Fulletby
Fulletby is a village and a civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies in the Lincolnshire Wolds, northeast of Horncastle, south of Louth and northwest of Spilsby. The parish covers about .- History :...
and Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa is a civil parish and village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England within a wooded area on the Southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, about south-west of Horncastle and about east-south-east of Lincoln...
.
Horncastle is home to a 'hub' for the InterConnect rural bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service. Regular buses run to Lincoln, Skegness, and across the Wolds. 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...
long-distance footpath also runs through Horncastle.
Railway
The Great Northern Railway'sGreat Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
Lincoln-Boston line ran through Kirkstead, 8 miles from Horncastle, and a branch line from Kirkstead (later renamed Woodhall Junction) through Woodhall Spa to Horncastle opened on 11 August 1855. The last passenger service ran in 1954, with complete closure to freight traffic in 1971. Horncastle railway station
Horncastle railway station
Horncastle railway station was a station in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England. It was at the end of a short branch line that ran from Woodhall Junction which opened in 1855...
was demolished in the 1980s and the site is now a housing estate. Today the nearest station is Metheringham
Metheringham railway station
Metheringham railway station serves the village of Metheringham in Lincolnshire, England.-History:The station was opened to passengers on 1 July 1882 named Blankney & Metheringham. It closed to passengers on 11 September 1961 but it was later reopened on 6 October 1975 named Metheringham. The...
on the Peterborough to Lincoln Line
Peterborough to Lincoln Line
The Peterborough to Lincoln Line is a railway line linking and , via and .-History:The section between Peterborough and Spalding closed to passengers on 5 October 1970 and re-opened on 7 June 1971. North of Spalding, Ruskington re-opened on 5 May 1975. Metheringham followed on 6 October...
. The Horncastle Branch
Horncastle Branch
The Horncastle Railway was a seven mile long single track branch railway line in Lincolnshire, England, that ran from on the Lincolnshire Loop Line to via one intermediate station, .-History:...
was a line that ran from Woodhall Junction
Woodhall Junction railway station
Woodhall Junction railway station is a former station in Woodhall, Lincolnshire. It served as a junction where several different lines met, none of which are still open....
to Horncastle, and is now the Viking Way.
Waterways
Horncastle CanalHorncastle Canal
The Horncastle Canal was a broad canal which ran 11 miles from the River Witham to Horncastle in Lincolnshire, England, through twelve locks largely following the course of River Bain...
, based upon the River Bain was Constructed from 1792
In 2004, it was suggested that the Horncastle Canal
River Bain
The River Bain is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Witham.The Bain rises in the Lincolnshire Wolds at Ludford, a village on The Viking Way long-distance footpath, and flows through or past the villages of Burgh on Bain, Biscathorpe, Donington on Bain, Goulceby with...
(originally opened in 1802) be renovated and promoted as a route for pleasure craft
Pleasure craft
A pleasure craft is a boat used for personal, family, and sometimes sportsmanlike recreation. Typically such watercraft are motorized and are used for holidays, for example on a river, lake, canal or waterway. Pleasure craft are normally kept at a marina...
, but the waterway remains as yet unrestored.
Football
Horncastle Town FC play in the Lincolnshire Football LeagueLincolnshire Football League
The Lincolnshire Football League, is a football competition in England that is composed of a single division of 17 clubs. Since season 2007–08 Sills & Betteridge Solicitors have agreed to sponsor the league...
; their ground
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
is on The Wong. The team is sponsored by Paul Riddel Skip Hire Ltd. The club also have a Saturday reserve side, sponsored by S.P. Lowe Plastering and a Sunday side, sponsored by the Black Swan. The club has a thriving junior section with teams at U10s, U11s, U12, U13s, U14s, U15s, sponsored by Abbey Joinery (who won their league) U16s and U18s. The club had a somewhat intense period of restructuring prior to the 2008/2009 season,due to the resignation of its former manager and the loss of players he brought to the club from out of town, where it was decided that the clubs base should be drawn back to more local roots. This has had the effect of galvanising the club and putting it on a much more sustainable footing. The club has also achieved FA Charter Standard status which is testament to its continuing hard work and desire for self improvement for all age groups. htfc.eu
Cricket
The town has a cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club which is made up of 2 men's teams, and 5 youth squads. All of the teams are sponsored by the Lincolnshire Pallet Group.
Hockey
The town is also home to a hockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
club currently made up of two men's teams and a ladies team. The Men's 1st XI won the NE14HOCKEY East Men's League Division 5NW title in 2008. Following promotion in the 2009/2010 season with and unblemished record of played 22, won 22, Horncastle Men's 1st team now play in Division 3(NW) of the East region. Horncastle Men's 2nd team play in Division 6NW(N) of the East region after finishing as runners up in the 2009/2010 season. The Horncastle Ladies have won Division 1 of the Lincolnshire Women's Hockey League for 2010/2011.
Floods
The town is famous locally for its many floods, notably in 1920 and 1960 – with 3 floods between 1981 and 1984. Folklore among Horncastle's more elderly and religious citizens will tell you how closely these floods coincide with the changing of Horncastle's vicarVicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
. The vicar changed in 1919 and 1959, both less than a year before a flood. The flooding of the early 1980s has been all attributed to the change of vicar in 1980; it must be said however there was no flooding in Horncastle following the latest change in 1999. However both the River Bain
River Bain
The River Bain is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Witham.The Bain rises in the Lincolnshire Wolds at Ludford, a village on The Viking Way long-distance footpath, and flows through or past the villages of Burgh on Bain, Biscathorpe, Donington on Bain, Goulceby with...
and River Waring
River Waring
The River Waring is a small river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Bain. The Waring rises in the parish of Belchford and runs through Belchford village, passing between the villages of Fulletby, West Ashby and Low Toynton before arriving at Horncastle, where it divides...
burst their banks during the 2007 United Kingdom floods
2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
.
On 7 October 1960 Horncastle entered the UK Weather Records
UK Weather Records
The UK Weather Records note the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as the most and fewest hours of sunshine and highest wind speed.-Temperature:-Rainfall:...
with the Highest 180-min total rainfall at 178 mm. this record remains.
Trivia
Since 2003, Horncastle has been the centre of multiple apparent sightings of an alien big cat (ABC), suspected of being an escaped leopardLeopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
or panther. The mystery cat has been christened the "Lindsey
Lindsey
Lindsey was a unit of local government until 1974 in Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it...
Leopard" or "Beast of the Wolds" by the local press.
Notable people
- Sir Joseph Banks, botanist to Captain James CookJames CookCaptain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
- Peter "Biff" ByfordBiff ByfordPeter Rodney "Biff" Byford is an English rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Saxon. Byford formed Son of a Bitch with guitarists Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn, bassist Steve Dawson and drummer Pete Gill in 1976...
, lead singer of heavy metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band SaxonSaxon (band)Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart... - Tim Garbutt, DJDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
/producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and one half of dance music act Utah SaintsUtah SaintsUtah Saints is a dance band based in Leeds, England. The music is produced by Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt, who are joined on-stage by other musicians whenever the band plays live... - Henry Simpson LunnHenry Simpson LunnSir Henry Simpson Lunn was an English humanitarian and religious figure, and also founder of Lunn Poly, one of the UK's largest travel companies....
, religious leader and co-founder of Lunn PolyLunn PolyLunn Poly was the largest chain of travel agents in the United Kingdom. The company originated from two successful travel agencies which had been established in 1890s; The Polytechnic Touring Association and Sir Henry Lunn Travel. Both firms were acquired in the 1950s by the British Eagle airline...
travel agents - William MarwoodWilliam MarwoodWilliam Marwood was a hangman for the British government. He developed the technique of hanging known as the "long drop".-Early life:Marwood was originally a cobbler, of Church Lane, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.-Executioner:...
, public hangmanHangingHanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... - Elliott MorrisElliott MorrisElliott Morris is a young guitarist and singer/songwriter prominent in the Lincolnshire, UK music scene who is known for his "unorthodox" style of percussive guitar....
, Guitarist and Singer/Songwriter - Ben PridmoreBen Pridmore-Achievements:Pridmore is the 2009 World Memory Champion, a title he also won in 2004 and 2008. From Derby in the United Kingdom, Pridmore achieved this by winning a 10-discipline competition, the World Memory Championship, which has taken place every year since 1991.He held the official world...
, memory champion, attended school in Horncastle - Samuel Roberts, mathematicianMathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"... - Thomas SullyThomas SullyThomas Sully was an American painter, mostly of portraits.-Early life:Sully was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, to the actors Matthew and Sarah Sully. In March 1792 the Sullys and their nine children immigrated to Richmond, Virginia, where Thomas’s uncle managed a theater...
, portrait painter - Alfred Lord Tennyson, the Poet LaureatePoet LaureateA poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, was born six miles from Horncastle in the Wolds village of SomersbySomersby, LincolnshireSomersby is a village in the parish of Greetham with Somersby in the Lincolnshire Wolds, northwest of Spilsby and eastnortheast of Horncastle. The parish covers about .- History :...
. Tennyson apparently disliked the town, saying: "Of all horrors, a little country town seems to me to be the greatest." - Robert WebbRobert Webb (actor)Robert Webb is an English actor, comedian and writer, and one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell.-Early life:...
, actor and comedian, lived in Woodhall SpaWoodhall SpaWoodhall Spa is a civil parish and village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England within a wooded area on the Southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, about south-west of Horncastle and about east-south-east of Lincoln...
, but attended school in Horncastle - Harold A. WilsonHarold A. WilsonHarold Allan Wilson was an English athlete. Born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, he won the silver medal in the men's 1500 metres race at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, competing on the Great Britain and Ireland team...
, 1908 Olympic athlete, first person to run a sub-four-minute 1500 metres