Sleaford
Encyclopedia
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven
district of Lincolnshire
, England. It is located thirteen miles (21 km) northeast of Grantham
, seventeen miles (27 km) west of Boston
, and nineteen miles (30 km) south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time of the 2001 census.
The name Sleaford is from the Old English esla+forde, meaning "ford over a muddy stream" (now known as the River Slea
). In 852 the name first appears as Slioford whilst in the 1086 Domesday book
it is recorded as Eslaforde. The river was the main trade route for the town for many years. In 1794, the Slea was canal
ised; known as the Sleaford Navigation
, it operated until superseded by the railways in the mid 1850s.
Until recently, Sleaford was primarily an agricultural town, supporting a cattle market
and famous seed companies such as Hubbard and Phillips, and Sharpes International Seeds. More recently, Sleaford is developing as a tourist and craft destination.
The modern centre of Sleaford originated as New Sleaford. Excavations in the market place in 1979 uncovered the remains of a small Anglo-Saxon settlement of eighth century date. Old Sleaford, towards the eastern end of the modern town, was probably a tribal centre of the Iron Age
Corieltauvi. There may have been a pre-Roman
coin mint here, since the largest hoard of coin pellet moulds ever found in Europe was excavated here. Few Iron Age coins were found here however, and it is believed that after being poured into the pellet moulds, the coins were taken to Leicester
to be stamped.
A Roman road
, Mareham Lane, used to run through Old Sleaford, and southwards along the fen edge, towards Bourne
. Where it passed through Old Sleaford, excavations have revealed a large stone-built domestic residence with associated farm buildings, corn-driers, ovens and field systems, as well as a number of burials.
In 1858, just to the south of the town, a large Anglo-Roman cemetery
was found, showing a mix of pagan
and Christian
burial practices. A large Anglo-Saxon
cemetery, of some 600 burials was found during construction of the new railway station in 1882. Further to the south-west, in nearby Quarrington, a substantial Anglo-Saxon settlement was excavated during a new housing development. To the north of the town, an early Saxon settlement was investigated by APS prior to the construction of new housing and facilities at the Holdingham roundabout. Some of the artefacts can be seen displayed at the McDonald's restaurant on the site.
Under the Anglo-Saxons
, until conquered by the Vikings, Sleaford became part of the Flaxwell Wapentake. Sleaford ('Eslaforde') was then held by a man named Bardi.
, the first Bishop of Lincoln
, in around 1086.
About 1130, Bishop Alexander of Lincoln
built a castle
just southwest of the town. The footings and moat can still be seen, in what is now the Castle Fields. This was the period in which the town moved westwards. The castle was demolished in the Elizabethan era, not later than 1600.
King John, who was disliked by the baron
age, visited Sleaford in 1216, the day after he had lost his baggage train. He was already ill but someone spread the story that while staying overnight at Swineshead
Abbey, he was poisoned by a monk with toad
venom. After leaving Sleaford, the King continued his journey reaching Newark, where he died.
From 1556, the ownership of the town and its lands passed from the church to local absentee landowners.
per year was charged for other branches of education.
In 1726, William Alvey left an endowment for 20 poor boys and 20 poor girls to attend school. Alvey's Charity School was held in rented rooms until 1841. In 1785, James Harryman left the interest from £100 to provide shoes and stockings for the children of this school.
The common lands were enclosed in 1777 (some sources say 1794).
The Sleaford Navigation
was opened in 1794.
The railways arrived from 1857. Sleaford was eventually the junction of six major roads and five railway branch-lines, making it a regional centre. The railways caused the decline of the Sleaford Navigation, which closed in 1878. The Hubbard seed firm was founded in Sleaford in 1882 and then grew to become a major national business.
With the establishment of the Kesteven
County Council under the Act of Parliament
of 1888, Sleaford became its county town.
s in the area. The complex struggled to remain open during World War II, but survived and continued operating until 1960. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
considered the huge brewing malthouses to be Lincolnshire's most important industrial architecture, stating in his Buildings of England book: "For sheer impressiveness, little in English architecture can equal the scale of this building. A massive four-storey square tower is in the centre of a line of eight detached pavilions. The total frontage is nearly 1,000 feet."
During World War I
, from 1916 naval airships operated from nearby Cranwell
, then known as RNAS Daedalus, and a now defunct field, RFC
Leadenham provided England's main defence against Zeppelin
raids. RAF College Cranwell
became the world's first military air academy in 1920.
During World War II
, the many RAF
airfields north of Sleaford played a role in the Battle of Britain
, in the debilitating of the Axis
war machine and RAF and USAAF
airfields all around took part in the Allied invasion of Europe. (For example, see RAF Folkingham
). However the area's wartime aviation history is more often associated with bombing, the name "Bomber County" being attributed to Lincolnshire.
In the 1940s, plastic surgery
was pioneered at No.4 RAF Hospital, Rauceby
, on the western outskirts of Sleaford. The Burns Unit was situated in Orchard House — one of the last remaining parts of Rauceby Mental Hospital
(formerly the Kesteven Lunatic Asylum) to remain in NHS use as offices for Lincolnshire South West PCT following the Mental Health Hospital's closure in 1998. The whole site (which is now being redeveloped principally by David Wilson Homes for private housing) and its immediate environs including Rauceby railway station
, has recently been renamed as Greylees, a suburb of the Market Town of Sleaford.
The town is also home to Sharpes International Seeds, whose history can be traced from their merger with Zeneca Seeds in 1996, which formed Advanta Seeds, right back to 1560.
In 2005, a £55-million project was announced by Prince Charles and The Phoenix Trust, to restore The Bass Maltings complex on the southern side of the town.
In April 2005, the Channel 4
magazine Location, Location, Location
named Sleaford as one of the Top 10 'house price hotspots' in England, forecasting a strong surge above Spring 2005 prices before the end of 2005.
In June 2009, planning permission was granted for a Tesco Extra store to be built on the former Advanta Seeds site.
The grant of permission was conditional upon a new access road being provided, the proposed route of which crossed Boston Road Recreational Ground, requiring the removal of 47 rare, mature trees.
Once the new store has opened, Tescos' current Northgate site is expected to be converted into four retail units.
The two main local football teams — the Legionnaires and Sleaford Town F.C.
– played for many years on Boston Road Recreation Ground. The wooden pavilion finally gave way to rot and decay in 2004, and their new stadium opened, located a little further down Boston Road just outside the town's curtilage in March 2007.
Sleaford Museum Trust keeps its collections in storage due to lack of suitable premises but has established a "virtual museum".
The United Reformed Church
(previously the Congregational Church
) in Southgate had its frontage redeveloped in 2007 to provide community rooms, called "The Source", with assistance from WREN and Lincolnshire County Council's 'Multi Use Centres' initiative. In 2008 Sleaford United Reformed and Community churches joined to become The Riverside Church.
Following Sleaford Fairtrade Group's launch in May 2009, Sleaford was declared by the Fairtrade Foundation
to be a Fairtrade Town in June 2010. The Mayor, Councillor Jack Collings, was presented with the Certificate on 3 July 2010. Fairtrade Town status was renewed in October 2011 for a period of 2 years by the Fairtrade Foundation.
The most prominent church in Sleaford is the parish church of St. Denys
, which forms the eastern side of Market Place. The church has one of the oldest stone broach spire
s in England, and mostly dates from 1180, but parts of the church were rebuilt after an electrical storm
in 1884. The altar
rail (originally from Lincoln Cathedral
) is by Sir Christopher Wren. The church is also known for its stained glass
, traceried windows, and carved gargoyle heads
, the buildings Grade I listing notes "particularly good mid Cl4 tracery and ornament".
Cogglesford Mill
(sited on the banks of the River Slea
) dates from the 17th century. It is Lincolnshire's last working water mill and is possibly the last working Sherrif's Mill in England (making it of national importance). It is probably on the site of an earlier Mercia
n estate mill. The adjacent house where the mill worker would have lived is now a restaurant.
Sleaford's Bull & Dog pub, formerly the Black Bull, dates from 1689 (according to a date-stone set in its front wall) and is said to have the oldest surviving bull-baiting pub sign in England.
In the town centre stands Money's Mill, a 1796 windmill
. It currently has no sails and for several years served as the Sleafords tourist information centre.
Other town landmarks include the Handley Monument, the semi-derelict Bass Maltings, the ruins of Sleaford Castle
, and the Picturedrome (once a cinema (upstairs) and a pool
hall (downstairs), later a nightclub and currently unoccupied). The Bass Maltings are set to be redeveloped into a multi use centre, with a shopping centre and residential flats.
The Hub National Centre for Craft & Design includes galleries and studio space. It is situated in the former Hubbards Seed Warehouse on the Sleaford Navigation
wharf.
and junior school
s in Sleaford. There are now four primary schools in Sleaford are Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School (RC), the William Alvey Church of England School, St Botolph's Church of England Primary School and Church Lane Primary School.
These three schools fed a unique whole town co-educational Joint Sixth Form
consortium for 27 years until April 2010, when the High School withdrew from the consortium. At the beginning of the academic year 2010/2011, there were 776 students in the Joint Sixth Form.
.
and as a result it is a hotspot for overtaking and speeding. Perhaps because it is one of the very few places in the area where it is possible to safely overtake the numerous slow moving trucks, tractors and caravans that have been congesting the roads for miles. It was bypassed by the less busy A15 on 16th September 1993 (opened by Douglas Hogg
MP
).
provides a junction served by local trains using the Peterborough to Lincoln Line
on which trains continue to Doncaster
(historically part of the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway
), and the busier Grantham to Skegness Line
on which trains continue to Nottingham
. From Nottingham, there are connections to Cardiff
via Birmingham, Liverpool, Leicester
, Derby
and Worksop
. Sleaford is the only Lincolnshire town to be served by lines running both North-South and East-West.
Grantham
station — and its express East Coast Main Line
rail link to London
– is about twenty-five minutes away from Sleaford by road, or around twenty-five to thirty minutes by rail. Travel by train to London King's Cross from Sleaford usually takes just under two hours (including connections).
s and similar lightweight one-person craft. Most of the Slea has footpaths running alongside it, and these complement the area's many public footpaths and cycle-paths.
. In July 2005, plans were made to connect the town with the existing NCN National Route 15 which (at that time) ended just north of Grantham and extend Route 15 through Sleaford to meet the NCN National Route 1 at the River Witham
.
Since 1912, an annual charity raft race has taken place on the River Slea. In recent years, this has been coupled with the Water Festival local music event.
, Sleaford experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station for which online records are available is Cranwell, about 3.5 miles North West of the town centre.
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...
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 is located thirteen miles (21 km) northeast of Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
, seventeen miles (27 km) 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...
, and nineteen miles (30 km) south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time of the 2001 census.
The name Sleaford is from the Old English esla+forde, meaning "ford over a muddy stream" (now known as the River Slea
River Slea
The River Slea is an 18-mile long tributary of the River Witham, in Lincolnshire, England. In 1872 the river was described as "a never-ending source of pure water", and was a trout river renowned throughout the East coast of England...
). In 852 the name first appears as Slioford whilst in the 1086 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...
it is recorded as Eslaforde. The river was the main trade route for the town for many years. In 1794, the Slea was canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
ised; known as the Sleaford Navigation
Sleaford Navigation
The Sleaford Navigation was a canalisation of the River Slea in Lincolnshire, England, which opened in 1794. It ran from a junction with the River Witham, near Chapel Hill to the town of Sleaford through seven locks, most of which were adjacent to mills. Lack of finance meant that it stopped short...
, it operated until superseded by the railways in the mid 1850s.
Until recently, Sleaford was primarily an agricultural town, supporting a cattle market
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and famous seed companies such as Hubbard and Phillips, and Sharpes International Seeds. More recently, Sleaford is developing as a tourist and craft destination.
History
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Corieltauvi. There may have been a pre-Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
coin mint here, since the largest hoard of coin pellet moulds ever found in Europe was excavated here. Few Iron Age coins were found here however, and it is believed that after being poured into the pellet moulds, the coins were taken to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
to be stamped.
A 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...
, Mareham Lane, used to run through Old Sleaford, and southwards along the fen edge, towards 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:...
. Where it passed through Old Sleaford, excavations have revealed a large stone-built domestic residence with associated farm buildings, corn-driers, ovens and field systems, as well as a number of burials.
In 1858, just to the south of the town, a large Anglo-Roman cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
was found, showing a mix of pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
burial practices. A large Anglo-Saxon
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...
cemetery, of some 600 burials was found during construction of the new railway station in 1882. Further to the south-west, in nearby Quarrington, a substantial Anglo-Saxon settlement was excavated during a new housing development. To the north of the town, an early Saxon settlement was investigated by APS prior to the construction of new housing and facilities at the Holdingham roundabout. Some of the artefacts can be seen displayed at the McDonald's restaurant on the site.
Under the Anglo-Saxons
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, until conquered by the Vikings, Sleaford became part of the Flaxwell Wapentake. Sleaford ('Eslaforde') was then held by a man named Bardi.
Medieval history
William the Conqueror gave the manor of 'Eslaforde' to Remigius de FécampRemigius de Fécamp
Remigius de Fécamp was a Benedictine monk who was a supporter of William the Conqueror.-Early life:...
, the first Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
, in around 1086.
About 1130, Bishop Alexander of Lincoln
Alexander of Lincoln
Alexander of Lincoln was a medieval English Bishop of Lincoln, a member of an important administrative and ecclesiastical family. He was the nephew of Roger of Salisbury, a Bishop of Salisbury and Chancellor of England under King Henry I, and he was also related to Nigel, Bishop of Ely...
built a castle
Sleaford Castle
Sleaford Castle is a medieval castle in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. Built by the Bishop of Lincoln in the early 1120s it was inhabitable as late as 1555 but fell into disrepair during the latter half of the 16th-century...
just southwest of the town. The footings and moat can still be seen, in what is now the Castle Fields. This was the period in which the town moved westwards. The castle was demolished in the Elizabethan era, not later than 1600.
King John, who was disliked by the baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
age, visited Sleaford in 1216, the day after he had lost his baggage train. He was already ill but someone spread the story that while staying overnight at Swineshead
Swineshead, Lincolnshire
Not to be confused with Swineshead, BedfordshireSwineshead is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, around miles west of the town of Boston...
Abbey, he was poisoned by a monk with toad
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
venom. After leaving Sleaford, the King continued his journey reaching Newark, where he died.
From 1556, the ownership of the town and its lands passed from the church to local absentee landowners.
17th and 18th centuries
Carre's Grammar School was established in 1604 by Robert Carre of Aswarby (later Sir Robert Carr of Old Sleaford) who went on to found Carre's Hospital in 1636 (Sleaford Hospital survives as a charitable trust, owning and operating the almshouses at the junction of Carre Street and Eastgate immediately to the south of St. Denys Church and a later set of almshouses in Northgate). The school eventually fell into decay and students were taught in the parish church (this part of St. Denys Church is now known as the Lady Chapel) until 1816, when the school was discontinued. It was rebuilt in 1834 in an Elizabethan style and classes continued. Although the school was free for classical learning, a fee of about two guineasGuinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
per year was charged for other branches of education.
In 1726, William Alvey left an endowment for 20 poor boys and 20 poor girls to attend school. Alvey's Charity School was held in rented rooms until 1841. In 1785, James Harryman left the interest from £100 to provide shoes and stockings for the children of this school.
The common lands were enclosed in 1777 (some sources say 1794).
The Sleaford Navigation
Sleaford Navigation
The Sleaford Navigation was a canalisation of the River Slea in Lincolnshire, England, which opened in 1794. It ran from a junction with the River Witham, near Chapel Hill to the town of Sleaford through seven locks, most of which were adjacent to mills. Lack of finance meant that it stopped short...
was opened in 1794.
19th century
From 1829 to 1831, the street pattern of the entire town was reworked, a new Town Hall built, and better drainage laid. After the voting reforms of 1832, Sleaford became a polling place for the members of parliament for the Southern Division of Lincolnshire.The railways arrived from 1857. Sleaford was eventually the junction of six major roads and five railway branch-lines, making it a regional centre. The railways caused the decline of the Sleaford Navigation, which closed in 1878. The Hubbard seed firm was founded in Sleaford in 1882 and then grew to become a major national business.
With the establishment of the Kesteven
Kesteven
The Parts of Kesteven are a traditional subdivision of Lincolnshire, England. This subdivision had long had a separate county administration , along with the other two parts, Lindsey and Holland.-Etymology:...
County Council under the Act of Parliament
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, Sleaford became its county town.
20th century
The Bass Maltings complex opened fully in 1905, replacing all the small malthouseMalthouse
A malt house, or maltings, is a building where cereal grain is converted into malt by soaking it in water, allowing it to sprout and then drying it to stop further growth. The malt is used in brewing beer, whisky and in certain foods. The traditional malt house was largely phased out during the...
s in the area. The complex struggled to remain open during World War II, but survived and continued operating until 1960. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
considered the huge brewing malthouses to be Lincolnshire's most important industrial architecture, stating in his Buildings of England book: "For sheer impressiveness, little in English architecture can equal the scale of this building. A massive four-storey square tower is in the centre of a line of eight detached pavilions. The total frontage is nearly 1,000 feet."
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, from 1916 naval airships operated from nearby Cranwell
Cranwell
Cranwell is a village situated in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. It is part of the Civil Parish of Cranwell and Byard's Leap and is located 3.95 miles north-north-west of Sleaford and 16.3 miles south-east of the county town of Lincoln...
, then known as RNAS Daedalus, and a now defunct field, RFC
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...
Leadenham provided England's main defence against Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
raids. RAF College Cranwell
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
became the world's first military air academy in 1920.
During 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...
, the many RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airfields north of Sleaford played a role in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, in the debilitating of the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
war machine and RAF and USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
airfields all around took part in the Allied invasion of Europe. (For example, see RAF Folkingham
RAF Folkingham
RAF Folkingham is a former World War II Royal Air Force flying station in Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is located south west of Folkingham and due east of Lenton village, approximately due south of county town Lincoln and north of London...
). However the area's wartime aviation history is more often associated with bombing, the name "Bomber County" being attributed to Lincolnshire.
In the 1940s, plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
was pioneered at No.4 RAF Hospital, Rauceby
Rauceby Mental Hospital
Rauceby Mental Hospital, originally called Kesteven County Asylum, is a now-defunct mental institution in the parish of Quarrington, Lincolnshire. Building work was commenced in 1897, the facility was completed and opened in 1902. After changing hands and names several times the main hospital...
, on the western outskirts of Sleaford. The Burns Unit was situated in Orchard House — one of the last remaining parts of Rauceby Mental Hospital
Rauceby Mental Hospital
Rauceby Mental Hospital, originally called Kesteven County Asylum, is a now-defunct mental institution in the parish of Quarrington, Lincolnshire. Building work was commenced in 1897, the facility was completed and opened in 1902. After changing hands and names several times the main hospital...
(formerly the Kesteven Lunatic Asylum) to remain in NHS use as offices for Lincolnshire South West PCT following the Mental Health Hospital's closure in 1998. The whole site (which is now being redeveloped principally by David Wilson Homes for private housing) and its immediate environs including Rauceby railway station
Rauceby railway station
Rauceby railway station can be found near the Town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, lying close to the western border of the Parish of Old Sleaford and Quarrington just over half-a-mile south of the village of South Rauceby. Sleaford is the only town in Lincolnshire whose main railway station is...
, has recently been renamed as Greylees, a suburb of the Market Town of Sleaford.
The town is also home to Sharpes International Seeds, whose history can be traced from their merger with Zeneca Seeds in 1996, which formed Advanta Seeds, right back to 1560.
21st Century
Since 2000, the town and its buildings have undergone significant expansion and improvement; with the building of numerous new private housing estates on the periphery, a new infant school, and refurbishment of town-centre buildings with a £15-million SRB 'Sleaford Pride' grant.In 2005, a £55-million project was announced by Prince Charles and The Phoenix Trust, to restore The Bass Maltings complex on the southern side of the town.
In April 2005, the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
magazine Location, Location, Location
Location, Location, Location
Location, Location, Location is a Channel 4 property programme, presented by Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer and produced by IWC Media, part of the RDF Media Group. The reality show follows Kirstie and Phil as they try to find the perfect home for a different set of buyers each week. It first...
named Sleaford as one of the Top 10 'house price hotspots' in England, forecasting a strong surge above Spring 2005 prices before the end of 2005.
In June 2009, planning permission was granted for a Tesco Extra store to be built on the former Advanta Seeds site.
The grant of permission was conditional upon a new access road being provided, the proposed route of which crossed Boston Road Recreational Ground, requiring the removal of 47 rare, mature trees.
Once the new store has opened, Tescos' current Northgate site is expected to be converted into four retail units.
The two main local football teams — the Legionnaires and Sleaford Town F.C.
Sleaford Town F.C.
Sleaford Town F.C. is a football club based in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England.-History:Sleaford Town were founded in 1968. They joined the Lincolnshire League, where they were generally successful, being a regular top-ten team. In 2003, Town announced plans to seek a higher level of football in...
– played for many years on Boston Road Recreation Ground. The wooden pavilion finally gave way to rot and decay in 2004, and their new stadium opened, located a little further down Boston Road just outside the town's curtilage in March 2007.
Sleaford Museum Trust keeps its collections in storage due to lack of suitable premises but has established a "virtual museum".
The United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
(previously the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
) in Southgate had its frontage redeveloped in 2007 to provide community rooms, called "The Source", with assistance from WREN and Lincolnshire County Council's 'Multi Use Centres' initiative. In 2008 Sleaford United Reformed and Community churches joined to become The Riverside Church.
Following Sleaford Fairtrade Group's launch in May 2009, Sleaford was declared by the Fairtrade Foundation
The Fairtrade Foundation
The Fairtrade Foundation is a charity based in the United Kingdom that works to empower disadvantaged producers in developing countries by tackling injustice in conventional trade, in particular by promoting and licensing the Fairtrade Mark, a guarantee that products retailed in the UK have been...
to be a Fairtrade Town in June 2010. The Mayor, Councillor Jack Collings, was presented with the Certificate on 3 July 2010. Fairtrade Town status was renewed in October 2011 for a period of 2 years by the Fairtrade Foundation.
Landmarks
St Deny's Church, Sleaford
St Denys is a Grade I listed Church of England church in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It is notable for having one of the oldest stone broach spires in England and an altar rail designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Built in the early 13th century, the building was added to during the 15th, 18th and 19th...
, which forms the eastern side of Market Place. The church has one of the oldest stone broach spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
s in England, and mostly dates from 1180, but parts of the church were rebuilt after an electrical storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
in 1884. The altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
rail (originally from Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
) is by Sir Christopher Wren. The church is also known for its stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, traceried windows, and carved gargoyle heads
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
, the buildings Grade I listing notes "particularly good mid Cl4 tracery and ornament".
Cogglesford Mill
Cogglesford Mill
Cogglesford Mill is a Grade II listed working watermill in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It is possibly the last working Sheriff's Mill in England. The mill sits to the north of Sleaford on banks of River Slea...
(sited on the banks of the River Slea
River Slea
The River Slea is an 18-mile long tributary of the River Witham, in Lincolnshire, England. In 1872 the river was described as "a never-ending source of pure water", and was a trout river renowned throughout the East coast of England...
) dates from the 17th century. It is Lincolnshire's last working water mill and is possibly the last working Sherrif's Mill in England (making it of national importance). It is probably on the site of an earlier Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
n estate mill. The adjacent house where the mill worker would have lived is now a restaurant.
Sleaford's Bull & Dog pub, formerly the Black Bull, dates from 1689 (according to a date-stone set in its front wall) and is said to have the oldest surviving bull-baiting pub sign in England.
In the town centre stands Money's Mill, a 1796 windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
. It currently has no sails and for several years served as the Sleafords tourist information centre.
Other town landmarks include the Handley Monument, the semi-derelict Bass Maltings, the ruins of Sleaford Castle
Sleaford Castle
Sleaford Castle is a medieval castle in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. Built by the Bishop of Lincoln in the early 1120s it was inhabitable as late as 1555 but fell into disrepair during the latter half of the 16th-century...
, and the Picturedrome (once a cinema (upstairs) and a pool
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
hall (downstairs), later a nightclub and currently unoccupied). The Bass Maltings are set to be redeveloped into a multi use centre, with a shopping centre and residential flats.
Sleaford Navigation
The Sleaford Navigation was a canalisation of the River Slea in Lincolnshire, England, which opened in 1794. It ran from a junction with the River Witham, near Chapel Hill to the town of Sleaford through seven locks, most of which were adjacent to mills. Lack of finance meant that it stopped short...
wharf.
Education
Pre-school
There are several privately run nurseries for pre-school age children. They include New Life Pre-School, Redcroft Day Nursery, Woodside Children's Nursery, Happy Day Nursery and Sleaford Day Nursery.Primary schools
Prior to 1999, there were separate infantInfant school
An Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
and junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
s in Sleaford. There are now four primary schools in Sleaford are Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School (RC), the William Alvey Church of England School, St Botolph's Church of England Primary School and Church Lane Primary School.
Secondary schools
- Carre's Grammar SchoolCarre's Grammar SchoolCarre's Grammar School is a selective school and specialist Sports and Science College located in the market town of Sleaford, in Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1604 by Sir Robert Carre...
(male selective secondary schoolGrammar schoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
) - Kesteven and Sleaford High SchoolKesteven and Sleaford High SchoolKesteven and Sleaford High School is a grammar school for girls aged between eleven and eighteen, located on Jermyn Street in the small market town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, close to Sleaford train station.-Awards:...
Selective Academy (female selective secondary schoolGrammar schoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
) - St George's AcademySt George's AcademySt. George's Academy is an English secondary school in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and has now moved sites to the land it is currently on. In 1994 the School gained specialist schools status as a Technology College. The school's facilities include a childcare...
, formerly St. George's College of Technology (mixed secondary schoolComprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
).
These three schools fed a unique whole town co-educational Joint Sixth Form
Sleaford Joint Sixth Form
Sleaford Joint Sixth Form is a partnership in Sleaford, England between Carre's Grammar School and St George's Academy to provide greater learning opportunities for all students.-History:...
consortium for 27 years until April 2010, when the High School withdrew from the consortium. At the beginning of the academic year 2010/2011, there were 776 students in the Joint Sixth Form.
Media
Local newspapers are The Sleaford Target, The Sleaford Citizen, and The Sleaford Standard. Local radio is provided by BBC Lincolnshire and the commercial radio station Lincs FMLincs FM
Lincs FM is an Independent Local Radio station serving Lincolnshire and Newark, from the Humber to The Wash. It is the current holder of the licence which was advertised by the Radio Authority on 4 March 1991.-Background:...
.
Road
The town is situated south of the intersection of the A17 and A15 roads at the Holdingham roundabout. The town was bypassed by a three mile long dual carriageway section of the busy A17 on 27 March 1975 (opened by Joe Godber, the local MP). The section from the Holdingham roundabout to the A153 Anwick road had been opened earlier on 14 November 1973 by Dennis Monk, the chief engineer of the project. To this day the Sleaford bypass (with the exception of the A1) remains the only major stretch of dual carriageway that is located in Southern LincolnshireLincolnshire
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...
and as a result it is a hotspot for overtaking and speeding. Perhaps because it is one of the very few places in the area where it is possible to safely overtake the numerous slow moving trucks, tractors and caravans that have been congesting the roads for miles. It was bypassed by the less busy A15 on 16th September 1993 (opened by Douglas Hogg
Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
Douglas Martin Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham PC, QC is a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1995-97, and was a Member of Parliament from 1979 to 2010.Hogg's claim for cleaning of the...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
).
Railway
The three-platform railway stationSleaford railway station
Sleaford railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England; the other station being Rauceby railway station...
provides a junction served by local trains using 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...
on which trains continue to Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
(historically part of the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway
Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway
The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway was a joint railway owned by the Great Northern Railway and its rival, the Great Eastern Railway. It was established in the early 1880s, and the joint company built a new, primarily freight, route between Cambridge and Doncaster, a distance of...
), and the busier Grantham to Skegness Line
Grantham to Skegness Line
The Grantham to Skegness Line, promoted as the Poacher Line, runs for between Grantham and Skegness in Lincolnshire, England.The route was selected as one of the seven pilot schemes under the Department for Transport's Community Rail Development Strategy in 2005 and was formally designated as a...
on which trains continue to Nottingham
Nottingham to Grantham Line
The Nottingham to Grantham Line is a branch line between the towns of Nottingham and Grantham in the East Midlands of England. It follows the A52.The following places are served by the line.* Nottingham* Netherfield* Radcliffe on Trent* Bingham...
. From Nottingham, there are connections to Cardiff
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
via Birmingham, Liverpool, Leicester
Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
, Derby
Derby Midland railway station
Derby railway station , also known as Derby Midland Station, is a main line railway station serving the city of Derby in England. Owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains, the station is also used by CrossCountry services and one Northern Rail service...
and Worksop
Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell are in Derbyshire.The towns and villages served by the route are listed below:*Nottingham*Bulwell*Hucknall...
. Sleaford is the only Lincolnshire town to be served by lines running both North-South and East-West.
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...
station — and its express 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...
rail link to 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...
– is about twenty-five minutes away from Sleaford by road, or around twenty-five to thirty minutes by rail. Travel by train to London King's Cross from Sleaford usually takes just under two hours (including connections).
River
There are plans to make the River Slea navigable again by boats, from the River Witham up to Sleaford. It is currently navigable only by canoeCanoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s and similar lightweight one-person craft. Most of the Slea has footpaths running alongside it, and these complement the area's many public footpaths and cycle-paths.
Cycle
There are several new cycle-paths around the town, including the Sleaford Cycle Trail, but Sleaford is not yet connected to the National Cycle NetworkNational Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
. In July 2005, plans were made to connect the town with the existing NCN National Route 15 which (at that time) ended just north of Grantham and extend Route 15 through Sleaford to meet the NCN National Route 1 at 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...
.
Traditions
Sleaford holds a market in the town on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Until 1202, it had been held on Sunday but in that year it was transferred to Thursday and at a later date from Thursday to Monday.Since 1912, an annual charity raft race has taken place on the River Slea. In recent years, this has been coupled with the Water Festival local music event.
Climate
As with the rest of the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, Sleaford experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station for which online records are available is Cranwell, about 3.5 miles North West of the town centre.
Notable Sleafordians
- The Handley familyThe Handley family of SleafordThe Handleys were a prominent family in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, between around 1777 and the late 1800s. An offshoot of the notable Newark family, the Handleys of Sleaford came to hold position as lawyers, bankers, politicians and clerics in the town and attained great wealth and holdings in the area...
; lawyers, politicians and landowners in the 1700s-1800s - Sir Joseph Banks opened the Sleaford NavigationSleaford NavigationThe Sleaford Navigation was a canalisation of the River Slea in Lincolnshire, England, which opened in 1794. It ran from a junction with the River Witham, near Chapel Hill to the town of Sleaford through seven locks, most of which were adjacent to mills. Lack of finance meant that it stopped short...
s in 1794; the river was dredged and linked to the River WithamRiver WithamThe 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...
. - George BassGeorge BassGeorge Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early years:He was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father died in 1777 when Bass was 6...
born at Aswarby helped to map the coast of AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1797, and the waters between Australia and TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
are now called the 'Bass StraitBass StraitBass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
'. - Spence BroughtonSpence BroughtonSpence Broughton was a highwayman who was executed for robbing the Sheffield and Rotherham mail. After his execution he gained notoriety because his body was gibbeted at the scene of the crime on Attercliffe Common between Sheffield and Rotherham, where it hung for 36 years.-Biography:Little is...
(c.1746–1792), highwaymanHighwaymanA highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
executed for robbing the Sheffield and Rotherham mail. He gained notoriety because his body was gibbetGibbetA gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
ed at the scene of the crime, where it hung for 36 years. - Neil McCarthy (actor) (1932-1985) British actor
- Gary CrosbyGary Crosby (footballer)Gary Crosby began his senior career at Lincoln United. In his teenage years, he had been one of the most promising players in the Lincoln area and regularly appeared for Lincoln City's youth and reserve sides. A slight but skillful player, it was often felt his physique would prevent him turning...
(1964–), footballer who has played for Lincoln UnitedLincoln United F.C.Lincoln United F.C. is an English football team which plays in the Northern Premier League. The club is based in Lincoln. 'The Whites', as they are commonly known, play at the Ashby Avenue ground, which backs on to Hartsholme Country Park.-History:...
, Grantham TownGrantham Town F.C.Grantham Town F.C. is a football club, based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South. They are nicknamed The Gingerbreads and they play their home matches at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium . They were established in August 1874...
and Nottingham Forest. - Joseph HayatJoseph HayatJoseph Hayat is an award winning young British entrepreneur, television campaigner and politician. He is currently the Deputy Member of Youth Parliament for the constituency of Sleaford & North Hykeham within Lincolnshire West....
(1993-), entrepreneur dubbed 'worlds youngest airline boss' - John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of SleafordJohn Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of SleafordJohn Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford was Chief Butler of England from 1521 until his death...
(c.1465-c.1536), Chief Butler of EnglandChief Butler of EnglandThe Chief Butler of England is an office of Grand Sergeanty associated with the feudal Manor of Kenninghall in Norfolk. The office requires service to be provided to the Monarch at the Coronation, in this case the service of Pincera Regis, or Chief Butler at the Coronation banquet.The manor of...
. - Cecil Rhodes, the famous explorer and entrepreneur spent part of his boyhood in The Manor House, on the west side of Northgate. Part of this is now known as Rhodes House in his honour.
- Jennifer SaundersJennifer SaundersJennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
(1958–), British actress, comedian and writer (French & SaundersFrench & SaundersFrench and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
, Absolutely FabulousAbsolutely FabulousAbsolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
). - Charles Shannon (April 26, 1865–1937), English artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. - Bernie TaupinBernie TaupinBernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
, Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's songwriter, was born at AnwickAnwickAnwick is a small village in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, north east of Sleaford on the A153 between Sleaford and Billinghay.-History:Two glacial erratic boulders, the Drake Stones, lie next to the churchyard....
on the road to Horncastle. - Eric ThompsonEric ThompsonEric Norman Thompson was an English actor, producer and television presenter.Thompson was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of George Henry and Anne Thompson, and grew up Rudgwick, Sussex, attending Collyer's School, Horsham...
(1929–1982), British actor, husband of Phyllida LawPhyllida Law-Personal life:Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of William and Megsie Law, who divorced after World War II. She was married to Eric Thompson from 1957 until his death in 1982. Their two children Emma and Sophie Thompson are both actresses...
and father of Emma ThompsonEmma ThompsonEmma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
and Sophie ThompsonSophie ThompsonSophie Thompson is an award-winning English actress, best known for playing Stella Crawford in EastEnders.-Early life:...
. He was the narrator of the well-known 1960s TV series The Magic RoundaboutThe Magic RoundaboutThe Magic Roundabout was a children's television programme created in France in 1963 by Serge Danot...
. - Abi TitmussAbi TitmussAbi Titmuss, , is a former English nurse turned glamour model, television personality and actress.-Early life:...
lived in nearby Heckington and Ruskington, went to school in Sleaford and took her A-levels in the town. - Mark WallingtonMark Wallington (footballer)Mark Wallington is a former English footballer where he enjoyed a long career as a goalkeeper. He currently teaches PE at St. George's Academy, Sleaford...
(1952–), schoolteacher, former England U23 Goalkeeper and professional footballer who has played for WalsallWalsall F.C.Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, Derby CountyDerby County F.C.Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, Lincoln CityLincoln City F.C.Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
and Grantham TownGrantham Town F.C.Grantham Town F.C. is a football club, based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South. They are nicknamed The Gingerbreads and they play their home matches at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium . They were established in August 1874...
Football Clubs. - Lois Wilkinson (1944–) original member of The Caravelles, a British duo girl band best known for their 1963 hit single, "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry".
- "Bill" WrightWilliam Henry WrightWilliam Henry "Bill" Wright was a Canadian prospector who discovered the Kirkland Lake Break, which hosted seven gold-producing mines. He used the proceeds from his gold finds to launch a national newspaper in Canada, The Globe and Mail.-Early life:Wright was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England...
(1876–1951), Prospector for Gold, Patron of The Globe and MailThe Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
(Canadian newspaper). - The rock band 22-20s22-20s22-20s are an English rock band formed in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The band originally disbanded in December 2005 but reformed in 2008 and released Shake/Shiver/Moan in 2010....
was formed in Sleaford.