Great Steeping is a village and civil parish in the

East Lindsey East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The population of the district council was 136,401 at the 2011 census. The council is based in Manby. Other major settlements in the district include Alford, Wragby, Spilsby ...

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, England. It is situated approximately from

Spilsby Spilsby is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The town is adjacent to the main A16, east of the county town of Lincoln, north-east of Boston and north-west of Skegness. It ...

. The parish includes the hamlet of Monksthorpe. There are two churches dedicated to All Saints, one being redundant and now known as Old All Saints. Old All Saints, built in 1748 on the site of a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

church, and restored in 1908, is a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. The

Diocese of Lincoln The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire. History The diocese traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Pre-Reformation Diocese of Leices ...

declared it redundant in August 1973. In the grounds is the socket stone of a medieval churchyard cross which is an ancient

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

. All Saints Church was built of red brick in 1891, after a design by William Bassett-Smith. It is Grade II listed, and has a listed churchyard cross. Great Steeping

Primary School A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

was built in 1859, and later run by the Great Steeping School Board from 1876 to 1903 as Great Steeping Board School. Kelsey Hall dates from 1854 but occupies the site of an earlier

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

which burnt down. It is first noted in 1507 as "Kelsayhall" and its name derives from the Kelsey family associated with Great Steeping. Old documents refer to "William de Kellessay in Steping" in 1299, and Ralph de Kelsay in 1327. Kelsey Hall is a private house. Great Steeping was also the base for

RAF Spilsby Royal Air Force Spilsby or more simply RAF Spilsby is a former Royal Air Force station during the Second World War and the Cold War located in the rural village of Great Steeping, near the market town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England. Halpenny, ...

, which originally was to be on the site of Gunby Park. However, after an appeal by Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd of

Gunby Hall Gunby Hall is a country house in Gunby, near Spilsby, in Lincolnshire, England, reached by a half mile long private drive. The Estate comprises the 42-room Gunby Hall, listed Grade I, a clocktower, listed Grade II* and a carriage house and st ...

to the King, the RAF Steeping airfield was built as RAF Spilsby. It opened in September 1943, and in 1944 RAF Spilsby,

RAF Strubby Royal Air Force Strubby or more simply RAF Strubby is a former Royal Air Force station north of Alford, Lincolnshire, and south east of Louth, Lincolnshire, England. History Squadrons Units * No. 381 Maintenance Unit RAF (MU) * No. 382 MU ...

, and RAF East Kirkby joined to become the newly formed 55 Base with headquarters at East Kirkby. In September 1944 RAF Spilsby became a station for two Lancaster squadrons, the 207 and 44. It was taken over by No 2 Armament Practice School from 1945 until November 1946, after which the station was placed on care and maintenance until 1955. It re-opened to host ground units of the USAF until they moved out in 1958.

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* {{authority control Villages in Lincolnshire Civil parishes in Lincolnshire East Lindsey District