Welton, Lincolnshire
Encyclopedia
Welton is a village
and civil parish
seven miles north of the city of Lincoln in the county of Lincolnshire
, England
, and the district
of West Lindsey
. The longer name Welton by Lincoln serves to distinguish it from two other Weltons in Lincolnshire, Welton le Wold
and Welton le Marsh
, and other Weltons elsewhere in England.
. Just as in nearby Lincoln, the area has a long history of human habitation. There is evidence of both Roman
and Celt
ic settlement, and the village was well established by the time of the Domesday Book
, in which it is mentioned as Welletone.
The village church, the Prebendal Church of St. Mary, was originally Norman
, but only a few fragments of this survive in the tower walls; the present building is in the Early English
style from around 1250. An interesting piece of historical trivia is that the six church bells were cast by Henry Harrison, nephew of John Harrison
who won a famous £20,000 prize for inventing the marine chronometer
.
In 2001 the resident population of Welton was precisely 5,000, according to the census
. However, this figure is for Welton ward, which includes other smaller villages nearby. The population of Welton parish
was 3,821.
formation known as the 'Welton Band'. Ironically enough, the layer is not actually visible from Welton, but on just seven sites much further north east. Neighbouring to the south is Dunholme
, near the A46
. RAF Dunholme Lodge
(on which the comprehensive school is built) is next to both villages and was a wartime bomber base.
, campsite
and a War Memorial
. Additionally, the village is home to a successful secondary school, William Farr
on Lincoln Road, which is the best comprehensive in Lincolnshire as well as one of the best in England, in addition to a reputable veterinary clinic. There is a recently (February 2008) refurbished library and an adjacent Co-op
. There is St Mary's CE primary school on School Drive. The village youth football team caters for competitive teams between the ages of 8 and 18.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and 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...
seven miles north of the city of Lincoln in the county 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
of West Lindsey
West Lindsey
West Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England.-History:The district was formed on 1 April 1974, from the urban districts of Gainsborough, Market Rasen, along with Caistor Rural District, Gainsborough Rural District and Welton Rural District...
. The longer name Welton by Lincoln serves to distinguish it from two other Weltons in Lincolnshire, Welton le Wold
Welton Le Wold
Welton le Wold is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about west of the town of Louth.Welton was listed in Domesday Book of 1086, when it consisted of 57 households....
and Welton le Marsh
Welton le Marsh
Welton Le Marsh is a village and civil parish about north east of the town of Spilsby and about south of the town of Alford, Lincolnshire, England. The hamlet of Boothby lies within the parish about east of Welton Le Marsh village....
, and other Weltons elsewhere in England.
History
The name means, roughly, village with a well, and indeed the village well still exists, complete with Victorian pumpPump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
. Just as in nearby Lincoln, the area has a long history of human habitation. There is evidence of both 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...
and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic settlement, and the village was well established by the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, in which it is mentioned as Welletone.
The village church, the Prebendal Church of St. Mary, was originally Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, but only a few fragments of this survive in the tower walls; the present building is in the Early English
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style from around 1250. An interesting piece of historical trivia is that the six church bells were cast by Henry Harrison, nephew of John Harrison
John Harrison
John Harrison was a self-educated English clockmaker. He invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought device in solving the problem of establishing the East-West position or longitude of a ship at sea, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel in the Age...
who won a famous £20,000 prize for inventing the marine chronometer
Marine chronometer
A marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation...
.
In 2001 the resident population of Welton was precisely 5,000, according to the census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. However, this figure is for Welton ward, which includes other smaller villages nearby. The population of Welton 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...
was 3,821.
Geography
Welton is noted in geological circles for the rare chalkChalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
formation known as the 'Welton Band'. Ironically enough, the layer is not actually visible from Welton, but on just seven sites much further north east. Neighbouring to the south is Dunholme
Dunholme
Dunholme is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is on the A46 six miles north-east of Lincoln.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 1,681.Dunholme has a post office and village shop, St...
, near the A46
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
. RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Dunholme Lodge was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located between the parishes of Welton and Dunholme in Lincolnshire, England.-History:...
(on which the comprehensive school is built) is next to both villages and was a wartime bomber base.
Amenities
Welton has two pubs, The Falconer and The Black Bull, which is reputed to be haunted. Situated on the playing field, a Sports and Social Club. There is also a golf courseGolf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
and a War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
. Additionally, the village is home to a successful secondary school, William Farr
William Farr School
William Farr Church of England Comprehensive School, generallyknown as William Farr School or just William Farr , is a Church of England comprehensive school in Dunholme, though the postal address places the school in Welton, five miles north-east of Lincoln...
on Lincoln Road, which is the best comprehensive in Lincolnshire as well as one of the best in England, in addition to a reputable veterinary clinic. There is a recently (February 2008) refurbished library and an adjacent Co-op
Co-op UK
The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 3 million individual members. Modern co-operation started with the Rochdale Pioneers' shop in the northern English town of Rochdale in 1844....
. There is St Mary's CE primary school on School Drive. The village youth football team caters for competitive teams between the ages of 8 and 18.