Horncastle is a town and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

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 in

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 ...

, east of

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

. Its population was 6,815 at the 2011 census and estimated at 7,123 in 2019. A section of the ancient

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

walls remains.

History

Romans

Although fortified, Horncastle was not on any important

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

s, which suggests that the

River Bain The River Bain is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Witham. The Bain rises in the Lincolnshire Wolds at Ludford,J. N. Clarke, (1990), ''The Horncastle and Tattershall Canal'', Oakwood Press, a village on The Vikin ...

was the principal route of access to it. Roman Horncastle has become known recently as ''

Banovallum Horncastle is a town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire, east of Lincoln. Its population was 6,815 at the 2011 census and estimated at 7,123 in 2019. A section of the ancient Roman walls remains. History Romans Alth ...

'' (i. e. Wall on the River Bain). Although this Roman name has been adopted by some local businesses and the town's

secondary modern school A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usually ...

, it is not firmly known to be original. ''Banovallum'' was merely suggested in the 19th century through an interpretation of the ''

Ravenna Cosmography The ''Ravenna Cosmography'' ( la, Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia, "The Cosmography of the Unknown Ravennese") is a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland, compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around 700 AD. Text ...

'', a 7th-century list of Roman towns and road-stations, and may equally have meant

Caistor Caistor is a town and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman castrum or fortress. It lies at the north-west edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, on the Viking Way, and jus ...

. The Roman

walls Walls may refer to: *The plural of wall, a structure * Walls (surname), a list of notable people with the surname Places * Walls, Louisiana, United States *Walls, Mississippi, United States * Walls, Ontario, neighborhood in Perry, Ontario, C ...

remain in places. One section is on display in the town's library, which was built over the top of the wall. The

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

called the town ''Hyrnecastre'', from which its modern name derives. Horncastle Town Hall - geograph

Domesday Book

Horncastle is listed in the 1086 ''

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

'' with 41 households, including 29 villagers and twelve smallholders, and had of meadow and two mills, all belonging to King William.

Church

Dating from the 13th century, well before the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the Anglican

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

is dedicated to

St Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

the Virgin. It 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 ...

in the

Early English style English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...

, but was extensively restored 1859–1861 by

Ewan Christian Ewan Christian (1814–1895) was a British architect. He is most frequently noted for the restorations of Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, and the design of the National Portrait Gallery. He was Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commiss ...

English Civil War

Four miles out is the village of

Winceby Winceby is a village in the civil parish of Lusby with Winceby (where the population is included) in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is in the Lincolnshire Wolds, and about from both Horncastle and Spilsby. The village ...

, where in 1643 the

Battle of Winceby The Battle of Winceby took place on 11 October 1643 during the First English Civil War near the village of Winceby, Lincolnshire. In the battle, a Royalist relieving force under the command of Sir William Widdrington was defeated by the P ...

helped to gain Lincolnshire for

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, although its leader,

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

, was almost killed. Local legend has it that the 13

scythe A scythe ( ) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or harvesting crops. It is historically used to cut down or reap edible grains, before the process of threshing. The scythe has been largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor m ...

blades hanging on the wall of the south chapel of St Mary's Church were used as

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

s at Winceby, but this is mainly seen as

apocrypha Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

l. The historical opinion is that they probably date from the

Lincolnshire Rising The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...

of 1536. Both theories on the scythes appear in the "Church History" Lincoln website.

Blood sports

Horncastle was once a centre for

cockfighting A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...

and

bull-baiting Bull-baiting is a blood sport involving pitting a bull against dogs. History England Crowds in London during the Royal Entry of James VI and I in March 1604 were entertained by bull-baiting. During the time of Queen Anne, bull-baiting was p ...

. ''The Fighting Cocks'' remains the name of a local pub. Bull-baiting was practised in the area known as the Bull Ring. One historian finds that the practise continued until about 1810. Both these sports were banned in England and Wales under the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835.

Market and horse fair

Horncastle gained a Crown market charter in the 13th century. It was long known for its great August

horse fair A horse fair is a (typically annual) fair where people buy and sell horses. In the United Kingdom there are many fairs which are traditionally attended by Romani people and travellers who converge at the fairs to buy and sell horses, meet with fri ...

, a famous trading event that continued until the mid-20th century. It ended after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when horses had largely ceased to be used on farms. The town remains a centre of the

antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

s trade. The annual horse fair was probably first held in the 13th century. It would last for a week or more every August. In the 19th century it was probably the largest such event in the United Kingdom. The slogan, "Horncastle for horses", was a sign of the town's standing in this trade. The fair was

George Borrow George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...

's setting for some scenes in his semi-autobiographical books ''

Lavengro ''Lavengro: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest'' (1851) is a work by George Borrow, falling somewhere between the genres of memoir and novel, which has long been considered a classic of 19th-century English literature. According to the author, i ...

'' and ''

The Romany Rye ''The Romany Rye'' is a novel by George Borrow, written in 1857 as a sequel to ''Lavengro'' (1851). The novel Largely thought to be at least partly autobiographical, ''The Romany Rye'' follows from ''Lavengro'' (1851). The title can be transl ...

''. The last was held in 1948. Livestock markets continued for pigs and cattle, the last cattle market being held in 2000. In 1894 the Stanhope Memorial, designed by E. Lingen Barker, was raised in the centre of the Market Place in memory of

Edward Stanhope Edward Stanhope PC (24 September 1840 – 21 December 1893) was a British Conservative Party politician who was Secretary of State for War from 1887 to 1892. Background and education Born in London, Stanhope was the second son of Philip Stanh ...

MP. It is a Grade II listed structure made of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, red

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

and pink and grey streaked

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

Notable buildings

The Grade II listed Old Court House in Louth Road was built in 1865. There are 116 other listed edifices in the town, including the three places of worship – St Mary's (Grade II*), Holy Trinity (Grade II) and the Congregational Church (Grade II) – and several sections of the Roman walls (Grade I).

Population

Historically, the civil parish lost population from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, as urbanisation and agricultural changes drew people to cities, where more work was available. However, the population since the late 20th century it has risen, to 6,815 in 2011, its highest so far. The estimated population in 2019 was still higher at 7,123.

Geography

Horncastle lies 7 miles from

Woodhall Spa Woodhall Spa is a former spa Village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, on the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, south-west of Horncastle, west of Skegness, east-south-east of Lincoln and north-west of Boston. It is noted for ...

, 18 miles from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 21 miles from

and 13 miles from

Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...

. It is near the main

A158 road The A158 road is a major route that heads from Lincoln in the west to Skegness on the east coast. The road is located entirely in the county of Lincolnshire and is single carriageway for almost its entirety. The road is approximately long. The ...

between Lincoln to

Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...

, to the south of the

Lincolnshire Wolds The Lincolnshire Wolds are a range of low hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England which run roughly parallel with the North Sea coast, from the Humber Estuary in the north-west to the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens in the south-east. They a ...

, where the north–south

meets the River Waring from the east, and north of the West and Wildmore

Fens A fen is a type of wetland. Fen, Fenn, Fens, Fenns, may also refer to: People * Fen (name), a Chinese given name and surname * Fen Cresswell (1915–1966), New Zealand cricketer * Fen McDonald (1891–1915), Australian rules footballer * Kees ...

. The south of Horncastle is called Cagthorpe. Langton Hill to the west was part of Horncastle Rural District in the

Parts of Lindsey The Parts of Lindsey are a traditional division of Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it. The district's name origina ...

, but is now in the district of

, based in

Manby __NOTOC__ Manby is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, and lies approximately east from Louth. Manby contains a village post office. Other amenities, including a primary school, The Manby Arms pu ...

. North of Horncastle are the villages of

West Ashby West Ashby is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the Horncastle to Louth A153 road, and north from the centre of Horncastle. Farthorpe, Middlethorpe, and Furzehills are hamlets ...

and

Low Toynton Low Toynton is a hamlet and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish (including Fulletby) was 187 at the 2011 census. It is situated about north-east from the town of Horncastle, ...

, and to their south Milestone House and Mareham on the Hill on the eastern outskirts. The

Viking Way The Viking Way is a long distance trail in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland. History The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincoln ...

meets the River Waring, then north of the A158 the village of

High Toynton High Toynton is a village and civil parish"High Toynton Lincolnshire" ...

. The A153 skirts the southern edge of the River Bain to reach

Roughton Roughton, as a person, may refer to: *Roughton "Rou" Reynolds, English musician in the post hardcore band Enter Shikari *Julian Roughton, the current Chief Executive of Suffolk Wildlife Trust Roughton, as a place, may refer to: *Roughton, Linco ...

and Thornton. The border follows the Old River Bain west of the A153 and north over the river meadows, crossing the Horncastle Canal and Viking Way. Eastwards it crosses the B1191 to the village of

Langton Langton may refer to: Places ;Canada *Langton, Ontario ;England *Church Langton, Leicestershire *East Langton, Leicestershire *Great Langton, North Yorkshire *Langton, Cumbria *Langton, County Durham *Langton, Lincolnshire *Langton, North Yorkshi ...

and northwards to Thimbleby. It meets the B1190, then the A158 at the B1190 junction, following Accommodation Road to the east and skirting the north of the town along Elmhurst Road, past Elmhurst Lakes, to reach West Ashby at the River Bain near Hemingby Lane.

Economy

Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service, known commonly as LIVES, is a registered charity staffed by volunteers providing pre-hospital care services across Lincolnshire. LIVES operates alongside the East Midlands Ambulance Service to ...

is based at the Boston Road Industrial Estate. The

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, (part of the Wildlife Trusts partnership), covers the whole ceremonial county of Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1948 as a voluntary charitable organisation dedicated to conserving the wildlife and wild ...

is based in Banovallum House.

Mortons of Horncastle Mortons of Horncastle Ltd is a publishing, events and printing company based in Horncastle in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England. History At the age of 21, William Kirkham Morton introduced mechanical typesetting to the small market-town of Ho ...

is a major national magazine publisher of classic motorcycles, aviation and road transport heritage titles, based in the industrial estate off the A153 (

Road).

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

of the same name exists. It includes Thimbleby and had a total population at the 2011 Census of 7,073.

Politics

Horncastle has always been a safe area for the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

, except for two years in the early 1920s, when it had

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

representation. It had an eponymous parliamentary constituency for 98 years, from 1885 to 1983. It then became Gainsborough and Horncastle, and after 1997 Louth and Horncastle.

Henry Haslam Henry Cobden Haslam (4 October 1870 – 7 February 1948) was a British medical researcher and Conservative Party politician. The son of Henry Haslam, a "member" or insurance underwriter of Lloyd's of London, he was born in the north London subur ...

served as MP in the

and the five years of the Churchill wartime government. The veteran politician Sir Peter Tapsell was MP for the town in 1966–1983 and 1997–2015, being

Father of the House of Commons Father of the House is a title that has been traditionally bestowed, unofficially, on certain members of some legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the title refers to the longest continuously- ...

from 2010 to 2015. After a redistribution of parliamentary constituencies,

Edward Leigh Sir Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (born 20 July 1950) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1983. Leigh has represented Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in the House of Commons since 1983 (repr ...

was MP in 1983–1997.

Education

Primary schooling

Horncastle Primary School stands in Bowl Alley Lane.

Secondary schooling

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School was founded in 1571, and is among the top schools in Lincolnshire, having been at times been among the top schools in the country. Its tennis, hockey, netball and cricket teams compete regionally, and the tennis team was a regional winner in the 2005 British Schools Tennis Championships. Queen Elizabeth's is a specialist

Science College Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics. Schools that suc ...

and

Language College Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the specialist schools programme (SSP) in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages. Schools that successf ...

. Its Design and Technology department recently entered two teams in the National 4X4 for Schools engineering competition, one of which came first nationally in its age group, while the other came second nationally overall. The

Banovallum School The Banovallum School is a co-educational secondary school located in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England. History The school was built in the early 1960s. The previous school it replaced was called the Cagthorpe School. It is a specialist scie ...

is a non-selective community school serving Horncastle and surrounding villages; it forms a science specialist school jointly with Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School. The most recent

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...

inspection in 2019 judged the school to be overall Grade 2 (good). It had a building added in 2010, with facilities for cookery, woodwork, metalwork, art and music. St Lawrence School is a special-needs school with a county-wide intake. It comprises the Lincolnshire Wolds Federation with St Bernard's School, Louth.

Colleges

Horncastle College was a "lifelong-learning"

adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...

college that ran short and residential courses in I.T., art,

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

s and

local history Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small bu ...

. It has been replaced by Fortuna Horncastle Business Centre.

Transport

Roads

Horncastle sits at the crossroads of two major Lincolnshire roads: the east–west A158, joining the county town of

with the resort of

on the

Lincolnshire coast The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than down the North Sea coast of eastern England, from the estuary of the Humber (which divides it from East Yorkshire) to the marshlands of the Wash, where it meets Norfolk. This stretch of coastline has lo ...

, and the north–south A153 joining

with

Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...

and

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...

in the south. These meet at the Bull Ring in central Horncastle. The A158 through Horncastle becomes busy in the

summer holidays Summer holiday may refer to: * Summer vacation, a holiday in the summertime between school years Film * ''Summer Holiday'' (1948 film), an American musical starring Mickey Rooney * ''Summer Holiday'' (1963 film), a British musical starring Cliff ...

with Skegness

holidaymakers Holidaymakers was a New Zealand musical group from Wellington. The band scored two top ten hits in New Zealand in 1988, including the number-one single "Sweet Lovers", a cover of the Bill Withers song "We Could Be Sweet Lovers". "Sweet Lovers" was ...

. To alleviate traffic pressure in the town centre a

relief road A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety. A bypass spec ...

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

Way, was built in the 1970s. Minor roads run from Horncastle to

Bardney Bardney is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish was 1,643 at the 2001 census increasing to 1,848 (including Southrey) at the 2011 census. The village sits on the e ...

(via Revesby),

Fulletby Fulletby is a village and a civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is in the Lincolnshire Wolds, and north-east from Horncastle, south from Louth, and north-west from Spilsby. The parish covers approximately . ...

and

. Horncastle is a hub for the

InterConnect In telecommunications, interconnection is the physical linking of a carrier's network with equipment or facilities not belonging to that network. The term may refer to a connection between a carrier's facilities and the equipment belonging to ...

rural

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

service. Regular services run to Lincoln, Skegness and across the Wolds. The

long-distance footpath passes through the town.

Railway

The Great Northern Railway's Lincoln–Boston line ran through Kirkstead, from Horncastle, and a branch line from Kirkstead (later Woodhall Junction) through Woodhall Spa to Horncastle opened on 11 August 1855. The last passenger service ran in 1954, with complete closure to goods traffic in 1971.

Horncastle railway station Horncastle railway station was a station in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies north ...

was demolished in the 1980s and replaced by housing. The nearest railway station now is

Metheringham Metheringham is an English village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 3,605. It is about south of the city and county town of Lincoln and north of Sleafor ...

(15 miles, 24 km) on the

Peterborough to Lincoln Line Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

. Part of the old railway is followed by the Viking Way footpath.

Waterways

South Basin of the Horncastle Canal, Horncastle - geograph

Horncastle Canal The Horncastle Canal was a broad canal which ran 11 miles from the River Witham to Horncastle in Lincolnshire, England, through twelve locks largely following the course of River Bain. The canal opened in 1802, and was abandoned for navigation i ...

, based on the River Bain, was begun in 1792 and opened in 1802.
In 2004 it was suggested that the canal (originally opened in 1802) be renovated with the help of private capital and promoted as a route for

pleasure craft Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

, as has been done successfully in other areas. A local kick-start programme raised money for the project.

Sport

Field games

Horncastle Town FC, founded in 1873, is an amateur club based at The Wong. It joined the

Lincolnshire Football League The Lincolnshire Football League is an English football league. The league has one division, which stands at level 11 of the English football league system). History The League runs a representative side that compete in the FA Inter League Cup. ...

in the 1996/1997 season. The town's cricket club at Coronation Walk has two men's and five youth teams. Horncastle Hockey Club is a voluntary field-hockey body set up in November 1970 at Coronation Walk, Horncastle. In 2020 it had two men's and two women's teams and a junior section.

Court games

Horncastle and District Tennis Club has served for over 70 years. Initially on grass courts in Stanhope Road, the club moved to the current Coronation Walk location in the 1970s. Horncastle Community Members Squash Club in Hemmingby Lane was founded in November 2006 to preserve an existing club by buying out retiring owners who had run it for 25 years.

Floods

New Housing by the River Bain - geograph

The town has been susceptible to flooding, notably in 1920 and 1960, and with three floods between 1981 and 1984. Folk belief associates the occurrence of floods with installations of new

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

s in Horncastle's Anglican Church. The vicar changed in 1919 and 1959, both less than a year before a flood. The flooding of the early 1980s was attributed to the change of vicar in 1980, but there was no flooding after the change of vicar in 1999. The

and River Waring overflowed during the

2007 United Kingdom floods A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Here ...

. Mentions both the rainfall record and the folklore link of floods with installations of Vicars. Flooding recurred in 2012. A £15 million, 30-year-old proposed flood-defence scheme was seen as unlikely to have prevented the 2012 flood, but new flood defences are being discussed. An anti-flood pump was installed in 2013. On 7 October 1960 Horncastle entered the

UK Weather Records The United Kingdom weather records show the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as temperature, wind speed, and rainfall records. Reliable temperature records for the whole of the United Kingdom go back to about 1880. ...

with a "highest 180-minute total" rainfall of 178 mm. Water levels are said to have risen as a consequence. Real-time river levels are available from the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

:
River Bain at Horncastle Victoria MillRiver Waring at Horncastle's Banks Road
Flood warnings for the town:
Watermill Road, Bridge Street, St. Lawrence Street, Prospect Street and West Street areasStanhope Road, Banks Road, East Street, North Street, Wharf Road and Waring Street areas

Twin town

Horncastle is twinned with

Bonnétable Bonnétable () is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire, northwestern France. Bonnétable is twinned with Horncastle in rural Lincolnshire. The towns' relationship is commemorated by a ''Rue Horncastle'' in Bonné ...

, a ''ville de marché'' (market town) in the French

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Sarthe Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the ''Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It had ...

, with a population of about 4,000. The towns' relationship is commemorated by a ''Rue Horncastle'' in Bonnétable and a Bonnetable Road in Horncastle (without the acute accent).

Notable people

*Rev.

William Blaxton Reverend William Blaxton (also spelled William Blackstone) (1595 – 26 May 1675) was an early English settler in New England and the first European settler of Boston and Rhode Island. Biography William Blaxton was born in Horncastle, Lincolns ...

(also William Blackstone) (1595 – 26 May 1675) was an early English settler in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

and the first European settler of modern-day

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. *Sir

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James ...

(1743–1820) was

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

to Captain

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

. *

Alec Brader Alec Brader (born 6 October 1942) is an English professional footballer, schoolteacher and youth athletics coach who played as an inside forward. Following his football career he became a schoolteacher teaching Physical Education, Geography, a ...

() (born 1942) professional footballer, schoolteacher and youth athletics coach * Peter "Biff" Byford (born 1951) is lead singer of heavy metal band

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

. *

Annie Dixon Annie Dixon (1817 - 1901) was a 19th-century English miniature portrait painter. From 1859, she was commissioned for numerous royal portraits by Queen Victoria. Biography Dixon was the eldest daughter of seven children (two sons, five daughte ...

(1817–1901), miniature portrait painter * Sir Lionel Dymoke (died 1519) *

Robert Merrick Fowler Vice-Admiral Robert Merrick Fowler (1778 – 25 May 1860) was an officer of the Royal Navy notable for his service as the second-in-command to Matthew Flinders on HMS '' Investigator '' from 1801 to 1803 and for his involvement in Battle ...

(1778–1860), a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer, served with

Matthew Flinders Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then called New Holland. He is also credited as being the first person to u ...

and at the

Battle of Pulo Aura The Battle of Pulo Aura was a minor naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, fought on 14 February 1804, in which a large convoy of Honourable East India Company (HEIC) East Indiamen, well-armed merchant ships, intimidated, drove off and chased ...

(1804). * Tim Garbutt, DJ/producer and one half of the dance music act

Utah Saints Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its we ...

* Richard Hill (1795 - 1872),

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and campaigner for the rights of people of colour in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Connie Lewcock Constance Mary Lewcock OBE born Constance Mary Ellis (11 April 1894 – 11 November 1980) was a British suffragette, arsonist and socialist. Life Lewcock was born in Horncastle in 1894. In 1913 she volunteered her services to the Women's Soci ...

(1894–1980),

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

Henry Simpson Lunn Sir Henry Simpson Lunn (30 July 1859 – 18 March 1939) was an English humanitarian and religious figure, and also founder of Lunn Poly, one of the UK's largest travel companies. Lunn was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, elder son of greengroc ...

(1859–1939), religious leader and co-founder of

Lunn Poly Lunn Poly was, at one time, the largest chain of travel agents in the United Kingdom. History The company originated from two successful travel agencies established in the 1890s, the Polytechnic Touring Association and Sir Henry Lunn Travel. Bot ...

travel agents *

William Marwood William Marwood (1818 – 4 September 1883) was a hangman for the British government. He developed the technique of hanging known as the " long drop". Early life Marwood was born in 1818 in the village of Goulceby, the fifth of ten childre ...

(1818–1883), public hangman *

Erasmus Middleton Erasmus Middleton (1739–1805) was an English clergyman, author and editor. Early life He was the son of Erasmus Middleton of Horncastle, Lincolnshire. At age 22 he underwent a religion conversion among Wesleyan Methodists in Horncastle. He was ...

(1739–1805), clergyman, author and editor *

Ben Pridmore Ben Pridmore (born October 14, 1976) is a former world memory champion, memory sport competitor and accountant. Achievements Pridmore is a three-time World Memory Champion winning the title 2004, 2008 and 2009. From Derby in the United Kingdom, ...

(born 1976), memory champion, attended school in Horncastle. * Samuel Roberts (1827–1913),

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

and

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

Thomas Sully Thomas Sully (June 19, 1783November 5, 1872) was a portrait painter in the United States. Born in Great Britain, he lived most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He painted in the style of Thomas Lawrence. His subjects included nationa ...

(1783–1872), portrait painter *

Emily Tennyson, Lady Tennyson Emily Sarah Tennyson, Baroness Tennyson ( Sellwood; 9 July 1813 – 10 August 1896), known as Emily, Lady Tennyson, was the wife of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and a creative talent in her own right. Emily was the oldest of three daughte ...

(1813–1896) *

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

(1809–1892),

Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...

, was born six miles from Horncastle in the village of Somersby. Tennyson opined, "Of all horrors, a little country town seems to me to be the greatest." *

Arthur Thistlewood Arthur Thistlewood (1774–1 May 1820) was an English radical activist and conspirator in the Cato Street Conspiracy. He planned to murder the cabinet, but there was a spy and he was apprehended with 12 other conspirators. He killed a policem ...

(1774–1820), radical and

Cato Street ''Cato Street'' is a play by the British actor and writer Robert Shaw. The play's subject matter is the Cato Street Conspiracy of 1820. It was first produced in London in November 1971 at the Young Vic, with a cast including Vanessa Redgrave, J ...

conspirator, was baptised in Horncastle on 4 December 1774.Malcolm Chase, "Thistlewood, Arthur (baptised 1774, died 1820)" (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004)
Retrieved 2 December 2016. Pay-walled.
/ref> *

Robert Webb Robert Patrick Webb (born 29 September 1972) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell. Webb and Mitchell both starred in the Channel 4 sitco ...

(born 1972), actor and comedian, lived in

, but went to school in Horncastle. * Harold A. Wilson (1885–1932), 1908 Olympic athlete, was the first to run an under four-minute

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

References

External links

*
''A History of Horncastle'' (1908)
by James Conway Walter
Horncastle Civic SocietyHorncastle Today - local news and sport websiteHorncastle Discovered
{{authority control Towns in Lincolnshire Market towns in Lincolnshire Civil parishes in Lincolnshire East Lindsey District Fortified settlements