Greatford

Greatford
St Thomas Becket, Greatford
Greatford  Greatford shown within Lincolnshire
Population	260
OS grid reference	TF089117
Civil parish	Greatford
District	South Kesteven
Shire county	Lincolnshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STAMFORD
Postcode district	PE9 4xx
Dialling code	01778
Police	Lincolnshire
Fire	Lincolnshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Grantham and Stamford
List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire

Greatford is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the A15, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-east of Stamford, and 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Bourne. Greatford is noted for Greatford Hall, once the home of Francis Willis.

In the 2001 census, Greatford's population was found to be 260.

Village

Etymology

There are several generally accepted pronunciations and spellings for this village's name, including Greatford (the common modern pronunciation), Gritford (an older version), and Gretford (the general local pronunciation). Greatford was listed in the Domesday book as "Greteford" and "Griteford", indicating that the local pronunciation is closest to the original. The name is believed to be derived from its location on a gravel or 'grit' ford of the West Glen River. The variable pronunciation and spelling seems to be accepted, as some local records spell the village's name "Gretford" as late as 1900.^{[citation needed]}

History

The parish contains the now untraceable medieval hamlet of Banthorp, mentioned in Domesday. A 1334 tax list puts the site of Banthorp to the west of Greatford at Banthorpe Woods and Lodge.

In October 1892 a granary full of barley collapsed at the farm of the Dean family, killing four people: two from Greatford, one from Langtoft and one from Market Deeping).^{[citation needed]}

Church

The church, built in the Early English style is dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. It is part of the Uffington Group of the Deanery of Aveland & Ness with Stamford. The incumbent is The Revd Carolyn Kennedy. The church used to be part of the Greatford with Wilsthorpe group.

Greatford Hall

Greatford Hall was originally a manor house built by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. It was the home and private asylum for Francis Willis, the physician who treated and 'cured' King George III of his 'madness' here in 1788. In 1922 the hall burned down and was subsequently rebuilt in a similar style to the original. There is no public access to the hall today.

During the Second World War, the Hall was owned by Lancaster Gate Hotels.^{[citation needed]} Around 2003 it, with its 62 acres, sold for £2.85 million.^{[citation needed]}

In the 20th century Greatford Hall was the residence of the businessman Harry Dowsett who, in 1943, formed the civil engineering company Dow-Mac that first developed the use of prestressed concrete, made at Tallington 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of Greatford.^{[citation needed]} The company is now Tarmac Precast Concrete. In 1940 Dowsett bought the Lowestoft-based firm of shipbuilders, Brooke Marine that made Royal Navy landing craft during World War II.

Amenities

The village public house is the Hare and Hounds on Main Street.

Geography

To the west, the parish boundary meets Braceborough and Wilsthorpe to the north, passing through Banthorpe Lodge, crossing the East Coast Main Line, then following the West Glen River through Shillingthorpe Park. Close to the village near Greatford Hall, the boundary passes north, crossing the road to Carlby. It follows part of the Macmillan Way (which passes straight through the parish, broadly following the Glen) near some coppices. It rejoins the West Glen River, crossing the road to Wilsthorpe. East of Fletland Mill, it meets Thurlby (Obthorpe).

At the A15 bridge over the West Glen River, where the Macmillan Way crosses, it meets Baston, to the east. The boundary now follows the Roman road King Street, and the King Street Drain, to the south. For 200 metres it meets Langtoft, then meets Barholm and Stowe, and leaves King Street to the west, passing through some coppices. north of Barholm, it briefly follows the Greatford Cut, a navigation built in 1954 to connect the West Glen River, to the north at Greatford, with the River Welland west of Market Deeping, and to stop the River Glen from flooding. It passes north of Maidens' Farm and at the East Coast Main Line meets Uffington, passing along the southern edge of Browne's Oaks.

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  King Street near Langtoft

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  East Coast Main Line on the Greatford to Belmesthorpe road

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  Greatford Cut

See also

• HMS Greatford (P3109), a 1950s Ford class seaward defence boat, built for initial training for University Royal Naval Unit. It was 35 metres long, and was around 120 tonnes with one 40 mm and two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.

External links

• Greatford Parish Council, parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2011
• "Greatford", homepages.which.net. Retrieved 15 August 2011