Potterhanworth
Encyclopedia
Potterhanworth is a village and civil parish
in the North Kesteven
district of Lincolnshire
, England
, it is situated 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Lincoln
.
, to the north-west Branston
and to the east Potterhanworth Booths
, which is inside the civil parish. It is at the junction of the B1202 (for Nocton
to the south) and the B1178 roads. The Peterborough to Lincoln Line
passes close to the west. Along the B1202 to the east is a former POW
camp - the tower still visible. The civil parish stretches along the south of the B1190 road to Bardney
and meets the River Witham
including all of Potterhanworth Fen.
Potterhanworth occupies a position where the Lincoln heath
to the west merges with the fens of the Witham Valley and lies close to the Roman Car Dyke. Also some seven miles to the west is the Roman Ermine Street and as fragments of Roman
pottery have been found locally there may well have been a Roman settlement (or at least a villa farm) in the vicinity.
The village is also home to St Andrews church. At St Andrew's we find a C14th tower attached to a Victorian
nave and chancel. There is believed to have been a pre-conquest church here but, apart from the tower, anything mediaeval or earlier vanished in 1749 to be replaced by a Georgian church. That in turn was removed in the 1850s when the present one was built, albeit in replica Gothic style. One of the bells was recast for Queen Victoria
's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 with a quotation from "Morte D'Arthur" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
, who was by then poet laureate. The lines include the famous (and some may think prophetic) words "The old order changeth, yielding place to new".
It is rare for a small village to have its church overshadowed by an even more massive building - but that is the case here! Immediately over the road stands, or rather looms, a huge water tower built in 1903 as part of an innovative water supply system from a borehole in a nearby field.
There used to be a Post Office and village store from the early half of the twentieth century, located on Cross Street this now being a residential dwelling known as 'Black Horse Cottage'. More recently the Post Office and smaller 'village shop' was located on Middle Street.
Other now-historical amenities of the village include a Bowls club (where the new Lottery funded play park is now located) and a tennis club which was held at the tennis courts located at the village sports field.
At one time there were two pubs in the village, The Chequers and another called the Black Horse. The Black Horse has since made way for housing.
A bus shelter was erected adjacent to the village green to commemorate the 1951 Festival of Britain.
The village also has a football team, Potterhanworth FC.
Potterhanworth has two small village greens. On one there proudly stands a brilliantly coloured village sign and on the other the war memorial.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the North Kesteven
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in the East Midlands. Just over north of London, it is east of Nottingham and south of Lincoln. North Kesteven is one of seven districts in Lincolnshire, England and is in the centre of the County...
district of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, it is situated 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
.
Geography
To the south the village borders NoctonNocton
Nocton is a village south of Lincoln in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. To the east of the village is Nocton Fen, and a small area known locally as Wasps Nest....
, to the north-west Branston
Branston, Lincolnshire
Branston is a large village in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, approximately south-east of Lincoln.In the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 4019.-Geography:...
and to the east Potterhanworth Booths
Potterhanworth Booths
Potterhanworth Booths is a hamlet with a population of roughly 30 in the English county of Lincolnshire.The hamlet derives its name from the nearby village of Potterhanworth, whose name refers to the early clay industries set up in the local area...
, which is inside the civil parish. It is at the junction of the B1202 (for Nocton
Nocton
Nocton is a village south of Lincoln in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. To the east of the village is Nocton Fen, and a small area known locally as Wasps Nest....
to the south) and the B1178 roads. The Peterborough to Lincoln Line
Peterborough to Lincoln Line
The Peterborough to Lincoln Line is a railway line linking and , via and .-History:The section between Peterborough and Spalding closed to passengers on 5 October 1970 and re-opened on 7 June 1971. North of Spalding, Ruskington re-opened on 5 May 1975. Metheringham followed on 6 October...
passes close to the west. Along the B1202 to the east is a former POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp - the tower still visible. The civil parish stretches along the south of the B1190 road to Bardney
Bardney
Bardney is a village and Civil Parish east of Lincoln, sitting on the north side of the River Witham in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-The village:...
and meets the River Witham
River Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
including all of Potterhanworth Fen.
History
The "Hanworth" element of the place-name is from the Old English for "Hana's" farmstead and the "Potter" constituent refers to the local pottery industry that developed here in the 14th century, but only in the 1940's did the two words come together.Potterhanworth occupies a position where the Lincoln heath
Lincoln Cliff
The Lincoln Cliff is the portion of a major escarpment that runs north-south through Lindsey and Kesteven, in central Lincolnshire and is a prominent landscape feature in a generally flat portion of the county...
to the west merges with the fens of the Witham Valley and lies close to the Roman Car Dyke. Also some seven miles to the west is the Roman Ermine Street and as fragments of Roman
Roman Kingdom
The Roman Kingdom was the period of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a monarchical form of government of the city of Rome and its territories....
pottery have been found locally there may well have been a Roman settlement (or at least a villa farm) in the vicinity.
The village is also home to St Andrews church. At St Andrew's we find a C14th tower attached to a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
nave and chancel. There is believed to have been a pre-conquest church here but, apart from the tower, anything mediaeval or earlier vanished in 1749 to be replaced by a Georgian church. That in turn was removed in the 1850s when the present one was built, albeit in replica Gothic style. One of the bells was recast for Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 with a quotation from "Morte D'Arthur" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
, who was by then poet laureate. The lines include the famous (and some may think prophetic) words "The old order changeth, yielding place to new".
It is rare for a small village to have its church overshadowed by an even more massive building - but that is the case here! Immediately over the road stands, or rather looms, a huge water tower built in 1903 as part of an innovative water supply system from a borehole in a nearby field.
There used to be a Post Office and village store from the early half of the twentieth century, located on Cross Street this now being a residential dwelling known as 'Black Horse Cottage'. More recently the Post Office and smaller 'village shop' was located on Middle Street.
Other now-historical amenities of the village include a Bowls club (where the new Lottery funded play park is now located) and a tennis club which was held at the tennis courts located at the village sports field.
At one time there were two pubs in the village, The Chequers and another called the Black Horse. The Black Horse has since made way for housing.
A bus shelter was erected adjacent to the village green to commemorate the 1951 Festival of Britain.
Current
Currently within the village there is St Andrew's Church and a Village Hall. There is a primary school and a peculiar water tower which has been converted into a house. The village pub is the Chequers on Cross Street. Pottergate Golf Club is close to the north, on the way to Potterhanworth Booths.The village also has a football team, Potterhanworth FC.
Potterhanworth has two small village greens. On one there proudly stands a brilliantly coloured village sign and on the other the war memorial.