131-634: The River Ancholme is a river in Lincolnshire , England , and a tributary of the Humber . It rises at Ancholme Head, a spring just north of the village of Ingham and immediately west of the Roman Road, Ermine Street . It flows east and then north to Bishopbridge west of Market Rasen , where it is joined by the Rase . North of there it flows through the market town of Brigg before draining into
262-493: A 2,750-metre (3,010 yd) course, with open, women's, juniors, mixed and masters categories, and is affiliated to British Rowing. The Scrumpy Row has a more social orientation, and covers 6 miles (9.7 km) from Brigg to Brandy Wharf. The Environment Agency work with the club to support competitive and recreational rowing. The Agency have an agreement with the British Canoe Union, allowing their members to use
393-477: A area known as the "Fosdyke Wash". The rest of the sea boundary runs from Fosdyke to the east of Sutton Bridge , where the current land boundary with Norfolk is located in a narrow area of reclaimed farmland just to the east of the River Nene but until as recently as the early 19th century there was no land border between Lincolnshire and Norfolk as it was separated from each other by the "Cross Keys Wash"
524-464: A continuous and unscrupulous use of the power and authority of the royal government to manipulate local institutions and to overawe the local populace." The antiquarian William Stukeley visited the river and in 1724 published a report in which he lamented the fact that the sluices below the stately bridge were "broken down and lying in dismal ruins by the negligence of the undertakers." Conditions continued to deteriorate, so that in 1766, landowners in
655-606: A former area of estuary and marshland where the River Nene used to flow out into the Wash and could only be crossed at low tide by a causeway or ferry and was the natural boundary between the two counties. The causeway known at the time as the "Wash Way" was renowned as being particularly treacherous and the safer route was to go into Norfolk from Lincolnshire via the Cambridgeshire town of Wisbech and this element remains to
786-405: A maximum depth of 36 feet (11 m). After further chlorination, the water is pumped for another 6.2 miles (10 km) through a 4.0-foot (1.22 m) diameter steel pipeline to Elsham Water Treatment Works, which produces up to 30 megalitres (6.6 × 10 ^ imp gal) per day of potable water for public water supply. In addition to supporting these abstractions, the use of water from
917-540: A public road. Next to it is a brown-brick warehouse with three storeys and a slate hipped roof, which is a Grade II listed structure. The towpath crosses from the west bank to the east bank at the bridge. A little further to the east is the Old Tollgate Bridge, a red brick single span with ashlar dressing dating from the late 1700s, which crosses the Old River Ancholme. Continuing northwards,
1048-552: A result of water from the Humber entering it, and passing through land which was often waterlogged on both sides, the Ancholme offered a route into the communities of northern Lincolnshire. Cargo was carried on it from an early date: in 1287 a patent was granted to allow improvements to be made from Bishopbridge to Ferriby, so that boats could more easily carry grain and other commodities on the river "as they had done formerly". However,
1179-457: A span of 130 feet (40 m). It is one of the earliest suspension bridges still standing, and the only suspension bridge known to have been designed by Rennie. The bridge at Yarborough Mills, in Brigg, has a single segmental arch build of stone, and was opened in 1827, although it has been widened subsequently. The bridge at Brandy Wharf, which was completed in the following year, is more typical of
1310-665: A through train service operated between Cleethorpes and London King's Cross via Louth , Boston and Peterborough . The part of this line in Grimsby is now the A16 road , preventing reinstatement as a railway line, and a small section of the line is now the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway , with an extension towards Louth in progress. A daily through train service operated between Cleethorpes and London King's Cross via Grimsby , Market Rasen and Lincoln Central until
1441-480: A wharf for coal and general goods at Bishopbridge, and to construct a lock at Harlam Hill. No progress was made until 20 July 1785, when the commissioners met the proprietors to arrange the purchase of land for the wharf. By this time the engineer had been replaced by Thomas Bradley. The tolls had been leased to Jonathan and John Goodwin for a period of eleven years from 1781. They paid the commissioners £402 per year, and were expected to make good any damage by tides up to
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#17327653287611572-764: Is Humberside Airport , near Brigg. East Midlands Airport , the main airport servicing the East Midlands, is within travelling distance of the county. Until its closure in 2022, Doncaster Sheffield Airport near Doncaster was within travelling distance of much of Lincolnshire. The county's biggest bus companies are Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes (formerly Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport) and Stagecoach in Lincolnshire (formerly Lincolnshire Road Car). There are several smaller bus companies, including Brylaine of Boston, Delaine Buses and Hornsby's of Scunthorpe. A Sustrans cycle route runs from Lincoln to Boston in
1703-630: Is Wolds Top (168 m, 551 ft), at Normanby le Wold . Some parts of the Fens may be below sea level. The nearest mountains are in Derbyshire. The biggest rivers in Lincolnshire are the Trent , running northwards from Staffordshire up the western edge of the county to the Humber estuary, and the Witham , which begins in Lincolnshire at South Witham and runs for 132 km (82 miles) through
1834-466: Is C 66. As of 2016, there are 5,790 rolls in the series, dating from 1201 to 2012. Letters patent were also issued to grant monopolies over particular industries to individuals with new techniques, and these grants were likewise copied onto the patent rolls. The system became subject to abuse in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I , and was eventually regulated by the Statute of Monopolies of 1624,
1965-603: Is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to the north, the North Sea to the east, Norfolk , Cambridgeshire , Northamptonshire and Rutland to the south, and Leicestershire , Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire to the west. The county town is the city of Lincoln . Lincolnshire
2096-406: Is a northbound service on a Sunday. This was increased in 2019 to a service every two hours. East Midlands Railway also run a daily (Mon-Sat) service each way between Lincoln and London St Pancras , though this is a stopping service which takes around three hours via Nottingham , compared to LNER's service to London King's Cross which takes around 1 hour 50 minutes. The only airport in Lincolnshire
2227-668: Is also home to one of the UK's leading agricultural experiment stations , located in Sutton Bridge and operated by the Potato Council ; Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research engages in research for the British potato industry. The Lincoln Longwool is a rare breed of sheep, named after the region, which was developed both for wool and mutton, at least 500 years ago, and has the longest fleece of any sheep breed. The Lincoln Red
2358-568: Is also popular with walkers, having a towpath along its entire length; other rights of way are associated with the river. During the late 1960s, there was increasing demand for water, particularly within the South Humber bank industrial area. Extractions from the underlying chalk aquifer could not be increased, and so the demand was met by building the Trent Witham Ancholme Transfer Scheme (TWA), which
2489-622: Is also purged regularly, to prevent dissolved solids building up. The largest abstractor is Anglian Water, who maintain a pumping station on the east bank of the river by Cadney bridge. They were licensed to remove 31,000 megalitres (6,800 × 10 ^ imp gal) per year in 1996, which is about 82 per cent of the total abstraction. After initial grit removal and chlorination, water is pumped for 1.2 miles (1.9 km) through twin 5.9-foot (1.8 m) diameter concrete pipelines to Cadney reservoir, which can hold 900 megalitres (200 × 10 ^ imp gal), covers 35 acres (14 ha), and has
2620-425: Is an old breed of beef cattle, originating from the county. In the mid 20th century most farms in Lincolnshire moved away from mixed farming to specialise in arable cropping, partly due to cheap wool imports, partly to take advantage of efficiencies of scale and partly because the drier land on the eastern side of England is particularly suitable for arable cropping. Mechanization around 1900 greatly diminished
2751-426: Is nowhere above the lock to turn a longer boat. Small boats can be launched from a slipway at Brandy Wharf Leisure Park, on the western bank of the river. The river is a popular venue for rowing, kayaking and canoeing. Ancholme Rowing Club is based in Brigg, and caters for rowers of all abilities. It encourages junior membership, offers tuition, and organises two major events each year. The Ancholme Head race covers
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#17327653287612882-532: Is on the west bank by the bridge, supplying water to the steel industry in Scunthorpe. Saxby Bridge is a wrought iron single span with timber decking, dating from the mid-19th century, which is virtually unaltered, apart from minor repairs to the decking. Horkstow Bridge is John Rennie's only known suspension bridge, and is one of the earliest unaltered suspension bridges in Britain. It is Grade II* listed . As
3013-408: Is one of the few counties in the UK that still uses the eleven-plus to decide who may attend grammar school . As a result, many towns in Lincolnshire have both a grammar school and a secondary modern school . Lincolnshire's rural character means that some larger villages also have primary schools and are served by buses to nearby high schools. Lincoln itself, however, is primarily non-selective, as
3144-573: Is one of the largest trusts in the country, employing almost 4,000 staff and with an annual budget of over £200 million. The north of the county is served by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust . Some of the larger hospitals in the county include: Since April 1994, Lincolnshire has had an Air Ambulance service . The air ambulance is stationed at RAF Waddington near Lincoln and can reach emergencies in Lincolnshire within 25 minutes. An A&E hospital
3275-642: Is only 10 minutes away by helicopter from any accident in Lincolnshire. Separately to the commercial water companies the low-lying parts of the county are drained by various internal drainage boards , such as the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board , Witham 4th District IDB , Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board Archived 18 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine , or the Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board . Being on
3406-635: Is provided at Riseholme College and in 2016 the University of Lincoln opened the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology. The Central Lincolnshire area covers North Kesteven , Lincoln and West Lindsey . It helps with development and economic planning around the three districts. According to an Intra-governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI) study in 2000, the town centres were ranked by area thus (including North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire areas): Lincolnshire
3537-532: Is represented by ten Members of Parliament (MPs) whose constituencies fall entirely within the county. Small areas of Lincolnshire form constituencies with parts of neighbouring counties, namely the Isle of Axholme (part of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme ) and the town of Stamford and its surroundings (part of Rutland and Stamford ). Of the ten constituencies entirely within Lincolnshire, six are represented by
3668-404: Is taken from the river to supplement cooling water lost by evaporation, and some of the cooling water is discharged to the river to prevent a build up of suspended and dissolved solids. Water is also processed by a treatment plant, where it is filtered and ion-exchanged, to provide a clean supply for the boilers, which will not cause scaling or corrosion. Like the cooling water, the boiler feed water
3799-509: Is the area within a radius of about seven miles. In this area, almost all children attend comprehensive schools , though it is still possible to opt into the eleven-plus system. This gives rise to the unusual result that those who pass the eleven-plus can attend a grammar school outside the Lincoln comprehensive area, but those who do not pass still attend a (partly non-selective) comprehensive school. The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
3930-458: Is the second largest ceremonial county in England, after North Yorkshire . The county is predominantly rural, with an area of 6,959 km (2,687 sq mi) and a population of 1,095,010. After Lincoln (104,565), the largest towns are Grimsby (85,911) and Scunthorpe (81,286). For local government purposes Lincolnshire comprises a non-metropolitan county , with seven districts, and
4061-405: Is therefore limited to three hours either side of high tide. The river is large enough to support small barges and medium-sized cabin cruisers . South Ferriby lock is 68 by 18 feet (20.7 by 5.5 m) with a draught of 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 m). Harlam Hill lock is smaller, at 60 by 16 feet (18.3 by 4.9 m) but the effective maximum length of boats is 40 feet (12 m), as there
River Ancholme - Misplaced Pages Continue
4192-519: The Aire and Calder Navigation . During the 1790s, the problems of effective drainage worsened, and the commissioners appointed Isaac Leatham, from Barton near Malton, to produce a comprehensive report with recommendations for the Ancholme Level. He addressed the issues of both drainage and navigation, and presented his plans on 29 August 1800, but commissioners thought the projected cost of £22,975
4323-647: The Conservative Party , three by the Labour Party and one by Reform UK . Lincolnshire County Council is majority controlled by the Conservative Party, and consists of 54 Conservative councillors, four Labour, four South Holland Independents , four independents , three Liberal Democrats and one Lincolnshire Independent . The county is made up of seven local borough and district councils and two unitary authority areas independent of
4454-647: The East Riding of Yorkshire and a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire to form the new non-metropolitan county of Humberside . The rest of Lindsey, along with Holland, Kesteven and Lincoln, came under the governance of the new Lincolnshire County Council . A local government reform in 1996 abolished Humberside. The land south of the Humber Estuary was allocated to the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire which became part of Lincolnshire for ceremonial purposes, such as
4585-660: The English , British and United Kingdom Chancery , running from 1201 to the present day. The patent rolls comprise a register of the letters patent issued by the Crown , and sealed "open" with the Great Seal pendent , expressing the sovereign's will on a wide range of matters of public interest, including – but not restricted to – grants of official positions, lands, commissions, privileges and pardons, issued both to individuals and to corporations . The rolls were started in
4716-681: The Environment Agency . The Ancholme Internal Drainage Board maintains twelve pumping stations which can pump water from the surrounding low-lying land to prevent flooding. The river is used by Scunthorpe Steelworks , and Anglian Water supplying the South Humber bank industrial area. To meet these needs in many dry times water is transferred from Barlings Eau , near the Witham , by the Trent-Witham-Ancholme transfer scheme, commissioned in 1974. Some bridges are private rights of way – remaining such as conscious of
4847-755: The Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve . Although the Lincolnshire countryside is intensively farmed, there are many biodiverse wetland areas , as well as rare limewood forests . Much of the county was once wet fenland (see The Fens ). From bones, we can tell that animal species formerly found in Lincolnshire include woolly mammoth , woolly rhinoceros , wild horse , wolf , wild boar and beaver . Species which have recently returned to Lincolnshire after extirpation include little egret , Eurasian spoonbill , European otter and red kite . The Local Government Act 1888 established county councils for each of
4978-594: The Lord-Lieutenancy , but are not covered by the Lincolnshire police; they are in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. The remaining districts of Lincolnshire are Boston , East Lindsey , Lincoln, North Kesteven , South Holland , South Kesteven , and West Lindsey . They are part of the East Midlands region. North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire are unitary authorities. They were districts of Humberside county from 1974. In 1996, Humberside
5109-513: The Richter magnitude scale ; it was one of the largest earthquakes to affect Britain in recent years. Lincolnshire is home to Woolsthorpe Manor , birthplace and home of Sir Isaac Newton . He attended The King's School, Grantham . Its library has preserved his signature, carved into a window sill when he was a youth. The geographical layout of Lincolnshire is quite extensive and mostly separated by many rivers and rolling countryside. The north of
5240-669: The Rolls Chapel , prior to their permanent transfer to the Tower. These transfers ceased at the end of the 15th century, and so the Rolls Chapel became the permanent place of deposit for all rolls from the reign of Richard III onwards. The rolls from both sites were reunited at the newly built Public Record Office in the 1850s, and they are now held at the National Archives , Kew , London, where their class reference
5371-603: The shipping ports at Immingham , New Holland and Grimsby . From there, the rest of the southern bank forms the Lincolnshire Coast from Cleethorpes to Mablethorpe and then onto Skegness . From Skegness, the rest of the Lincolnshire Coastline forms the sea boundary and border with Norfolk at the Wash . The coast then at Boston becomes the meeting point of the rivers Welland and Haven in
River Ancholme - Misplaced Pages Continue
5502-502: The 10-metre (33 ft) contour and turns to the north as is flows past Toft Newton reservoir, which is used to augment the flow of the river, and is supplied with water by the Trent Witham Ancholme transfer scheme. The reservoir is a popular site for stillwater trout fishing, and in 1996 was stocked with rainbow trout and brown trout twice weekly. Contributions from a number of organisations and individuals resulted in
5633-483: The 14-mile (23 km) waterway, including the construction of seven locks. Although the scheme was dropped, Rennie was still championing it in 1841 and 1844. Rennie also oversaw the reconstruction of Ferriby Sluice and lock. An initial meeting with the commissioners was held on 4 October 1841. Work began in March 1842, and the cost was estimated to be £16,533. The Earl of Yarborough and Miss Alice Corbett officially opened
5764-432: The 1890s, and was boosted by cargoes of sugar beet in the 1930s. All commercial carrying ceased: above Brigg by the 1970s; altogether as of the 1980s. Upper reaches were in places part-blocked so were restored and dredged in 2004. The river is used for leisure, with boating, rowing, canoeing and fishing taking place. Responsibility or merely the name of the body for the river changed six times between 1930 and 1996, ending with
5895-466: The Ancholme floodplain contracted Thomas Yeoman to survey the river. He pointed to the decay of Ferriby Sluice, which had resulted in silting of the navigation as far as Glanford, some 8.7 miles (14.0 km) above Ferriby. In places the width had been reduced from 40 feet (12 m) to 15 or 16 ft (about 4.8 m), which significantly reduced its capacity to cope with flood waters. Above Glanford, lugworm beds, weeds and sandbanks impeded progress, and
6026-579: The European Union in Central and Eastern Europe, form a large component of the seasonal agricultural workforce, particularly in the south of the county. Here more labour-intensive crops are produced, such as small vegetables and cut flowers. This seasonal influx of migrant labour occasionally causes tension between the migrant workforce and local people, in a county which had been relatively unaccustomed to large-scale immigration. Agricultural training
6157-472: The Ferriby sluice should be reconstructed, with the sills 8 feet (2.4 m) lower, and that the capacity of the channel should be doubled, by making it wider and deeper. Finally, a new entrance lock should be built, capable of accommodating boats of 60 tons, and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. Another Act of Parliament followed in 1825, and work began again in 1826. Progress was faster, although there were delays to
6288-536: The Harlam Hill Lock on a hummock of river gravels. This find dates anywhere from 500,000 BCE to 150,001 BCE. This axe, along with several Neolithic axes are now in Lincoln Museum. The course of the old river acts as a boundary for Bishop Norton and all the other parishes that abut it. This being the eastern boundary; the western boundary is Ermine Street. The fact that the majority of archaeology in
6419-448: The Humber at South Ferriby . It drains a large part of northern Lincolnshire between the Trent and the North Sea . The river has been used by humans since at least 800 BC, seen by the excavation of a planked boat at Brigg. Letters patent for improvements to the river are known from 1287 onwards. Major change occurred in 1635, when a new straight channel was constructed from Bishopbridge to Ferriby. The new channel carries most of
6550-484: The Isle of Axholme and Goole . Bedrock in Lincolnshire features Jurassic limestone (near Lincoln) and Cretaceous chalk (north-east). The area around Woodhall Spa and Kirkby on Bain is dominated by gravel and sand. For much of prehistory, Lincolnshire was under tropical seas, and most fossils found in the county are marine invertebrates. Marine vertebrates have also been found including ichthyosaurus and plesiosaur . The highest point in Lincolnshire
6681-690: The Lincolnshire Historical Environment Record (HER) records just under 90 sites, from different historic periods. The majority of the prehistorical sites, including settlements, are close to the Ancholme. Most of these range from the Neolithic (4000 BCE to 2351 BCE), through the Bronze Age to the Romano-British period. The oldest find in the parish was a Paleolithic handaxe discovered close to the site of
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#17327653287616812-601: The Rase-Ancholme Navigation Trust, and in 1978 proposed upgrading of the upper section to Bishopbridge. His grand plans included the construction of three new locks on the River Rase, to link to Middle Rasen and Market Rasen. By the early 1980s, the scheme had grown to include further links to Horncastle and the Foss Dyke , thus creating a northern Lincolnshire waterways network, but the area
6943-596: The Second World War the relatively flat topography of the county made it an important base for the Royal Air Force , which built several airfields and based two bomber squadrons in the area. During pre-Roman times, most of Lincolnshire was inhabited by the Corieltauvi people. The language of the area at that time would have been Common Brittonic , the precursor to modern Welsh. The name Lincoln
7074-510: The TWA scheme has other benefits. Because the flow is maintained even in dry weather, eutrophication , which is caused by a build up of nutrients in the water, is reduced, and the flow through Ferriby sluice also helps to prevent the ingress of salt water from the Humber into the river. The volume of water transferred via the TWA scheme depends on the weather conditions. In 1987 it was 2,425 megalitres (533 × 10 ^ imp gal), while in 1979 it
7205-527: The UK is in Lincolnshire: the Sheffield - Gainsborough Central -Cleethorpes line has passenger trains only on a Saturday, with three trains in both directions. This line is, however, used for freight. Hull Trains also stops at Grantham before continuing its journey to either Kings Cross or Hull. On 22 May 2011, East Coast started a Lincoln-London service, initially one train a day each way, and there
7336-674: The West Drain when the lock is being emptied. The sluice consists of three sets of pointed doors, and two electrically operated vertical guillotine gates. Salinity in the river is further controlled by two bubble curtains, and is continuously measured at Saxby, with the information used to decide whether the flow should be supplemented by water from the Trent Witham Ancholme Transfer Scheme. 53°40′42″N 0°31′30″W / 53.6783°N 0.5249°W / 53.6783; -0.5249 Lincolnshire Lincolnshire ( / ˈ l ɪ ŋ k ə n ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / ), abbreviated Lincs ,
7467-1045: The area by November 1931. The catchment board was replaced by the Lincolnshire River Board following the passing of the River Boards Act 1948 , and the new board also had responsibility for the River Welland , the River Witham and the Steeping River . Land drainage functions became the responsibility of the Ancholme Internal Drainage Board from 1951. This was formed under the terms of the Land Drainage Act 1930, and manages an area of 68.77 square miles (178.1 km) containing 119 miles (192 km) of maintained watercourses. Around half of
7598-412: The area. Brigg railway station opened on 1 November 1848, and the line from there to Gainsborough Central followed on 2 April 1849. Tolls reduced, falling to £949 in 1850, and to £700 by the late 1850s. After thirty years, trade revived a little, with the tolls reaching £1,000 in the 1890s. It was further boosted by the development of the sugar beet industry in the 1930s, with tolls averaging £1,294 in
7729-678: The centre to the north of the county. To its east, the chalk hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds , which have been designated a national landscape , occupy the north-east, with a coastal plain and the Lincolnshire Marsh beyond. The west of the vale is demarcated by the Lincolnshire Edge , a long escarpment; at its northern end are the Coversands, an area of heath . Beyond the edge, the western border of
7860-505: The commissioners were unhappy with the cost, and although Rennie suggested completing the work in stages, he later produced a modified plan which would only cost £25,413. The commissioners decided to proceed with the revised plan, and a new Act of Parliament was obtained on 26 June 1802. The two locks were to be located at Harlam Hill and Kingerby, to improve navigation on the upper section. The Act stipulated that oak mooring posts should be provided at 1 mile (1.6 km) intervals, to indicate
7991-406: The county begins from where the Isle of Axholme is located near the meeting points of the rivers Ouse and Trent near to the Humber . From there, the southside of the Humber estuary forms the border between Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire . From there, the south bank of the Humber Estuary where the Humber Bridge crosses the estuary at Barton upon Humber , is used primarily for
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#17327653287618122-434: The county contains the eastern part of the Trent Valley and, in the north, part of the Humberhead Levels , with the River Trent itself forming part of the border. Lincolnshire has had a comparatively quiet history, being a rural county which was not heavily industrialised and faced little threat of invasion. In the Roman era Lincoln was a major settlement, called Lindum Colonia . In the fifth century what would become
8253-441: The county council, the two unitary authorities and the district councils, with powers over housing, job creation and public transport, including bus franchising. The following tables show the ethnic and religious composition of Lincolnshire in 2021: Notable businesses based in Lincolnshire include the Lincs FM Group , Young's Seafood , Openfield and the Lincolnshire Co-operative (whose membership includes about one quarter of
8384-409: The county council. The City of Lincoln Council is Labour-controlled. North Kesteven , South Holland and East Lindsey are administered by the Conservatives. South Kesteven is controlled by a coalition of independent, Labour Party, Green Party and Liberal Democrat councillors. West Lindsey is controlled by a coalition of Liberal Democrats and independents. The Borough of Boston is controlled by
8515-412: The county was settled by the invading Angles , who established the Kingdom of Lindsey in the north of the region. Lincoln became the centre of a diocese in 1072, and Lincoln Cathedral was built over the following centuries. The late Middle Ages were a particularly prosperous period, when wealth from wool trade facilitated the building of grand churches such as St Botolph's Church, Boston . During
8646-438: The county's border with Northamptonshire is just 20 yards (19 m) long, England's shortest county boundary. From there, the border with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire begins at Sleaford , Grantham , Lincoln and Gainsborough . From Gainsborough, the border with South Yorkshire begins at Haxey and Epworth before looping back to the original north of the county near Scunthorpe with East Riding of Yorkshire at
8777-410: The county's large area. Many of the county's railway stations were permanently closed following the Beeching Report of 1963. The most notable reopening has been the line and two stations between Lincoln and Sleaford , which reopened within months of the Beeching closure. Most other closed lines in the county were lifted long ago and much of the trackbed has returned to agricultural use. Prior to 1970,
8908-404: The county, with LNER trains frequently passing and stopping at Grantham, on the East Coast Main Line and a service every other hour to Lincoln , while CrossCountry trains stop at Stamford on their way between Birmingham and Stansted Airport . Stations along the Humber are served by TransPennine Express services between Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes. One of the most infrequent services in
9039-405: The distance from Ferriby. Although most of the materials were ordered promptly, the work was hampered by a shortage of finance, and progress was very slow. After the project engineer, Samuel Porter, died in July 1808, the work ground to a halt, and in 1824 Sir John Rennie (the Younger) was asked for advice. He stated that the work specified by his father should be completed. He also recommended that
9170-422: The drainage works, caused by litigation over the rates that each district should pay towards the project. Several of the existing bridges were constructed of wood, and had multiple openings, which restricted the flow of water through them. They were reconstructed in a variety of styles. Horkstow Bridge was planned as a cast iron bridge with an 80-foot (24 m) span, but was built as a suspension bridge with
9301-422: The early period. English was used occasionally in the 16th century, but only during the Commonwealth and after 1733 are all the entries in English. The medieval rolls were originally stored in the Tower of London , which was the principal repository for Chancery archives. From the end of the 14th century, it became customary for the Master of the Rolls to house the more recent rolls, for convenience of access, in
9432-483: The economic periphery of England, Lincolnshire's transport links are poorly developed compared with many other parts of the United Kingdom. The road network in the county is dominated by single carriageway A roads and local roads (B roads) as opposed to motorways and dual carriageways . The administrative county of Lincolnshire is one of the few UK counties without a motorway, and until several years ago, it
9563-509: The eighth century. Modern-day Lincolnshire is derived from the merging of the territory of the Kingdom of Lindsey with that controlled by the Danelaw borough of Stamford . For some time the entire county was called "Lindsey", and it is recorded as such in the 11th-century Domesday Book . Later, the name Lindsey was applied to the northern core, around Lincoln. This emerged as one of
9694-699: The event of failure of the pumps at Short Ferry, the reservoir has enough capacity to maintain flows in the Ancholme for up to seven days. There is another pumping station at Torksey , on the River Trent, and in the event of low flows on the Witham, water is pumped from the Trent into the Foss Dyke , from where it flows eastwards to Lincoln and the River Witham system. In 1996, removal of some 37,698 megalitres (8,292 × 10 ^ imp gal) per year from
9825-445: The final 5 miles (8 km) to Bishopbridge was completely silted up. Yeoman produced his report on 17 September 1766, and an Act of Parliament to authorise improvements to both navigation and drainage was granted on 20 May 1767. The Act created commissioners, and John Bennett from Barton-upon-Humber was appointed clerk. The minutes of the commissioners show that their major concern was with drainage, rather than navigation, although
9956-411: The final lock. The lock at Ferriby Sluice has two sets of gates: a low level set pointing upstream, and a set of much taller gates pointing downstream which prevent the river being inundated by tides, and allow vessels to leave when the Humber is at a higher level than the Ancholme. In order to minimise the ingress of brackish water into the Ancholme when the tide gates are used, the water is culverted into
10087-419: The first statutory expression of English patent law. In 1853, responsibility for patents of invention was transferred to the newly established Patent Office , and they ceased to be registered on the patent rolls. All the medieval and early modern rolls to 1625 have been published in some form, although editorial policies and formats have varied. Commissions of gaol delivery and assize were entered on
10218-443: The head of navigation, beyond which is a large four-storey building which was formerly a warehouse for the navigation. The towpath starts on the western bank soon after the wharf area, and Harlam Hill lock is reached after 2.5 miles (4.0 km). The bypass channel passes over a weir, and the water flows into the River Rase, which joins the Ancholme at Atterby weir, a little further below the lock. Rather than heavy wooden balance beams,
10349-469: The ice retreated, and consequently was fenny . There is evidence that boats have used the river from early times, for there have been three significant archaeological finds of ancient boats. Logboats have been found at Brigg and Appleby, and a planked boat was found at Brigg in 1888. Professor McGrail conducted a re-excavation of the site in 1974, to discover the bottom of a flat-bottomed boat, made from oak planks, sewn together and caulked with moss. The boat
10480-509: The late 1930s. Bishopbridge, where there was a basin, two corn mills and warehousing, acted as a distribution and collection centre for the farms and villages of that part of Lincolnshire, but by the 1970s commercial traffic had ceased except between Ferriby and Brigg, where there were factories along the river bank. All commercial traffic had ceased by the 1980s. Some development continued, with Snitterby bridge reconstructed in 1872, Hibaldstow in 1889 and Cadney in 1892. In 1977, Ian Horsley formed
10611-745: The late 1980s. The Humberlincs Executive , as the service was known, was operated by an InterCity 125 , but was discontinued following the electrification of the East Coast Main Line . Passengers to/from London now have to change trains at Newark North Gate . However, the East Coast Main Line passes through the western edge of the county and one can catch direct trains to London from Grantham . Most rail services are currently operated by East Midlands Railway and Northern Trains . London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Hull Trains and CrossCountry have services which pass through
10742-486: The local Boston Independent party. The unitary authority North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils are administered by the Conservative Party. A non-mayoral devolution deal is proposed for the county, and has received approval from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government as of September 2024. This would lead to the establishment of an Lincolnshire combined authority formed of
10873-540: The lock gates have slender metal poles to open them. Snitterby bridge, which is also known as Browns Bridge, is just below Atterby weir, and like most of the bridges over the river, is not part of a public roadway, so it is maintained by the Environment Agency, rather than the Highways Authority. Brandy Wharf bridge, at 4 miles (6.4 km) from the head of navigation, is one of the two bridges on
11004-495: The major concern of the local landowners seems to have been that it should act as an effective drainage channel to prevent inundation of their lands, and between 1289 and 1418 the river was mentioned in the Patent Rolls thirteen times. The need to keep the channel scoured was always mentioned, but often, navigation was not. The river was subject to a repeated cycle of concerns being raised, improvements being made, euphoria at
11135-705: The middle of the county, eventually emptying into the North Sea at The Wash . The Humber estuary, on Lincolnshire's northern border, is also fed by the River Ouse . The Wash is also the mouth of the Welland , the Nene and the Great Ouse . Lincolnshire's geography is fairly varied, but consists of several distinct areas: Lincolnshire's most well-known nature reserves include Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, Whisby Nature Park Local Nature Reserve, Donna Nook National Nature Reserve, RSPB Frampton Marsh and
11266-455: The new branch was designed by John Rennie and built in 1827, with brick flanks and ashlar masonry. The bridge was widened in the 20th century, with the south face being reused once the widening had taken place. The road formerly crossed the old branch at County Bridge, a single span rusticated stone arch erected in 1828. The handrails were replaced in 1951, and the A18 was diverted over a new bridge to
11397-402: The new one bypassing it to the west, before rejoining to the north of Brigg. They form an island, which is known as Island Carr. There is a marina on the old branch, and the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway main line from Gainsborough to Grimsby , now part of the Sheffield to Lincoln Line , crosses both branches. The A18 road also crosses both branches. The bridge over
11528-539: The new sluice at Ferriby included a 70 by 14.75 ft (21.34 by 4.50 m) lock and a house for the lockkeeper. The sluice was built with three openings, but the sills were set at a level which was 8 feet (2.4 m) above the low water level of spring tides in the Humber, which was not low enough to ensure the drainage of the lowlands in times of flood. The work was completed in 1769. The commissioners gradually realised that navigation might be beneficial, and on 7 April 1778 instructed their engineer, Dunderdale, to design
11659-513: The new sluice on 22 May 1844. The Earl of Yarborough arranged for his brass band to attend, and he then sailed through the new lock in a schooner. The lock was spanned by a swing bridge, cast by the Butterley Company , which was in use for 90 years, but was badly damaged in 1934 when a large vessel ran into it. Head Wrightson built the replacement swing bridge in 1935. The navigation became an important route for transporting cargo from
11790-418: The north of the bridge, has an unusual wooden roof. Beyond, and slightly set back from the river, Newstead Priory Farm stands on slightly higher land. The house is Grade I listed , and incorporates parts of a 12th-century Gilbertine Priory. Kettleby Beck joins the river from the east, through a set of sluice gates, just before the channel splits in two, with the old river passing through the centre of Brigg and
11921-721: The north. Below the point where the two branches rejoin, a new bridge carries the M180 motorway over the channel. Next come Castlethorpe bridge and Broughton bridge, both maintained by the Environment Agency. Broughton is an inverted suspension bridge, which replaced an earlier bridge in the mid- to late 19th century, but this reused the earlier abutments. The single span is supported by two wrought iron arched ribs, with vertical and diagonal suspension rods, supporting timber decking. Another railway bridge follows, this time linking Scunthorpe to Grimsby, and now carrying trains run by South TransPennine . The intake formerly owned by British Steel plc
12052-547: The number of workers required to operate the county's relatively large farms, and the proportion of workers in the agricultural sector dropped substantially during this period. Several major engineering companies developed in Lincoln, Gainsborough and Grantham to support those changes. Among these was Fosters of Lincoln , which built the first tank , and Richard Hornsby & Sons of Grantham. Most such industrial companies left during late 20th-century restructuring. Today, immigrant workers, mainly from new member states of
12183-563: The parish, as recorded in the HER that dates from after the construction of the Roman Road, tends to the western end of the parish close to the Roman road, and that from earlier periods tends to be closer to the river is suggestive that the River was a primary communications route as well as the provider of physical and economic need which was supplanted by the new road. Despite suffering from silting as
12314-432: The parts of Lincolnshire – Lindsey, Holland and Kesteven – and came into effect on 1 April 1889. Lincoln was made an independent county borough on the same date, with Grimsby following in 1891. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished the three county councils and the two county boroughs, effective 1 April 1974. On this date, Grimsby and the northern part of Lindsey (including Scunthorpe ) were amalgamated with most of
12445-436: The population of the county). Lincolnshire has long been a primarily agricultural area, and it continues to grow large amounts of wheat , barley , sugar beet , and oilseed rape . In south Lincolnshire, where the soil is particularly rich in nutrients, some of the most common crops include potatoes , cabbages , cauliflowers , and onions . Lincolnshire farmers often break world records for crop yields. South Lincolnshire
12576-469: The present day as the Cross Keys Bridge at Sutton Bridge provides the only direct access point to Norfolk from Lincolnshire over the River Nene some nine miles north of Wisbech. The border with Lincolnshire to Cambridgeshire begins at Crowland , Market Deeping and Stamford which form the southern boundary of the county with both Peterborough , Rutland and briefly Northamptonshire ;
12707-450: The purchase of a "wheelyboat", a flat-bottomed boat which allows wheelchair users to access the water. Passing under Pilford Bridge, near Toft next Newton , the river reaches Bishopbridge, where it is crossed by the A631 road . The River Rase runs under an adjacent bridge, and the two rivers run parallel for the next 2.5 miles (4 km). On the Ancholme, there is a sloping weir, which forms
12838-515: The reign of King John , under the Chancellorship of Hubert Walter . The texts of letters patent were copied onto sheets of parchment , which were stitched together (head-to-tail) into long rolls to form a roll for each year. As the volume of business grew, it became necessary to compile more than one roll for each year. The most solemn grants of lands and privileges were issued, not as letters patent, but as charters , and were entered on
12969-560: The restoration of Harlam Hill lock, raising funds to assist this, and the Environment Agency completed dredging and restoration of the upper section in 2004. The restoration was funded by a grant of £100,000, the first successful bid for funds by the Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership. The work included the provision of new 48-hour visitor moorings at Bishopbridge, with portage points for canoeists nearby and at Harlam Hill lock. The top gate of Harlam Hill lock
13100-439: The result, and decline through neglect. However, in 1635 Owersby -based local landowner Sir John Monson was granted powers to construct a new river for drainage purposes. He removed most of the meanders, to create a new straight channel from Bishopbridge to Ferriby. The patent under which the work was carried out was again chiefly concerned with drainage, although there was a requirement to make sure that any new works did not make
13231-497: The risk of driver shortcutting and over-use – many such are listed (statutorily protected for architectural merit or age). Similarly, Ferriby Lock is a scheduled ancient monument. Local moorings host two historic boats owned by the Humber Keel & Sloop Preservation Society. In its natural post-glacial state, the river's valley was flat-bottomed: it had formed the bed of the glacial Lake Ancholme, on an outwash delta, as
13362-454: The river is also used for recreation. The waterway is managed by the Environment Agency , which requires all vessels to be registered and in possession of an up-to-date licence. There are over 200 boats registered, and there are moorings at Ferriby, Brigg, Brandy Wharf and Bishopbridge. Access to and from the Humber is restricted by extensive mud banks to the north of Ferriby Sluice, which are exposed at low tide. Passage through South Ferriby lock
13493-418: The river less useful for the passage of boats than it had been for the previous seven years. At Ferriby, where there had been a bridge since 1312, a sluice was constructed, to control the deposition of silt from the Humber. It had three arches and 24 doors, but there is no mention of how boats could pass through it. At Brigg, the new channel bypassed the town, but the old channel was also retained, which made
13624-514: The river nears the Humber, a high-level conveyor belt carries material from South Ferriby quarry to the cement works at Ferriby Sluice. The conveyor is 1.25 miles (2.0 km) long, and is used to transfer around 3000 tonnes of crushed chalk and 1,000 tonnes of clay per day. This stretch of the river has numerous moorings, and the Humber Keel & Sloop Preservation Society usually moor their keel Comrade and their sloop Amy Houson just above
13755-610: The river was covered by abstraction licences. Major holders of licences included British Steel plc , Centrica and Anglian Water . British Steel take water for the Scunthorpe Steelworks from a pumping station immediately to the north of Worlaby railway bridge. Centrica run the Glanford Brigg Power Station , located on the west bank of the river near Brigg. It is a gas-fired generating station, capable of producing 240 MW from six turbines. Water
13886-671: The river. Some small sailing yachts use the river, and the slipway at Brandy Wharf has encouraged this kind of use. The Ancholme has a marina at Brigg and another at South Ferriby, which has a chandlery and boat building facilities. Around three-quarters of the boats that use the river are sea-going vessels, as it provides easy access to the North Sea via the Humber. The river is well stocked with fish, and provides high-class coarse fishing. There are organised competitions each year, including winter match angling, which attract anglers from Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and nearby. The river
14017-459: The rural communities to the towns of Beverley and Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire . William Colton had run a packet boat between Brigg and Hull since 1793, and in 1823 he began operating a steam packet boat. It left Brigg at 7 am each day, arriving in Hull 10:30. The return journey left Hull at 3 pm, and was timetabled to connect with a coach service from Brigg to Lincoln . From October 1856
14148-525: The separate series of Charter Rolls . This series was discontinued in 1516, and all charters issued thereafter, mainly for grants of titles, were entered on the patent rolls. The patent rolls run in an almost unbroken series from 1201 to the present day, with a small number of gaps, notably during the English Civil War and Interregnum (1641–1660). They are written almost exclusively in Latin in
14279-454: The service was run by the Hull, Ferriby Sluice and Brigg Steam Packet Company, formed by a group of farmers who lived between Brigg and Ferriby Sluice. For many years, the tolls on the navigation were leased, and the value of the lease steadily increased, from £402 in the 1780s to £950 in 1828, and had reached £1,857 per year for the period from 1843 to 1845. For the following three years it was £3,020, but it then declined, as railways arrived in
14410-474: The sluices are opened to prevent flooding. Responsibility for the river and the flood defences of the surrounding countryside changed several times during the 20th century. Under the Land Drainage Act 1930 , 47 catchment areas were defined, covering many of the river systems of England and Wales, including the Ancholme and Winterton Beck Catchment Area. A catchment board had been set up to manage
14541-601: The south of the county. In terms of population, the 12 biggest settlements in the county by population are: A small part of the Thorne Waste area of the town of Thorne in South Yorkshire, known as the Yorkshire Triangle, currently falls under North Lincolnshire. Patent Rolls The patent rolls (Latin: Rotuli litterarum patentium ) are a series of administrative records compiled in
14672-445: The structures built at that time, consisting of an iron span with stone abutments . Harlam Hill lock was reconstructed in 1827, but plans for a second lock at Kingerby were dropped. Discussions had taken place in 1823 about extending the navigation to Market Rasen . The plans were revised and expanded in 1829, by which time a link from Bishopbridge to Barlings Eau and the River Witham was suggested. It would have cost £90,000 to build
14803-506: The three Parts of Lincolnshire , along with the Parts of Holland in the south-east, and the Parts of Kesteven in the south-west, which each had separate Quarter Sessions as their county administrations. Lindsay was traditionally split between the North , South and West Ridings of Lindsey . The area was shaken by 27 February 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake , reaching between 4.7 and 5.3 on
14934-422: The tidal Humber is at a higher level than the river, and two for when it is lower. From the Humber, a vessel can access many other major waterways leading to the larger towns of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, as well as to the North Sea . Because the river acts as a drainage channel for the Ancholme Level, water levels and flow rates are subject to rapid change, and all navigation can be suspended after heavy rain, when
15065-406: The town less vulnerable to flooding. The draining of the Ancholme Level was a lesser project among the fenland "improvements" undertaken under contracts to patentees by the government of Charles I in the 1630s. It was somewhat less brutal than many such projects, for Kennedy states that "... with the possible exception of the Ancholme Level the draining of the fens was executed and defended by
15196-470: The towpath crosses the entrance to the Caistor Canal, disused since 1877. A 20th century steel span is supported by stone abutments, built around 1785, when the canal opened. The bridge is Grade II listed as is the adjacent first lock, one of five that remain on the Caistor Canal. Hibaldstow Bridge was rebuilt in 1889 to a design by Alfred Atkinson, and the wrought-iron span, which rests on brick piers,
15327-432: The unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire . The last two areas are part of the Yorkshire and the Humber region, and the rest of the county is in the East Midlands . The county has a varied geography. The south-west contains part of the Fens , a naturally marshy region which has been drained for agriculture, and the south-east is an upland region. A wide vale runs north-south from
15458-490: The value of £20, although the commissioners would pay for repairs where the cost exceeded £20. The lease expired on 2 July 1792, when the commissioners took back control, and appointed their own collector of tolls. They noticed a disparity in the tolls for coal, caused by the differing sizes of the wagons at various collieries. The collieries mentioned show that coal was arriving from the River Don Navigation and
15589-626: The water falling on this area has to be pumped into the River Ancholme, because the land is too low-lying to allow gravity drainage. The IDB maintains 12 pumping stations on the banks of the river. Responsibility for the river changed again with the passing of the Water Resources Act 1963 : the river board was replaced by the Lincolnshire River Authority, although the geographical area which it managed
15720-676: The water, the New River Ancholme , whereas the Old River Ancholme still meanders. The latter is mostly reduced to a ditch, save around Brigg's central 'Island Carr'. Further improvements were started by John Rennie (the Elder) in the early 1800s and completed by his son in the 1820s, with the reconstruction of Ferriby Sluice taking place around 1841. From that time onwards the river was reasonably profitable. Receipts fell when railways arrived locally but trade picked up in
15851-520: Was 17,425 megalitres (3,833 × 10 ^ imp gal). The Ancholme rises near Top Farm, West Firsby , close to the 40-metre (130 ft) contour, from where it flows eastwards, gradually turning towards the north east. It passes through the site of the West Firsby deserted medieval village, which is a scheduled ancient monument, and then under Owmby Road, a minor road which connects the villages of Saxby and Spridlington . It soon drops below
15982-408: Was abolished along with its county council. Some services in those districts are shared with the East Riding of Yorkshire ceremonial county, rather than the rest of Lincolnshire including Humberside Police , Humberside Airport , Humberside Fire Service , and BBC Radio Humberside . Since the 2024 general election and the constituency reorganisation by the 2023 Periodic Review , Lincolnshire
16113-410: Was commissioned in 1974. A pumping station at Short Ferry on Barlings Eau , near its junction with the River Witham , pumps water through 10.6 miles (17 km) of pipeline to a reservoir at Toft Newton , which covers an area of 41 acres (16.5 ha). During the summer months and other dry periods, water is released from the reservoir into the Ancholme to augment its flow and maintain its level. In
16244-494: Was derived from Lindum Colonia . Large numbers of Germanic speakers from continental Europe settled in the region following the withdrawal of the Romans. Though these were later identified as Angles , it is unlikely that they migrated as part of an organized tribal group. Thus, the main language of the region quickly became Old English . However, it is possible that Brittonic continued to be spoken in some communities as late as
16375-441: Was excessive. They therefore approached John Rennie (the Elder) for a second opinion, and he produced a report on 9 November 1801. His proposals included constructing catchwater drains on either side of the main channel, enlarging the width and depth of the channel, building two new locks, and rebuilding the road bridge at Brigg. The cost was estimated to be £53,921, of which only 11 per cent was for improvements to navigation. Again,
16506-558: Was said that there was only about 35 km (22 mi) of dual carriageway in the whole of Lincolnshire. However the M180 motorway passes through North Lincolnshire , splitting into two dual carriageway trunk roads to the Humber Bridge and Grimsby , and the A46 is now dual carriageway between Newark-on-Trent and Lincoln. The low population density of the county means there are few railway stations and train services, considering
16637-622: Was similar. This in turn became part of Anglian Water following the passing of the Water Act 1973 . When the regional water authorities were privatised under the terms of the Water Act 1989 , management of rivers, including the Ancholme, passed to the National Rivers Authority (NRA). Finally, the NRA was subsumed into the Environment Agency in 1996. In addition to its function as a land drainage channel and for water supply,
16768-435: Was subsequently replaced by conventional mitre gates in 2010. Despite this successful restoration, the lock was again closed in 2012 by the Environment Agency on safety grounds, thus preventing access to the first two miles of the waterway. In 2017 there were no plans for its reopening. The lock at South Ferriby, which allows boats to leave the river and enter the Humber, is a tide lock, with four sets of gates, two for use when
16899-486: Was supplied by a company of ironfounders called Messrs Porter and Co of Lincoln. It replaced an earlier wooden swing bridge, dating from Rennie's reconstruction, and the piers from that bridge were probably reused. Atkinson was also responsible for Cadney Bridge, rebuilt in 1882, for which the wrought iron span was supplied by Messrs Goodwin, Jardine and Co of Glasgow. Again, the piers from an earlier bridge were probably reused. The Anglian Water pumping station, immediately to
17030-501: Was thus similar in construction to the Ferriby Boats found on the northern shore of the Humber, but was some 500 years younger, being carbon-dated to around 800 BC. Further evidence of the local importance of the river in prehistory is evidenced by other finds or archaeology close to the river's course. As an example, in the parish of Bishop Norton , which is situated just over 1 km north of Bishopbridge. In this parish
17161-512: Was too sparsely populated for such ambitious plans to succeed. The Trust was registered in 1979, and ceased to exist in 2009. By the 1980s, the section above Harlam Hill lock was almost derelict. Rennie's original lock had been reconstructed with a top guillotine gate at some point, and repairs to the lock were attempted in 1993. Although they were not successful, the Inland Waterways Association continued to campaign for
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