108-462: 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 through the centre of Grantham (where it may be closely followed using the Riverside Walk through Wyndham Park and Queen Elizabeth Park), passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston , TF3244 , flows into The Haven ,
216-728: 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 the county contains the eastern part of the Trent Valley and, in the north, part of the Humberhead Levels , with
324-643: A centre for the collection of business taxes, but this came at the cost of maintaining the waterways, and having finally decided it was too large a cost, James I presented the Fossdyke to the City of Lincoln . The Witham originally flowed into The Wash at Bicker Haven , where the port of Drayton was established in the Welland estuary, and it was only as a result of massive flooding in 1014 that it diverted itself to flow into The Haven at Boston . This gave rise to
432-533: A combination of two rivers, with the upper river originally emptying into Brayford Mere, to the west of Lincoln, and draining along the course of the Fossdyke , while the Langworth River emptied into another mere to the east of Lincoln, located between Washingborough and Chapel Hill. From there, the water flowed along a tidal creek to reach the sea. There was a ridge of high ground between the two meres, and
540-560: A drainage network known as the Witham Navigable Drains that transformed much of northern Lincolnshire from fen to farming land. Today many of these channels are managed by the Witham First , Third and Fourth District Internal Drainage Boards and Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board. These four internal drainage boards reduce the flood risk to the surrounding properties, land and environment. In 1791, as part of
648-712: A fixed income for the proprietors. They would then merge with the London and York Railway. Both proposals had been absorbed into the Great Northern Railway (GNR) by the time an Act of Parliament was obtained, but the original agreement was retained, and the GNR leased the Witham for 999 years for a payment of £10,545 per year to the proprietors. This figure represented the average profits for the previous three years, plus five per cent. The railway company also agreed to pay
756-481: A halfpenny per mile, in 1850, and by 1863, the steam packet boats had ceased operation. Freight traffic also declined, with coal passing through the Grand Sluice dropping from 19,535 tons in 1847 to 3,780 tons in 1857. Nevertheless, the railway company had to maintain the river, and in 1871, spent £5,000 on making Bardney lock deeper by 5 feet (1.5 m) at the request of the drainage commissioners. The GNR leased
864-520: A lock adjacent to the north bank, which could be used as an additional flood relief channel if required. The lock was originally very small, but was lengthened to its current 41 by 12 feet (12.5 by 3.7 m) in 1881. The pointed doors on the non-tidal side of the sluice were replaced by steel guillotine gates between 1979 and 1982. The state of the Witham had deteriorated by 1802, and the Commissioners asked John Rennie for advice. He stated that
972-650: A lock drops down into the Witham Navigable Drains , a system of drainage ditches which are used to prevent flooding of the fens to the north of Boston. Since November 2008 there has been an active campaign by the Billinghay Skirth Regeneration Society to restore navigation on the River Skirth, and the project has won the support of Billinghay and other parish councils, the Inland Waterways Association ,
1080-542: A new type of paddlewheel, which resulted in the boats travelling faster, and in 1836, wooden vessels were superseded by iron packet boats. Railways reached Lincoln in August 1848, 15 years after the first proposal. The Wakefield, Lincoln and Boston Railway hoped to build railways in the area, and negotiated with the proprietors and those of the Fosdyke. Under the arrangement, they would take over both navigations, and guarantee
1188-510: A port. From 1142 onwards, sluices were constructed to prevent flooding by the sea, and this culminated in the Great Sluice, which was constructed in 1766. It maintained river levels above Boston, and helped to scour the channel below it. The land through which the lower river runs has been the subject of much land drainage, and many drains are connected to the Witham by flood doors, which block them off if river levels rise rapidly. The river
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#17327721359901296-665: 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
1404-575: A tidal arm of The Wash , near RSPB Frampton Marsh . The name "Witham" seems to be extremely old and of unknown origin. Archaeological and documentary evidence shows the importance of the Witham as a navigable river from the Iron Age onwards. From Roman times it was navigable to Lincoln, from where the Fossdyke was constructed to link it to the River Trent . The mouth of the river moved in 1014 following severe flooding, and Boston became important as
1512-764: 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
1620-406: 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
1728-668: 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
1836-632: 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 the Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve . Although
1944-425: 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
2052-587: 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 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
2160-457: 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 the county begins from where the Isle of Axholme is located near
2268-615: Is navigable from Brayford Pool in Lincoln to Boston. Its locks are at Lincoln, Bardney and the Grand/Great Sluice. Passage through the latter is restricted typically to 4-hour intervals during daylight when the tidal levels are suitable. The river provides access for boaters to the Witham Navigable Drains , to the north of Boston, and to the South Forty-Foot Drain to the south, which was reopened as part of
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#17327721359902376-555: Is navigable from Brayford Wharf in Lincoln to Boston. There are two locks between Boston and Lincoln – one at Bardney and the other in Lincoln itself, the Stamp End Lock which is unusually a guillotine lock. The main obstruction to navigation is the High Bridge or Glory Hole in Lincoln, a medieval structure which is only about 15 feet (4.6 m) wide and 8.5 feet (2.6 m) high at normal river levels. In times of flood it
2484-408: 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
2592-573: 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
2700-588: 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
2808-427: 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 the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire . The last two areas are part of
2916-635: 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
3024-482: 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
3132-454: 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
3240-642: Is uncertain, although one possibility is Wye-om , meaning river plain , and the river has been known as the Witham since Saxon times. However, it was known as the Grant Avon in Ancient British times, meaning divine stream , and the fact that the main town on the upper river was Grant-ham may support this. John Leland writing in the 16th century noted that it was also called the Lindis, and others referred to it by that name. The present course may be
3348-438: Is unnavigable. The bridge spans the river for 87 feet (27 m), and consists of an arch built in c1160, with extensions added in 1235, 1540 to 1550 and 1762/3. It is the only British bridge which still has secular medieval buildings standing on it, and is believed to be the second oldest masonry arch bridge in the country. It is currently a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I Listed Building . There are traffic lights on
River Witham - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-647: 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
3564-621: 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 is the second largest ceremonial county in England, after North Yorkshire . The county
3672-647: 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
3780-559: The Environment Agency , Lincolnshire County Council and the Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
3888-700: The Fens Waterways Link , a project to link the river to the Nene flowing through the city of Peterborough . From Brayford Pool the Fossdyke Navigation links to the Trent. The Witham's course, which flows to the north and then to the south-east may be the result of glaciation (and possibly isostatic rebound ) redirecting older rivers. The source of the river is on high ground near South Witham , Lincolnshire, at around 340 feet (100 m) above ordnance datum (AOD). After briefly flowing to
3996-709: 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
4104-515: 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 the county was settled by the invading Angles , who established the Kingdom of Lindsey in
4212-542: 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 was derived from Lindum Colonia . Large numbers of Germanic speakers from continental Europe settled in
4320-560: 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 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
4428-513: 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 the centre to the north of the county. To its east, the chalk hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds , which have been designated
River Witham - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-482: The "prodigious meandering course" of the channel above Boston. Although the estimated cost of £16,200 dissuaded the landowners from taking action at the time, the report formed the basis for improvements in the 1760s. Following meetings of Landowners held in 1752 and 1753, they asked John Grundy Jr, as his father had died in 1748, to re-evaluate his plans from 1744 and consider a plan for a "Grand Sluice" that had been produced by Daniel Coppin in 1745. Grundy suggested that
4644-483: The 1744 cut should be extended by a further 2 miles (3.2 km) into Boston, and that the sluice could then be built on the extension. The landowners moved the location of the sluice nearer to Boston, but otherwise approved his report, although no action was taken. John Grundy was again consulted in 1757, and Langley Edwards of King's Lynn was asked to review the positioning of the sluice in 1760. The landowners then asked John Smeaton to liaise with Grundy and Edwards, and
4752-579: 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
4860-622: The Kirkstead lock was badly placed, and the associated staunch was in danger of collapse. He recommended that it be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere, and also suggested that access to Boston should be through the Witham Navigable Drains, rather than the Grand Sluice, or that a new cut should be built to the south of the sluice, to rejoin the river at Boston Harbour. In 1803, he suggested that High Bridge at Lincoln should be demolished and rebuilt. Four years later, he suggested that
4968-530: The Lincoln Gap. This section has also been suggested as a lower course of the Trent during and before periods of glaciation. From Dogdyke near Coningsby to Boston, the north bank of the river was used by a section of the Great Northern Railway from Lincoln to Boston. A long-distance footpath, the Water Rail Way, follows the course of the river from Lincoln to Boston. The path uses sections of
5076-591: 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
5184-587: 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 the Richter magnitude scale ; it was one of the largest earthquakes to affect Britain in recent years. Lincolnshire
5292-603: The River Witham and that are protected by flood doors. These consist of a single pair of mitre gates that are designed to close if the level in the river rises above the level in the drain. Several of these are navigable to the more adventurous boater. The river is also joined by the Kyme Eau, which connects to the Sleaford Navigation on which navigation will eventually be restored to Sleaford. At Antons Gowt,
5400-620: The Romans constructed the Fossdyke from Lincoln to Torksey on the River Trent , improved the River Witham from Lincoln to The Wash , and built the Car Dyke from Lincoln to the River Cam near Cambridge . The Witham thus gave Lincoln access to the east coast, while the Fossdyke gave access to the Trent and further on to the Humber . There have been claims that the Witham was originally tidal up to Lincoln, but that seems unlikely. Prior to
5508-660: The Romans cut a channel through it as part of some drainage works. Archaeological evidence points to river navigation as far back as the Iron Age. Artefacts such as the Iron Age Witham Shield , found in the river near Washingborough in 1826, and the Fiskerton Boat, a log boat found near Fiskerton during flood defence work in 2001 have been recovered and are on display at the British Museum in London or The Collection in Lincoln. The Witham
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#17327721359905616-410: 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
5724-421: 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 the present day as the Cross Keys Bridge at Sutton Bridge provides
5832-513: 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 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
5940-429: The campaign to promote the construction of the Horncastle Canal , the Commissioners of the River Witham asked the engineer William Jessop to assess the state of the Fossdyke Navigation and the Witham, with particular reference to the problems of navigating through Lincoln, where the channel was restricted by a medieval bridge. He proposed two solutions; the first avoided the route through the city entirely, by utilising
6048-484: The channel for land drainage, and run-off from agricultural and rural land. Like most rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in the assessment. In March 2018, the river suffered the worst incidence of pollution ever recorded in Lincolnshire, when Omex Agriculture released ammonia into
6156-402: The construction of the Grand Sluice, the lower river was affected by tides, but the highest they normally reached was Dogdyke or Chapel Hill, and Lincoln is considerably higher than these locations, by some 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m). Wheeler argues that it "would not have been possible for the tide to flow up to Lincoln," given the present geological conditions. Trading continued throughout
6264-441: 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
6372-409: 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
6480-410: 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,
6588-404: 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
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#17327721359906696-417: The course of the Sincil Dyke to the south, while the second involved lowering the bottom of the channel through the Glory Hole bridge, which was only 18 inches (46 cm) deep at normal water levels. The Commissioners had imposed a toll on all traffic passing under the bridge, but decided that a channel bypassing the city would have grave financial consequences. They opted for improving the existing channel and
6804-411: 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" a former area of estuary and marshland where the River Nene used to flow out into
6912-443: The east to reach South Witham, it flows generally north, passing through Colsterworth where it is crossed by the A1 road , which largely follows the line of the river to Newark on Trent . At Great Ponton , it is joined by the Cringle Brook on its left bank, and continues through Grantham , where it has already descended to 170 feet (52 m) AOD. After Barkston it turns to the west to pass through Marston . Foston Beck joins on
7020-419: 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
7128-404: The first 3 km of its course through Ancaster before flowing past a Site of Special Scientific Interest (alongside Sleaford Golf Club) into Sleaford . Through Sleaford it flows above ground in two separate courses, and then curves around the foot of The Hub where a new riverside sculpture walk follows it. Leaving Sleaford, it passes Haverholme and runs down through South Kyme where it
7236-403: The gap is limited in times of flood. This is alleviated by the Sincil Dyke, which leaves the main channel at Bargate Weir and runs for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) through the industrial areas to the south of the main city centre. It used to rejoin the main channel at Stamp End, but was re-routed into the South Delph, a drainage ditch constructed by John Rennie in the early 19th century that joins
7344-435: The growth of Boston as a port in the 12th and 13th centuries, exporting wool and salt to the Hanseatic League , though Boston only received its charter in 1545. The river was affected by silting which restricted trade despite the construction of various sluices and barriers from 1142 onwards, when the first sluice was built below Boston. Other sluices were erected at Boston in 1500 and at Langrick in 1543, but navigation
7452-451: The interest on mortgages amounting to £24,692 which the proprietors held, but had redeemed them by 1857. The railway from Lincoln to Boston ran along the eastern bank of the river, and opened on 17 October 1848. Most of the stations were located near to the landing stages which the steam packets used, and the railway did all it could to draw passengers away from the river. This included the provision of fourth-class carriages, with fares set at
7560-602: 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
7668-616: The left bank, and at Long Bennington it resumes its northerly course. Beyond Claypole and near Barnby in the Willows it forms the border between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire for about 3 miles (4.8 km), before passing through an Army training area near Beckingham . The River Brant joins on the right bank, before it passes through North Hykeham to reach Lincoln , where it is only 16 feet (4.9 m) AOD. The upper waters are important for agricultural water extraction, and for coarse fish such as roach, common bream and pike; small mammals like water voles, and native crayfish. A gap in
7776-528: The limestone scarp (see Lincolnshire Wolds ) near Ancaster may represent an earlier course of the River Trent towards Boston, but is now occupied by the River Slea . In Lincoln, the river flows into Brayford Pool and exits along a narrow channel that passes under the medieval High Bridge . The bridge not only restricts navigation due to its small size, but the volume of water that can pass through
7884-486: 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
7992-459: The lock at the Grand Sluice into the Witham. Although the lock is only 41 feet (12 m) long, it is possible for longer boats to pass through it at certain states of the tide. Unlike many such sea locks, the reverse-facing gates close on every tide, as the normal high tide water level is higher than the level of the river, while at low tides there is insufficient water in the Haven to allow exit from
8100-540: The lock. Passage is therefore restricted to a brief period approximately two hours before or after high water. It is still possible to navigate many of the drains in small vessels, and a new lock, completed in December 2008, provides entry to the South Forty-Foot Drain from below the Grand Sluice so that vessels will be able to reach the Fens without venturing out to the Wash, as part of the Fens Waterways Link . The Witham
8208-399: The locks at Kirkstead and Barlings should be removed, and replaced by one near Washingborough church. The Commissioners petitioned parliament in 1808, and a new Act of Parliament authorised the work, to be carried out by a company of proprietors. They could borrow £30,000 for the drainage element of the scheme and £70,000 for the navigation element. Two new locks were built, one at Stamp End and
8316-414: The main aim of allowing more capital to be raised. Tolls on the Witham had gradually risen as improvements had been made. £263 was raised in 1763–4, and had reached £898 by 1790. In 1819, income exceeded £4,100 for the six months from March to September, and a five per cent dividend was paid in the following year. By 1826, over £180,000 had been spent on improvements, and another £40,000 was needed. However,
8424-482: The main channel below Bardney lock. The origins of the Sincil Dyke are unknown, but it is known to have been used as a drainage channel in the mid-13th century and is thought to be pre-medieval or even Roman. Parts of it were culverted in 1847 to allow the construction of Lincoln Central railway station . From Lincoln, the river again turns first east, then south, making a cut through a belt of upland known as
8532-402: The medieval period evidenced by the importance of Torksey, which was then a flourishing town, now only a small village. However, the Fossdyke needed much maintenance to keep it clear of silt. Henry I had overseen the scouring of its channel, and there were inquiries in 1335, 1365 and 1518 to consider the state of the Fossdyke and to compel the inhabitants of the region to maintain it. Lincoln was
8640-479: 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 the shipping ports at Immingham , New Holland and Grimsby . From there,
8748-579: The nationalisation of the waterways following the Second World War , the navigation eventually became the responsibility of British Waterways as a result of the Transport Act 1962 , and since 2 July 2012 has been managed by the Canal & River Trust . Today, commercial traffic, apart from tour boats, has ceased above the port of Boston (The Haven) and only pleasure craft carry on through
8856-732: The navigation to the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Committee in 1882, and in 1897, by which time the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway had become the Great Central Railway , they built a large warehouse beside Brayford Pool, with a transhipment dock next to it. Total traffic on the river had fallen to 18,548 tons in 1905, and averaged 5,870 tons during the years of the First World War , mainly general merchandise and agricultural produce. With
8964-482: 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 the Second World War the relatively flat topography of the county made it an important base for
9072-547: 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
9180-517: 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 ; the county's border with Northamptonshire is just 20 yards (19 m) long, England's shortest county boundary. From there,
9288-555: The other at Bardney, which replaced the original locks. A new channel was cut near Fiskerton , upstream of Bardney, and the plan for a lock at Washingborough was dropped. While Stamp End lock was being rebuilt, an alternative route was provided, utilising the Sincil Dyke and the South Delph. Rennie recorded that Branston Delph, Carlton Dike, Nocton Delph and Timberland Dike were navigable at the time. The proprietors obtained three more Acts of Parliament, in 1812, 1826 and 1829, all with
9396-432: 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
9504-436: 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
9612-547: The proprietors were still optimistic, and commissioned Sir John Rennie to investigate an extension to link the Witham to the River Ancholme , but although he made two proposals, neither was implemented. Most traffic was carried by sailing vessels or in barges hauled by horses, but in March 1816, the first steam packet boat arrived on the river. It was named Witham and had been built by Shuttleworth and Robinson, whose yard
9720-401: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. The water quality of the River Witham system was as follows in 2019. The reasons for the quality being less than good include sewage discharge affecting most of the river, physical modification of
9828-411: 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 the eighth century. Modern-day Lincolnshire is derived from the merging of
9936-615: 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 a area known as the "Fosdyke Wash". The rest of the sea boundary runs from Fosdyke to
10044-725: The river towpath and abandoned railway tracks, and has been opened in stages, with the final 2 miles (3.2 km) being completed in September 2008. The path is now part of Route 1 of the National Cycle Network and features a number of sculptures along its length, each commissioned from local artists. They include Lincoln longwool sheep at Stixwould, Lincoln Red cows at Washingborough, and Lincoln curly pigs , which became extinct in 1972, at Southrey. The name "Witham" seems to be extremely old, apparently predating Anglo-Saxon, Roman, and even Celtic influence. The meaning
10152-585: The river was described as "a never-ending source of pure water", and was a trout river renowned throughout the East coast of England. But in the late 1960s, the Anglian Water Authority took control of the river, and thereafter it became rapidly degraded, due mostly to over-abstraction of water for use in farming. The Slea rises near West Willoughby , two miles south-west of Ancaster , at an altitude of 70 metres. The river descends 30 metres in
10260-404: The river. The remediation notice was only the second to be issued since the legislation was introduced. Download coordinates as: The following flow into The Haven: Lincolnshire Lincolnshire ( / ˈ l ɪ ŋ k ə n ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / ), abbreviated Lincs , is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by
10368-414: The short section between Brayford Pool and Stamp End Lock, which are used to indicate the state of the river in times of flood. Green indicates that flows are low or normal, and boats can proceed along this stretch. Red indicates that flows are high and that great care is required. Flashing red indicates that flows are very high and boats must not use the section. There are a number of drains that connect to
10476-738: 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. River Slea The River Slea is a 36.4-kilometre-long (22.6 mi) tributary of the River Witham , in Lincolnshire , England. In 1872
10584-469: 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 the three Parts of Lincolnshire , along with the Parts of Holland in the south-east, and
10692-489: The three engineers produced a joint report in 1761, with estimates of £38,000 for drainage works and £7,400 for improvements to navigation. The report was approved, although a meeting held in January 1762 decided that the new cut should revert to the alignment suggested by Grundy in 1753. The location of the Grand Sluice would be as suggested by Edwards in 1760. Grundy produced another engraved map, and parliamentary approval for
10800-496: The water. It resulted in over 100,000 fish dying between Bardney and the Wash, for which the company was given a remediation notice as defined by the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2015. They must carry out a range of improvements to the river to ensure that its habitat is restored. Once the ammonia had been flushed out, 1.5 million fish larvae and 70,000 roach and bream were released into
10908-511: The work to remove the wooden floor, to lower the river bed under the bridge and to underpin its foundations was completed in 1795. The Commissioners dropped the collection of tolls at the bridge, but the amount they received from traffic passing through the locks increased as the volume of traffic grew in response to the easier passage through the bridge. When completed in 1766, Edwards' Grand Sluice consisted of three channels each 17 feet (5.2 m) wide, fitted with pointed gates on both sides, and
11016-752: The works was obtained in June 1762. Once the Act of Parliament was obtained, Edwards became the engineer for the project, and drew up the detailed plans, which Grundy and Smeaton checked and altered slightly, after which they had no further involvement with the scheme. Construction was started in April 1763, and the drainage element of the project, which included the sluice, was finished in 1768, having cost £42,000. Work on three locks and other work connected with navigation cost £6,000 and continued until 1771. The locks were located at Stamp End, Kirkstead and Barlings. The Grand Sluice
11124-637: Was a major construction which maintained the height of water above Boston to near normal high tide level and had massive flood gates to cope with any tides above this. It was completed in 1766 and was effective in scouring the Haven below it and increasing silting of the river above it. The 1762 act created the Witham Navigation Commissioners and the Witham Drainage General Commissioners, who continued to promote drainage schemes actively, creating
11232-408: 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
11340-500: Was again difficult on both the river and the Fossdyke by 1660. In 1671 an Act of Parliament was obtained for the improvement of the Navigation. In 1743, John Grundy, Sr. and his son John Grundy, Jr. were commissioned to produce a detailed survey of the river. They produced an engraved map in 1743 and a printed report, running to 48 pages, in the following year. The main recommendation was a 7-mile (11 km) new cut to eliminate
11448-473: Was an important navigation in Roman times. Lincoln ( Lindum )—the meeting point of Ermine Street , joining London to York , and Fosse Way , leading to Leicester and Bath —was an important Roman fort that became one of only four colonia in Britain. Most important Roman cities were situated near navigable water, which enabled goods to be transported in bulk, but Lincoln did not possess this advantage, and so
11556-404: Was on Sincil Dyke. Despite a boiler explosion in March 1817, fortunately without causing injury to any of the crew or the 30 passengers, a second steam packet was operating by July 1817, and they soon displaced the sailing packet boats. During a flood in 1828, one of them lost power when a floating hedge became jammed in the paddle wheels. In the following year, a Lincoln man, William Pool invented
11664-546: 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
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