Branston, Lincolnshire

Branston
All Saints' church in April 2005
Branston  Branston shown within Lincolnshire
Population	4,019 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	TF021673
Civil parish	Branston and Mere
District	North Kesteven
Shire county	Lincolnshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LINCOLN
Postcode district	LN4 1xx
Dialling code	01522
Police	Lincolnshire
Fire	Lincolnshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Sleaford and North Hykeham
List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire

Branston is a large village in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, approximately 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Lincoln.

In the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 4019.

Geography

Branston is on the B1188 road. The parish (Branston and Mere) meets Heighington and Canwick around 330 yards (300 m) north of the school, towards Heighington. The parish boundary with Heighington passes close to the edge of the east of the village, skirting the school's playing fields. The boundary follows Moor Lane, across the railway line along the road to Branston Booths where it meets the B1190 and Car Dyke, and along the Branston Delph on Branston Fen, crossing the River Witham, becoming the North Kesteven and West Lindsey boundary. The section north-east of the Witham is called Branston Island, meeting Fiskerton, Stainfield and Bardney, passing Bardney Lock. It meets Potter Hanworth at Bardney Bridge and follows Branston Causeway (becomes the B1190) westwards, skirting the north edge of Potterhanworth Booths. It follows the B1202 westwards for around a half mile, then skirts the southern edge of a wood, crosses the railway line and Little Gate Lane, then Sleaford Road (B1188).

It meets Nocton west of Fox Covert, and crosses Bloxholm Lane at the point where Branston Lane crosses, and meets Waddington halfway between Bloxholm Lane and the A15. Mere Hall is around a mile to the north. It crosses the A15 220 yards (200 m) south of the B1178 junction, and passing through the eastern section of the airfield. The boundary passes northwards through RAF Waddington, with the north-eastern section of the runway in the parish. It crosses the A15 at the northern edge of RAF Waddington, just off the point where it meets Bracebridge Heath. It follows Bloxholm Lane to the north, and skirts the northern part of Westfield Farm, where it meets Canwick. It crosses the B1188 where the pylons cross the road. 440 yards (400 m) east it meets Washingborough, following a small beck and skirting the north edge of the village.

History

The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded the village population as 350, a figure which stayed relatively stable until the beginning of the 20th century when the population began to quickly increase to the current total. The character of the village has changed much over the post-war period but the village has retained much of its historic centre - where the majority of buildings are constructed from local limestone.^{[citation needed]}

The village's most notable buildings are Branston Hall and Branston All Saints' Church. The village used to have a railway station.

In July 1977, more than fifty children from the junior school had to go to Lincoln County Hospital after a crop spraying aircraft inadvertently sprayed their playground. The insecticide was a mixture of meta-systox and aphox; organophosphate and carbamate compounds designed to clear crops of aphids.^{[citation needed]}

Amenities

Signpost in Branston

Unusually for a relatively large village, Branston now has only one public house, the Waggon and Horses, a modern building which stands on the High Street close to the historic centre of the village. About 110 yards (100 m) farther along the High Street is the Home Guard Club, a private members club. Two other public houses were once located in the village. The Plough which stood on the High Street opposite the Waggon and Horses, which was demolished in the 1970s in order to straighten a dangerous bend at the centre of the village, and the Bertie Arms, a small public house on Rectory Lane, long ago converted into a private dwelling. Pottergate Golf Club is on Moor Lane.^{[citation needed]}

Education

Branston's secondary school is Branston Community Academy, situated on the outskirts of the village on the road to Heighington; the public library is situated in the school. On the same road next to the Co-op is Branston Junior School, the village primary school, . Branston C of E Infant School is located on the Valley Estate, which lies on the northern side of the village, close to the main road to Lincoln.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• History of the church
• Junior School
• C of E Infant School