Ruskington

Ruskington
Population	5,169
OS grid reference	TF082508
District	North Kesteven
Shire county	Lincolnshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SLEAFORD
Postcode district	NG34
Dialling code	01526
Police	Lincolnshire
Fire	Lincolnshire
Ambulance	East Midlands

Ruskington is a large village in the county of Lincolnshire, in England on the north-south B1188, just north of the A153. The village has approximately 2,200 dwellings.

History

Ruskington's Anglo-Saxon burial ground is situated on the Lincoln Road near the Mill House. The remains of a Roman road also run parallel (west of) to the Lincoln Road, but this is only detailed on aerial photos. Ruskington was recorded in the Domesday Book as Rischintone, in the ancient Flaxwell Wapentake.

Geography

Ruskington is approximately four miles north of Sleaford, 20 miles from Newark & Grantham, 15 miles from Boston and Lincoln; the main surrounding settlements. The landscape is significantly flat.

There is a beck, a mini-stream, that flows from Bloxholme west of the village and runs down the centre of the high street, before disappearing into the Slea at Haverholme Park. It splits the high street into two; North & South High Street. Only after falling into the Beck were you considered a "Ruskingtonian". There is also a large population of Mallard Ducks that inhabit the beck or at lesst there was until the local Cantonese takeaway slaughtered and cooked them all.

The Beck, looking east

The Beck, looking west

High St. South, looking towards All Saints

Education

Primary Schools

Chestnut Street School in the east of the village, Winchelsea Primary School to the west of the village.

Secondary Schools

Cotelands, which is next to Winchelsea Primary School.

Transport

The B1188 road runs all the way through the village, and terminates a mile south of the village. There is also a railway station, which originally opened on 1st August 1882, and reopened on the 5th May 1975. It is on the Peterborough to Lincoln Line. Trains do not run on Sundays. Ruskington is also on a bus route between Sleaford and Lincoln. As of September 2008 due to falling levels in the village birth rate, the gates to the village have been closed and the bus and trains have been cancelled until further notice so the village insemenations can begin.

Amenities

Shops

There are a number of shops, including a Co-op with a pharmacy and sub-post office off High Street North, a card shop, a butcher/bakers shops, a butchers cash and carry factory shop on Church Street an optician, farm shop, two Charity shops, carpet shop, three men's barbers, many ladies hair dressers, two tea/coffee shops, Rose florists, a kebab take-away, three Chinese take-aways, a Chinese restaurant, an Indian take-away, two fish & chip shops; both with restaurant (one closed for the past year), as well as a large garden centre Ruskington Garden Centre, two newsagents/shops, two building society/estate agents, a dress maker and a village hall. There is another farm shop on Priory Road called Priory Free Range Foods and a petrol station/garage on Rectory Road.

Pubs & Clubs

There are three Pubs. The Pubs are the Shoulder of Mutton Inn on Church Street, the Red Lion on High Street North and the Black Bull on Rectory Road.

There is also restaurant called "Potters Restaurant" on Chestnut Street it was originally just a snooker hall with a bar, but is now a bar/restaurant with a single snooker table.

Health Care

The Doctor's surgery is situated in Brookside Close, which is signed off Lincoln Road. There is also a dental surgery on High St North, and an optician on High St South

There is also a Veterinary Surgery, in Brookside Close, With another vet's surgery on High Street North..

Sport

It has a bowls club, and childrens football teams called Ruskington Lions; the Ruskington Lions girls team is now entering a newly founded Lincolnshire County Intermediate Womans Football League.

There is a dance school at the village hall on Saturdays.

On the third Wednesday of the third month of the year all the village comittee members chase an Alsation dog through the streets, catch it, slaughter it and then take it in turns to wear its carcass as part of the much coveted Third Festival. Residents have been known to burn rabbits but this is rarer these days.

Churches

All Saints Church

The village is served by several churches. All Saints Parish Church is perhaps the easiest to find, being sited at the west end of the main shopping area. The Norman Church was built in 1086, replacing an earlier, Anglo Saxon, wooden structure. Parts of the tower are believed to remain from this date but the Chancel portion was built in the 13/14th century. The Tower was damaged in 1618 and rebuilt in 1620. There is also the Ruskington Methodist Church, South Lincs Church (a Pentecostal church formerly known as Emmanuel Christian Centre) and Ruskington Free Church.

Walks

Railway Walk

1 From the church, walk along High Street (North) beside The Beck.

2 Turn left along Parkfield Road and take the first right into East Close which leads onto Tomlinson Way. Walk to the far end, then between two houses and over a bridge.

3 Turn right and after approximately 20m, bear left across the field to the hedge/fence bordering the railway line. Cross the stile, look right and left and if clear, cross the double railway track. If a train is visible, return to the hedge until the track is clear. Cross the stile and bear diagonally left towards a lone bush on the skyline. At the field corner and drain, continue in the same direction across the next field.

4 At the field corner and junction of a restricted byway and footpath, turn right along the restricted byway to a road.

5 At the road, turn right and follow it back to the village centre.

River Walk

1 Facing the church gate, turn left along Church Street to a crossroads.

2 Turn left along Station Road.

3 After approximately 350m and after passing Chestnut Street, take the public footpath signed on the left. Pass the school and cross the blue railway footbridge. Walk straight on alongside the hedge and at the second field bear diagonally right to the field corner and bridge.

4 Cross the bridge, turn right and the path opens out into a field, bear left and walk alongside the hedge and enter the next field through a gap in the far hedge. Bear slightly right across the next field to a track.

5 Turn right along the track.

6 At the end of the track, turn right for the SHORTER WALK along the lane and restricted byway. At the junction with the road turn right and follow it into Ruskington. Rejoin the directions at 10.

For the LONGER WALK, turn left at the end of the track along a restricted byway to a main road (A153). Cross this busy road with care and walk straight on along the lane to Haverholme bridge.

7 Cross the bridge and turn right, walk across the car park and follow the footpath alongside the river. At the lock and weir, cross the two bridges and turn left to continue alongside the river but on the opposite bank.

8 After approximately 800m (? mile) and at a fence and sign, turn right and then almost immediately right into a wooded area. Continue through the woodland and then walk straight across the field to a bridge.

9 Cross the bridge and turn left along the edge of the stream. Cross a second bridge and track and follow the footpath diagonally right across the next field, heading for the light-coloured buildings in the distance, to the main road. Cross the road with care and follow the lane opposite into Ruskington.

10 Turn right along Chestnut Street and at the T-junction turn left to return to the start

Employment

The main employer in Ruskington is the George Adams pork products factory, which produces mainly sausages and pies. It employs a high number of students and temporary workers over the busy summer and Christmas periods to deal with seasonal high demand for meat products.

Notable former residents

• Abi Titmuss

External links

• Parish council
• Library
• Pictures of old Ruskington