Surfleet
Encyclopedia
Surfleet is a small village on the Lincolnshire
fens, situated on the River Glen
about five miles north of Spalding
.
The population is about 1,266 people, many of whom commute to regional populations centres such as Spalding
, Boston
and Peterborough
.
Attractions in the village include an ancient church dedicated to Saint Laurence, which has a 15th Century font
and a tower that leans 6 feet 4½ inches (1.94 metres) out of perpendicular. Remains of Roman
sea banks and salt pans can also be seen near the village. The Church is situated exactly 2 and a half miles between the nearby villages of Gosberton to the North and Pinchbeck to the South.
Grimsby to Peterborough section of the Lincolnshire loop Line. The railway station was situated at the bottom of the village giving the main road through the village (Station Road) its name. The station was a modest brick building with two platforms and sidings. The station also had a signal box
that the controlled the points and signals in the station and further down the line. A small hotel was also built and was called the Great Northern Hotel until the late 1980s.
It was the first station north of the then much busier station in Spalding. Spalding station was once a mainline station with lines coming from the north (which was the line Surfleet was on) and west which is now the only line from the north of the station. It also had the line that leads to Peterborough
which still exists today and the line from Norwich
in the East which was the first to be axed in the 60's.
Surfleet enjoyed regular trains to Spalding and Boston and other destinations. The river was used to transport goods from around Surfleet to the station where they were transported all over the country by rail. These goods consisted of mainly farm produce such as wheat, potatoes, sugar beet
(went by train to Spalding sugar beet factory, which has since been demolished and is now the site of a power station
), flowers and barley. Fish and shellfish that was caught in The Wash
and landed at Surfleet Reservoir was also transported from Surfleet Station, much of which left on an early train to be sold at Billingsgate Market in London the same day. The Line was owned and operated by the Great Northern Railway Company until the company was absorbed by the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1927.
The demise of the railway in Surfleet was very much thanks to British Railways. The LNER had gone as the Nationalisation of the Railways in Britain was devised by the first Labour Government. The station was on one of the many lines across the country that was axed by the controversial Beeching Report. The Station closed to passengers in 1961 and to goods in 1963. The line between Spalding, Lincolnshire
and Boston, Lincolnshire
survived until late 1970 when, after over 100 years of service, the Line was finally ripped up leaving only the station buildings thus ending an era of reliable rail transport for Surfleet. Even a busy town station like Spalding station was affected as even it closed when the line was axed. It was lucky though, as it was re-opened a year later in 1971 to provide the areas which had lost their railway service with at least one rail link.
The station buildings in Surfleet stood until 1994 when they were bulldozed to make way for the building of the A16 Spalding Bypass. The A16 road is built on the route of the old railway line from Boston to just past Surfleet where it turns away to the left to avoid Spalding. The only part of the station that still exists is the Riverside Hotel Public House which is on the original route of station road which was re-routed to accommodate the A16
The building has been extended since first opening to improve and expand its facilities. It now has 3 internal classrooms, a large multi purpose hall, a central library and a computer room. A further mobile building, situated in the rear playground, acts as the fourth classroom. The school has two large hard surface playing areas, an environmental garden, a garden play area and a large field which is used for sports and games.
The school has under 90 pupils on roll served by 4 full time teaching staff and numerous support and ancillary staff. The former Head teacher was Mrs Pam Smith who retired in July 2008. The school then federated with Weston St Marys Church of England Primary School to then title Mrs Dawn Neal as the new Head teacher.
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...
fens, situated on the River Glen
River Glen, Lincolnshire
The River Glen is a river in Lincolnshire, England with a short stretch passing through Rutland near Essendine.The river's name appears to derive from a Brythonic Celtic language but there is a strong early English connection.-Naming:...
about five miles north of Spalding
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road....
.
The population is about 1,266 people, many of whom commute to regional populations centres such as Spalding
Spalding
-Places:Australia* Spalding, South Australia, a town north of the Clare Valley* Spalding, Western Australia, a suburb of GeraldtonCanada* Spalding, Saskatchewan, a village* Spalding No...
, 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 Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
.
Attractions in the village include an ancient church dedicated to Saint Laurence, which has a 15th Century font
Font
In typography, a font is traditionally defined as a quantity of sorts composing a complete character set of a single size and style of a particular typeface...
and a tower that leans 6 feet 4½ inches (1.94 metres) out of perpendicular. Remains of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
sea banks and salt pans can also be seen near the village. The Church is situated exactly 2 and a half miles between the nearby villages of Gosberton to the North and Pinchbeck to the South.
Railway
The Railway arrived in Surfleet in the 1850s due to the completion of the Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)Great 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....
Grimsby to Peterborough section of the Lincolnshire loop Line. The railway station was situated at the bottom of the village giving the main road through the village (Station Road) its name. The station was a modest brick building with two platforms and sidings. The station also had a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
that the controlled the points and signals in the station and further down the line. A small hotel was also built and was called the Great Northern Hotel until the late 1980s.
It was the first station north of the then much busier station in Spalding. Spalding station was once a mainline station with lines coming from the north (which was the line Surfleet was on) and west which is now the only line from the north of the station. It also had the line that leads to Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
which still exists today and the line from Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
in the East which was the first to be axed in the 60's.
Surfleet enjoyed regular trains to Spalding and Boston and other destinations. The river was used to transport goods from around Surfleet to the station where they were transported all over the country by rail. These goods consisted of mainly farm produce such as wheat, potatoes, sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
(went by train to Spalding sugar beet factory, which has since been demolished and is now the site of a power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
), flowers and barley. Fish and shellfish that was caught in The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
and landed at Surfleet Reservoir was also transported from Surfleet Station, much of which left on an early train to be sold at Billingsgate Market in London the same day. The Line was owned and operated by the Great Northern Railway Company until the company was absorbed by the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1927.
The demise of the railway in Surfleet was very much thanks to British Railways. The LNER had gone as the Nationalisation of the Railways in Britain was devised by the first Labour Government. The station was on one of the many lines across the country that was axed by the controversial Beeching Report. The Station closed to passengers in 1961 and to goods in 1963. The line between Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road....
and Boston, Lincolnshire
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...
survived until late 1970 when, after over 100 years of service, the Line was finally ripped up leaving only the station buildings thus ending an era of reliable rail transport for Surfleet. Even a busy town station like Spalding station was affected as even it closed when the line was axed. It was lucky though, as it was re-opened a year later in 1971 to provide the areas which had lost their railway service with at least one rail link.
The station buildings in Surfleet stood until 1994 when they were bulldozed to make way for the building of the A16 Spalding Bypass. The A16 road is built on the route of the old railway line from Boston to just past Surfleet where it turns away to the left to avoid Spalding. The only part of the station that still exists is the Riverside Hotel Public House which is on the original route of station road which was re-routed to accommodate the A16
Primary School
Surfleet also has a small primary school, the Surfleet Seas End County Primary School. It is situated on Station Road, and was formerly an all girls' school. It was built in 1878,and has the appearance of a typical Victorian School. The original school buildings are still used, in addition to the old schoolhouse which has recently been refurbished and now acts as the administration office and visitor reception areas.The building has been extended since first opening to improve and expand its facilities. It now has 3 internal classrooms, a large multi purpose hall, a central library and a computer room. A further mobile building, situated in the rear playground, acts as the fourth classroom. The school has two large hard surface playing areas, an environmental garden, a garden play area and a large field which is used for sports and games.
The school has under 90 pupils on roll served by 4 full time teaching staff and numerous support and ancillary staff. The former Head teacher was Mrs Pam Smith who retired in July 2008. The school then federated with Weston St Marys Church of England Primary School to then title Mrs Dawn Neal as the new Head teacher.
External links
- Surfleet Parish Council
- Glen Group Parishes - St Laurence's, Surfleet