South Witham
Encyclopedia
South Witham is a village in South Kesteven
, Lincolnshire
, situated close to the Leicestershire
and Rutland
borders.
, about three miles to the east of its source. It is the point on the A1 where it enters Lincolnshire from the south, near The Fox Inn. The parish of 1770 acres borders Thistleton
and Rutland
to the south, and the boundary to the west meets Wymondham and Leicestershire at Thistleton Gap. The parish includes the Forty Acre Wood to the north-west, where it borders Gunby. The boundary follows due east to meet North Witham parish at the first undulation (small valley) in the road northwards.
Crossing the road, the boundary follows due eastwards to meet the A1, then follows this due south, on the east side of the road. The boundary goes through The Fox, with North Witham parish to the east, to a point just south of the A1 interchange. The A1 was upgraded in early August 1971, through Rutland, to Tickencote
(built by Rutland County Council). Previous to the improved road, there was the South Witham crossroads on the A1, which met the main road where the sliproads join today.
On the road to Wymondham
(Mill Lane) is a large limestone quarry owned by Breedon Aggregates (based at Breedon on the Hill
), containing around 3.2 million tonnes of limestone
. Ennstone Johnston bought the quarry for £1.5 million in April 2004 from GRS. Close to the north is a former ironstone
quarry.
Nearby to the south was RAF Cottesmore
, and the village was the centre of the flight path
circuit.
. (currently £35 a night), and the Blue Cow also offers accommodation.
built a large housing estate on the opposite side of the River Witham. The houses were intended for servicemen at RAF Cottesmore
, but were taken instead by personnel at RAF North Luffenham
. The village trebled in size virtually overnight, and the primary school was similarly increased in size. A NAAFI
was provided for the forces' families.
On 2 August 1973, Canberra B2
WJ674 of 231 OCU
crashed in the field east of The Fox, actually in North Witham parish, near Woodbine Farm. Only one of the aircrew ejected successfully.
In 2010, similar to Nocton, there was a plan for a super-dairy for around 3,000 cows on land owned by Buckminster
Trust Estate south of the approach road to the A1, by Velmur. It was withdrawn in June 2010.
which is now closed. The line went from Melton
, via Bourne
, to Spalding
. In 1898, a branch line was built from the railway (near the quarry) to Buckminster
to transport iron ore for the Holwell Iron Company, later the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company
, and ran parallel to Sewstern Lane.
, Stainby
and Gunby
. In the nineteenth century, the vicar was Ralph Tollemache
, nephew of Lord Frederick Tollemache. He built the primary school in 1879, and his children that were born in the village were well-known (internationally) for their bizarre long names such as Leone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudatifilius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache, who was born in 1884. His eldest son, Sir Lyonel Felix Carteret Eugene Tollemache, 4th Baronet born in 1854, became Lord Tollemache
in 1935.
There were two chapels - a Methodist and Congregationalist
(now known nationally as the United Reformed Church
). One chapel on Thistleton Road became a well-known vintage motorcycle museum. The owner later claimed to be Britain's safest driver, having taken to the wheel in 1925 (at the age of 15), and buying his first car, a Willys Overland Crossley
Whippet in 1935 for £2.50. He sold his collection of eighty 1920s and 1930s motorcycles in March 2003.
preceptories in 1164. This was the most complete archaeological plan
of the military orders of the Knights Templar
ever seen in Britain, and Europe. Temple Hill was recently investigated by the Society for Medieval Archaeology in 2002.
South Kesteven
South Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping.-History:...
, 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...
, situated close to the Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
borders.
Geography
It is bisected by the young River WithamRiver 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...
, about three miles to the east of its source. It is the point on the A1 where it enters Lincolnshire from the south, near The Fox Inn. The parish of 1770 acres borders Thistleton
Thistleton
Thistleton is the most northerly village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.The Thistleton area has shown evidence of Romano-British occupation including a large temple precinct and a possible small market settlement...
and Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
to the south, and the boundary to the west meets Wymondham and Leicestershire at Thistleton Gap. The parish includes the Forty Acre Wood to the north-west, where it borders Gunby. The boundary follows due east to meet North Witham parish at the first undulation (small valley) in the road northwards.
Crossing the road, the boundary follows due eastwards to meet the A1, then follows this due south, on the east side of the road. The boundary goes through The Fox, with North Witham parish to the east, to a point just south of the A1 interchange. The A1 was upgraded in early August 1971, through Rutland, to Tickencote
Tickencote
Tickencote is a small village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.-Geography:The parish essentially stretches along the A1 from the Bloody Oaks to the Casterton junction. At the far north of the parish, the Warren Plantation is on the north-east side of the A1. To the...
(built by Rutland County Council). Previous to the improved road, there was the South Witham crossroads on the A1, which met the main road where the sliproads join today.
On the road to Wymondham
Wymondham, Leicestershire
thumb|left|Church Lane, WymondhamWymondham is a village in the district of Melton in Leicestershire, England. It is part of a civil parish which also covers the nearby hamlet of Edmondthorpe. The parish has a population of about 600. It is close to the county borders with Lincolnshire and Rutland,...
(Mill Lane) is a large limestone quarry owned by Breedon Aggregates (based at Breedon on the Hill
Breedon on the Hill
Breedon on the Hill is a village and civil parish about north of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in North West Leicestershire, England. The parish adjoins the Derbyshire county boundary and the village is only about south of the Derbyshire town of Melbourne. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 958...
), containing around 3.2 million tonnes of limestone
Lincolnshire limestone
The Lincolnshire limestone is a feature of the Inferior Oolite Series of the Middle Jurassic strata of eastern England. It was formed around 165 million years ago, in a shallow, warm sea on the margin of the London Platform and has estuarine beds above and below it...
. Ennstone Johnston bought the quarry for £1.5 million in April 2004 from GRS. Close to the north is a former ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
quarry.
Nearby to the south was RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
, and the village was the centre of the flight path
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
circuit.
Economy
Companies based in the village include Compressed Air Plant and Auriga at New Mills on North Witham Road. Petlife International is on Occupation Road towards the A1 and nearby is Clever Cooks. Also in the parish on the northbound A1 is the Grantham South Witham TravelodgeTravelodge UK
Travelodge Hotels Limited is a private company operating in the hotels and hospitality industry throughout the United Kingdom. Branded simply as Travelodge or Travelodge UK, it is the second largest in the budget hotel sector and third biggest hotel chain in the UK by number of bedrooms...
. (currently £35 a night), and the Blue Cow also offers accommodation.
History
The village has until recently also been spelt as South Wytham. In 1966, the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
built a large housing estate on the opposite side of the River Witham. The houses were intended for servicemen at RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
, but were taken instead by personnel at RAF North Luffenham
RAF North Luffenham
RAF North Luffenham was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, 1940 - 1998. It is near to the villages of Edith Weston and North Luffenham....
. The village trebled in size virtually overnight, and the primary school was similarly increased in size. A NAAFI
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes is an organisation created by the British government in 1921 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families...
was provided for the forces' families.
On 2 August 1973, Canberra B2
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
WJ674 of 231 OCU
No. 231 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 231 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force Operational Conversion Unit. It first formed in the aftermath of World War II during 1947 at RAF Coningsby. Initially the OCU was formed from a nucleus provided by No. 16 OTU and was tasked with training crews of the "wooden wonder", the De...
crashed in the field east of The Fox, actually in North Witham parish, near Woodbine Farm. Only one of the aircrew ejected successfully.
In 2010, similar to Nocton, there was a plan for a super-dairy for around 3,000 cows on land owned by Buckminster
Buckminster
Buckminster is a village and civil parish within the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. It is on the B676 road, between Melton Mowbray and the A1....
Trust Estate south of the approach road to the A1, by Velmur. It was withdrawn in June 2010.
Railway
There was once a South Witham railway stationSouth Witham railway station
South Witham railway station was a station in South Witham, Lincolnshire on the Midland Railway. It was Midland Railway property but train services were operated by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. It was closed in 1959 along with most of the M&GN....
which is now closed. The line went from Melton
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
, via Bourne
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
, to Spalding
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road....
. In 1898, a branch line was built from the railway (near the quarry) to Buckminster
Buckminster
Buckminster is a village and civil parish within the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. It is on the B676 road, between Melton Mowbray and the A1....
to transport iron ore for the Holwell Iron Company, later the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company
Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company
The Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company was formed in 1912 by a take over of the Appleby Ironworks by the Frodingham Ironworks. Both of these companies, located in villages near Scunthorpe, in North Lincolnshire, are amongst the areas oldest iron producers....
, and ran parallel to Sewstern Lane.
Church
The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist and included in the Withams group of churches are North WithamNorth Witham
North Witham is a small village and civil parish in South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. The village is located along the upper course of the River Witham, 11.4 miles south of the nearest major town, Grantham. It has an estimated population of 158 in around 70 households...
, Stainby
Stainby
Stainby is a small hamlet of around 30 houses located in south west Lincolnshire in the district of South Kesteven. It is only a very short distance to the border with Leicestershire ....
and Gunby
Gunby, South Kesteven
Gunby is a hamlet of around 30 houses in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England.Gunby is located close to the borders with Leicestershire and Rutland. The closest town is Grantham although it is within of Oakham and Stamford. To the is North Witham, to the north Stainby and to the ...
. In the nineteenth century, the vicar was Ralph Tollemache
Ralph Tollemache
The Reverend Ralph William Lyonel Tollemache-Tollemache MA JP was a British clergyman in the Church of England. He is best known for the unusual and increasingly eccentric names that he chose for his numerous children....
, nephew of Lord Frederick Tollemache. He built the primary school in 1879, and his children that were born in the village were well-known (internationally) for their bizarre long names such as Leone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudatifilius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache, who was born in 1884. His eldest son, Sir Lyonel Felix Carteret Eugene Tollemache, 4th Baronet born in 1854, became Lord Tollemache
Tollemache Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for people with the surname Tollemache , one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain....
in 1935.
There were two chapels - a Methodist and Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
(now known nationally as the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
). One chapel on Thistleton Road became a well-known vintage motorcycle museum. The owner later claimed to be Britain's safest driver, having taken to the wheel in 1925 (at the age of 15), and buying his first car, a Willys Overland Crossley
Willys Overland Crossley
Willys Overland Crossley was a company jointly owned by Crossley Motors and Willys-Overland. They had factories in Stockport, England, Berlin, Germany and Antwerp, Belgium. The company was formed in 1919 and continued until 1934...
Whippet in 1935 for £2.50. He sold his collection of eighty 1920s and 1930s motorcycles in March 2003.
Archaeology
The parish is well known among archaeologists as the site of one of Lincolnshire's Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
preceptories in 1164. This was the most complete archaeological plan
Archaeological plan
An archaeological plan in an archaeological excavation, is a drawn record of features in the horizontal plane.- Overview :Archaeological plan can either take the form of...
of the military orders of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar in England
The history of the Knights Templar in England began when the French nobleman Hughes de Payens, the founder and Grand Master of the order of the Knights Templar, visited the country in 1118 to raise men and money for the Crusades.-History:...
ever seen in Britain, and Europe. Temple Hill was recently investigated by the Society for Medieval Archaeology in 2002.