Spalding is a
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
with a population of 30,000 on the
River WellandThe River Welland is a river in the east of England, some long. It rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. For much of its length it forms the county boundary between...
in the
South HollandSouth Holland is a local government district of Lincolnshire. The district council is based in Spalding.It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the Spalding urban district with East Elloe Rural District and Spalding Rural District...
district of
LincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road.
Spalding is well-known for its annual
Flower Parade which attracts many regular visitors from all over the world. Since 2002 it has also held an annual
Pumpkin Festival (not linked to Hallowe'en) in October.
History
A settlement has existed in the Spalding area as far back as Roman times when the site was used for the production of salt to which it was suited as marshland.
Spaldingas tribe
However, the settlement's name is derived from an Anglian tribe, the
SpaldingasThe Spaldingas were an Anglian tribe that settled in an area known as the spalda. This divided the fens and marshes of East Anglia in what is now the South Holland part of Lincolnshire...
, who settled in the area during the 6th century, and who retained their administrative independence right into the ninth and tenth centuries, when the region formed one of the Five Boroughs of the Kingdom of York.
Timeline
- 1015 - a Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
PrioryA priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
was founded by Thorold de Bokenhale
- 1086 - the town is recorded in the Domesday book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as 'Spallinge'
- 1284(c) - St Mary & St Nicolas Church was built as a parish church by the priory under Prior William de Littleport de Kurphery Frederick.
- 1377 - The White Hart
The White Hart was the personal emblem and livery of Richard II, who derived it from the arms of his mother, Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent", heiress of Edmund of Woodstock...
Inn of the Market Place is built
- 1430s - Ayscoughfee Hall
Ayscoughfee Hall is a grade II* listed building, located in central Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, and is a landmark on the fen tour.- History :The house, currently a museum, was built for Richard Ailwyn in the fifteenth century...
built by Richard Alwyn
- 1566 - Mary, Queen of Scots, stopped overnight at the White Hart in the Market Place
- 1588 - The Spalding Grammar School
Spalding Grammar School, or as it is fully known The Queen Elizabeth Royal Free Grammar School Spalding, is a selective school on Priory Road in Spalding, Lincolnshire for pupils aged 11–18.- History :...
, originally located within the Church, was founded.
- 1590s - Spalding's first drains constructed.
- 1650 - Sir John Gamlyn founded almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s in Spalding.
- 1688 - Maurice Johnson was born at Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding on 19 June.
- 1710 - Maurice Johnson founded the Spalding Gentlemen's Society Museum, which is now the second oldest museum in the country.
- 1768 - Holland House, described as the finest house in Spalding, was built by William Sands Junior.
- 1774 - The famous explorer Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
was born at nearby Donington, on 16 March. He went on to discover most of southern Australia.
- 1801 - The population of Spalding according to the census was 3,296.
- 1805 - The Friends Meeting House
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
, in Double Street, was built.
- 1826 - Spalding's last house of correction
The house of correction was a type of establishment built after the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law , places where those who were "unwilling to work", including vagrants and beggars, were set to work. The building of houses of correction came after the passing of an amendment to the Elizabethan...
was built. It closed down in 1884.
- 1831 - The population of Spalding according to the census was 6,497.
- 1838 - The High Bridge over the River Welland
The River Welland is a river in the east of England, some long. It rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. For much of its length it forms the county boundary between...
was re-built.
- 1842 - The Sessions House in Sheep Market was built.
- 1847 - The Spalding Free Press newspaper was founded.
- 1848 - The Great Northern Railway opened their railway station.
- 1851 - The population of Spalding according to the census was 8,829.
- 1854 - Spalding Cemetery was consecrated in November.
- 1855-56 - The Corn Exchange was built.
- 1857 - The Butter Market was opened.
- 1858 - The police station was built.
- 1860 - An Act was passed to pipe fresh water to Spalding from Bourne
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
.
- 1866 - Spalding Amateur Dramatic Society
Spalding Amateur Dramatic & Operatic Society of Spalding, Lincolnshire is the oldest Amateur Theatre society in England. The South Holland Centre is the current venue for performances.-History:...
formed.
- 1866-67 - St. Mary and St. Nicolas Church was extensively restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
- 1870 - Goodfellows National School was opened.
- 1871 - The population of Spalding according to the census was 9,111.
- 1874 - The ecclesiastical parish of St. John the Baptist was formed on 1 December from the civil parishes of Spalding and Pinchbeck
Pinchbeck may refer to:People*Christopher Pinchbeck, English watchmaker who developed the alloy*Daniel Pinchbeck, American author*William Pinchbeck, American pioneerPlacenames*Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, England*Pinchbeck Engine, A drainage museum nearby...
.
- 1875 - The Church of St John the Baptist and the primary school next door to it, with the same name, were built.
- 1875-76 - The Church of St. Peter, on the site of the old Abbey, was built.
- 1878 - Spalding's Roman Catholic church in Henrietta Street, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and St. Norbert, was built.
- 1880 - St Paul's Church in Fulney was built to designs drawn up by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who was a member of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society
The Spalding Gentlemen's Society , a learned society of the United Kingdom, was founded in 1710 by Maurice Johnson, , of Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, and is still active.-History:...
- he also designed buildings for Boston, LincolnshireBoston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, WisbechWisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
, CambridgeshireCambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
and other areas.
- 1881 - The present grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
building, in Priory Road, was erected.
- 1884 - Spalding's last house of correction was closed. Part of the site is now occupied by Spalding Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
- 1887 - The Methodist church in Broad Street was opened.
- 1891 - The population of Spalding according to the census was 9,014.
- 1916 - Spalding Arts and Crafts Society was founded by surgeons at the Johnson Hospital in Spalding for recovering soldiers wounded in the First World War. Spalding Town Council sponsored their first exhibition in 1918.
- 1921 - Spalding United F.C.
Spalding United F.C. is an English football club based in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of Division One of the United Counties League and play at Sir Halley Stewart Field.-History:...
was formed.
- 1941 - In May, during World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a stray LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bomber dropped its bombs on Spalding, destroying much of Hall Place and causing damage to several businesses.
- 1958 - The first Spalding Flower Parade took place.
- 1960 - St Nicolas Players Amateur Dramatic Society was formed in Spalding. The group's name came from the use of the St. Nicolas Church Hall for early meetings.
- 1967 - Barbeque 67 took place featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Geno Washington, Cream and Pink Floyd
- 1974 - In April Spalding moves from Holland local authority
Holland is an area of south-east Lincolnshire, England. The name is still recognised locally and survives in the district of South Holland.-Administration:...
(based in Boston) to the new South Holland council, based in Spalding. South Holland is the larger of the two former districts of Holland.
- 1977 - Location filming for Episodes of BBC TV series Murder Most English staring Anton Rodgers
Anton Rodgers was an English actor and occasional director. He performed on stage, in film and in television dramas and sitcoms.-Life and career:...
, based on the work of Lincolnshire author Colin WatsonColin Watson was a British writer of detective fiction and the creator of characters such as Inspector Purbright and Lucilla Teatime. He is most famous for the twelve Flaxborough novels, typified by their comic and dry wit and set in a fictional small town in England which is closely based on...
. The town stands in for the fictional FlaxboroughFlaxborough is a fictitious town in Lincolnshire, created by author and local journalist Colin Watson as the background for a series of detective novels featuring Detective Inspector Purbright and a cast of similar comic characters....
.
- 2008 - Tulip Radio
Tulip Radio is the local community radio station covering the area of Spalding, Lincolnshire in England. The name is linked to Spalding's heavy involvement with the horticulture industry, and Tulips are one flower the town is famous for...
was awarded a full time broadcasting licence from OfcomOfcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
and announced that they will start broadcasting in early 2009.
1887 gazetteer description
In John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887), Spalding was described as;
"market town and par. with ry. sta., Lincolnshire, on River Welland, 14 m. SW. of Boston, 12,070 ac., pop. 9260; P.O., T.O., three Banks, two newspapers. Market-day, Tuesday. Spalding is an important railway centre, while the river has been made navigable to the town for vessels of from 50 to 70 tons. It is situated in a rich agricultural district, and has a large trade, by river and by rail, in corn, wool, coal, and timber. It has also flour, bone, and saw mills, breweries, and coach works. There are remains of a priory of 1501, a fine old church (restored 1860), a grammar school, a corn exchange, and a spacious market place."
Draining of the Fens
The
River WellandThe River Welland is a river in the east of England, some long. It rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. For much of its length it forms the county boundary between...
flows
north from
CrowlandCrowland or Croyland is a small town in south Lincolnshire, England, positioned between Peterborough and Spalding, with two sites of historical interest.-Geography:...
,
through Spalding and passing the village and port of Fosdyke before leading out to
the WashThe Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
, bisecting Spalding from east to west; the town has developed as a linear settlement around the
river. Land had been reclaimed from the wetlands in the area since mediaeval times, and Spalding was subject to frequent flooding. The
Coronation Channel, opened in 1953, diverted the excess waters around Spalding and ended the flooding, allowing the area around the banks to be safely built upon. Although this area has become heavily built up, the river retains its recreational usage and
fishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is still popular.
Water Taxi
In July 2005 a "Spalding
Water TaxiA water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
" service was
launched, running from
EasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
to late October. Its
route is from just off Spalding's
High StreetHigh Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
(behind Hills Department Store), upstream along the river, turning onto the Coronation Channel, and going to
Springfields Outlet Shopping & Festival Gardens, and back. It is mainly used as a recreational
tourist attractionA tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
, described as "a relaxing 30 minute cruise".
Vernatt's Drain
Around the north-west of Spalding is a large waterway called
Vernatt's Drain, named after one of the civil engineers who drained the fens.
A South Holland council nature reserve is situated on part of the old Boston railway line at Vernatts Drain.
Fulney Lock is the point where the Welland is no longer tidal.
Spalding falls within the drainage area of the Welland and Deepings
Internal Drainage BoardAn internal drainage board is a type of operating authority which is established in areas of special drainage need in England and Wales with permissive powers to undertake work to secure clean water drainage and water level management within drainage districts...
.
Demographics
The town has a population of about 22,000 (26,000 including the large village of Pinchbeck, to the north). The population is growing fast, due in great part to many retired people coming to the area and
migrant workersA foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. The term migrant worker as discussed in the migrant worker page is used in a particular UN resolution as a synonym for "foreign worker"...
from
eastern EuropeEastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
working in the many
food processingFood processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
factories or on the land.
Healthcare
The Johnson Hospital, named after long-standing local dignitaries the Johnson family of
Ayscoughfee HallAyscoughfee Hall is a grade II* listed building, located in central Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, and is a landmark on the fen tour.- History :The house, currently a museum, was built for Richard Ailwyn in the fifteenth century...
, is in Spalding. The maternity ward was closed in the 1990s and it now serves as a casualty hospital; provision for the elderly and care-patients are now made at the Welland Hospital. Limits on expansion due to the historic nature of the building and space limitations (it is in a densely developed area) and lack of funding are causing trouble for the hospital.
A new nurse-led hospital is being developed as of 2008 off Pinchbeck Road in the north of the town, near the Pinchbeck Industrial Estate. The hospital will be known as "
The Johnson Community Hospital" with its name keeping the historic connection with the Johnson Family. This will draw together existing scattered sites into a modern central unit. The nearest major hospitals to Spalding are at
BostonBoston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
(18 miles north) and
PeterboroughPeterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
(20 miles south-east).
There are two major local doctors' surgeries, Munro Medical Centre, West Elloe Avenue, and Church Street Surgery. There are smaller surgeries on Pennygate and in surrounding villages.
Education
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Spalding's two secondary modern schools (11-16) are the
Gleed Boys' School-Origins:Sir John Gleed. M.A.,J.P. was Chairman of the Holland Education Committee and two Spalding schools were named in his honour....
and the
Gleed Girls' Technology CollegeThis is a secondary school on Neville Avenue in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. It opened on 28 April 1941 as Spalding The Gleed Senior Council School and comprised boys' and girls departments which from 1946 were regarded as separate schools under the same management. From October 1946 to 1948...
. On leaving many transfer to nearby sixth forms or attend
Boston CollegeBoston College is a predominantly further education college in Boston in Lincolnshire, England. It is a Centre of Vocational Excellence for Early Years Care.-History:...
or
Stamford CollegeNew College Stamford is a Further Education college on Drift Road in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England.-College:Stamford Technical College was opened in 1967. It is now a general further education college providing full-time and part-time academic and vocational courses...
which also have
Further EducationFurther education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
centres in the town.
The town's state grammar schools (still selective by 11+ exam) are
Spalding Queen Elizabeth Royal Free Grammar SchoolSpalding Grammar School, or as it is fully known The Queen Elizabeth Royal Free Grammar School Spalding, is a selective school on Priory Road in Spalding, Lincolnshire for pupils aged 11–18.- History :...
(11-16 for boys) and
Spalding High SchoolSpalding High School is a female-only selective school with a sports college status: it also has a mixed sixth form. It has been known commonly as SHS.-Admissions:...
(11-16 for girls), both of which have mixed sixth forms (16-18). At A-level, the girls' school does considerably better than the boy's school, being in the top ten schools in the East Midlands.
There are also schools for children with special learning needs; The Priory School (for those with mild to moderate learning difficulties) and The Garth School (for those with more demanding educational needs).
There is also a new collage joined on to the Gleed Girls' Technology College called the post sixteen centre offering further education to those aged 16–18
Sixth Form Colleges
A Vocational 6th form was established and launched in September 2008 as part of the Gleed Campus. It is not an automatic transition as with other schools in the area, like the Grammar, High, and the Deepings. Previous to this, there was no sixth-form available for pupils not attending the grammar schools, although pupils from Gleed schools can and do transfer to the Grammar and High for A-Levels.
Flowers and vegetables
Spalding is located at the centre of a major region of
flowerFloriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
and vegetable growth, due to the rich
siltSilt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
y
soil which mainly comprises drained recovered
marshIn geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
land or
estuaryAn estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. There are many
garden centreA garden centre is a retail firm that sells plants and products related to gardens as its primary business. It is open to the public, with facilities to care for and display plants.- UK :...
s and
plant nurseriesA nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
, as well as a thriving
agriculturalAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
industry and various
vegetableThe noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
packing plants. The main vegetables are
potatoThe potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es,
peaA pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
s,
carrotThe carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s,
wheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
,
barleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
,
oatThe common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s,
broccoliBroccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
,
spinachSpinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
,
lettuceLettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
,
cabbageCabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
,
kaleKale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane , a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming,...
and
Brussels sproutThe Brussels sprout is a cultivar of wild cabbage grown for its edible buds. The leafy green vegetables are typically 2.5–4 cm in diameter and look like miniature cabbages. The sprout is Brassica oleracea, in the "gemmifera" group of the family Brassicaceae...
s. The vast majority of these are sold to large concerns such as supermarkets, with little being available for sale locally.
Despite this, local fruit and vegetable shop
Booth's sells lots of local produce to Spalding's citizens. They sell all major fruit and vegetables ranging from the famous, locally grown 'Boston' potatoes to imported rarities such as custard apples.
Tulips
Known as
The Heart of the Fens, Spalding is famous as a centre of the
bulbA bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
industry, and has close links with the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(origin of the
Geest family, who were former major local employers).
The annual
Tulip Parade takes place on the first Saturday in May, and is a major tourist attraction, comprising a procession of
floatsA float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the...
on various themes, each decorated with tulip petals, a by-product of the bulb industry. In years when the tulips are late, daffodils are sometimes used in their place. When the tulips are early,
crepe paperCrêpe refers to:* crêpe, thin French pancakes* crêpe or crape, a type of fabric with a wrinkled surface.* crêpe paper is thin paper with a texture like that of crêpe, used in such things as streamers and wrapping paper....
has to be substituted. The flower industry has, however, become less important in recent years, and the bands of bright colours that covered the
fenA fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
land are now essentially gone.
Main companies
Many small and internationally famous products are supplied from the area including:
- George Adams pork products
- FESA UK LTD Fruit importers and packers, based in Clay Lake. Internationally recognised for working directly with growers of fresh produce worldwide and supplying most of the UK's supermarkets, processors and food service companies.
- Welland Power generators from the Farrows family.
- Uniq plc (formerly Unigate) have a factory for their prepared salads.
- Fowler-Welch Coolchain, historically a Spalding transport company, have their UK base in the town on West Marsh Road near the power station, and were bought by the Dart Group
Dart Group PLC is a holding company based in West Yorkshire, England, for an airline company based at Leeds Bradford International Airport historically linked with the Channel Islands and a distribution company based in Lincolnshire....
in 1994.
- In May 2005, the Icelandic company Bakkavör
Bakkavör Group hf. is an Icelandic international food manufacturing company specialising in fresh prepared foods and produce. The group operates 66 factories and employs over 20,000 people in nine countries with a pro-forma turnover in 2007 of £1.5 billion. The group’s head office is in Reykjavík...
purchased the main Spalding-based company Geest, for £485 million. It had a large operation on West Marsh Road as well as factories in HolbeachHolbeach is a fenland market town with in the South Holland district of southern Lincolnshire, England. The town lies from Spalding; from Boston; from King's Lynn; from Peterborough; and a by road from the county town of Lincoln. It is on the junction of the A151 and A17...
and Peterborough. It began in 1935 has Geest Horticultural Products by John and Leonard van Geest who imported tulip bulbs to the UK. The salad preparation factory in Spalding opened in 1972. It launched on the London Stock ExchangeThe London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1986. In 2010 Bakkavor moved its central operations and registered head office to their Spalding site.
- Guttridge, based in the large Wardentree Business Park, is a leading designer manufacturer of conveyors, elevators, bulk bag systems, valves and ancillary equipment for bulk product handling. The company operates across the UK and often into Europe and further afield.
- Lincolnshire Field Products (LFP) are large farmers and growers based on the outskirts of the town. Suppling produce to supermarkets and food manufacturers, the business transports much of its own produce and that of other firms through its subsidiary transport company FreshLinc.
- The EMAP
Emap Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...
publishing company, now mainly based in OrtonOrton is a residential area of the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. For electoral purposes it comprises Orton Longueville, Orton Waterville and Orton with Hampton wards in North West Cambridgeshire constituency.-History:...
and formerly known as East Midlands Allied Press, was started by Sir Richard WinfreySir Richard Winfrey was a British Liberal politician, newspaper publisher and campaigner for agricultural rights.-Birth, Death and Family:...
in Spalding when he bought the Spalding Guardian in 1887. This would become EMAP in 1947, and launched the Peterborough Evening TelegraphThe Peterborough Evening Telegraph, or ET as it is known locally, is the local newspaper for the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom...
in 1961. Sir Richard Winfrey's first local newspapers were initially designed to promote his Liberal politics.
- Lloyd Loom of Spalding, situated on the Wardentree Lane estate still produce handmade British Furniture in the traditional styles of the 1917 original designs. Their furniture can be found throughout Spalding cafes and restaurants.
Sausages
Spalding is one of the homes of the Lincolnshire sausage, ranging from the traditional recipes of
Brownings and Bennetts Butchers in
Winsover Road (A151) to the more peppery flavours of
T Law in
Hall Place Spalding, or the perfectly acceptable mass produced George Adams sausages. The key ingredient of the
Lincolnshire sausageLincolnshire sausages are a distinctive variety of pork sausage developed in and associated with the English county of Lincolnshire.A widely available variety at most UK butchers and supermarkets, the sausage is commonly dominated by the herb sage, rather than the more peppery flavour balance found...
is sage. One town centre Fish and Chip shop, Turner's (known locally as Sheddy's), sells Spalding-produced butcher's
sausage in batterBattered sausages are a type of cuisine, found all across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. They are similar in concept to a corn dog, but consist of a pork sausage, dipped in batter, , and usually served with chips.There are 750 calories in a typical battered sausage...
Lloyd Loom
Spalding is home to the last remaining manufacturer of Lloyd Loom furniture:
Lloyd Loom of Spalding. Keeping alive traditional designs and styles from as early as 1917, the furniture is handmade by workers from the local community.
World Tulip Summit
Spalding was chosen to host the
World Tulip Summit in 2008, from Thursday, 1 May to Friday, 2 May, alongside a broader
Tulipmania festival from 13 April to 24 May. This coincided with the date of the
Flower Parade (Saturday, 3 May), which was the fiftieth anniversary of the parade. The Summit was estimated to attract about 200 delegates from around the world.
Accompanying the Summit and Festival were many entertainment activities, all with a general focus on promoting the local area.
Spalding has a popular, reasonably-sized, market every Tuesday and Saturday and on the first Saturday in every month a Farmers' Market.
Historical buildings
The best-known building in Spalding is
Ayscoughfee HallAyscoughfee Hall is a grade II* listed building, located in central Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, and is a landmark on the fen tour.- History :The house, currently a museum, was built for Richard Ailwyn in the fifteenth century...
, formerly a 15th century country house and now a
museumA museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
). Visitors to Spalding can find other local attractions at the
Pinchbeck EngineThe Pinchbeck Engine is a drainage engine, a rotative beam engine built in 1833 to drain Pinchbeck Marsh, to the north of Spalding, Lincolnshire, in England...
Museum (just north of Spalding), Bulb Museum (situated at Birch Grove Garden Centre, Pinchbeck) and the
Gordon Boswell Romany MuseumThe Gordon Boswell Romany Museum is the lifetime's work of one man, the eponymous Gordon Boswell, who has amassed a collection of artifacts, photographs, and several examples of the characteristic wagon or Vardo...
, to the south of the town. There is also a nineteenth-century
Blacksmith's ForgeChain Bridge Forge is an early 19th century blacksmith's workshop, located in Spalding, Lincolnshire England.It is believed to have been purpose-built as a blacksmith's forge in the first half of the 19th century, when it was owned and run by Francis South...
on the River Welland which has retained much of its original features, and has been marked out for development as a museum.
Spalding and the surrounding area is famous for its parish churches;
St Paul's at Fulney, on the eastern side of the town, was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the designer of St Pancras Station London, who was a friend of
Spalding Gentlemen’s SocietyThe Spalding Gentlemen's Society , a learned society of the United Kingdom, was founded in 1710 by Maurice Johnson, , of Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, and is still active.-History:...
.
Spalding Parish Church itself (St Mary & St Nicolas) has a handsome spire visible for miles around and dates from the 12th century. The
Chatterton Tower is near Sainsburys.
Commercial and civic buildings
Five supermarkets are available to locals: a Tesco Express store, a
Sainsbury'sJ. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
in the centre of the town, a
Co-opThe Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
in the Winsover Centre, a Marks and Spencer Food Hall, and a
Morrisons in
PinchbeckPinchbeck is a village near Spalding in Lincolnshire, England. The name Pinchbeck is derived from either the Old English pinc+bece or pinca+bece ....
. Outside of the town centre, Springfields
Shopping Outlet and
Gardens offer a wide range of outlet stores set in a variety of landscaped gardens designed by
Charlie DimmockCharlie Dimmock is an English gardening expert and TV presenter. She was one of the team on Ground Force, a BBC gardening makeover programme.-Early years:...
and
Chris BeardshawChris Beardshaw is an award winning UK gardener who is perhaps best known for his work on the BBC's long running television series Gardeners World. He is formally trained and holds an MA in Landscape Architecture from the University of Gloucestershire...
among others. The
Castle Sports Complex provides fitness facilities throughout the day and evening. The
South Holland Centre is an arts centre on Market Place that stages concerts, theatre productions and film showings.
History of the barcode
On 7 October 1979, the first
barcodeA barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
was used in the UK at Key Markets in Spalding.
Power stations
A new £425m, 860MW
combined cycleIn electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
gas turbineA gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
power stationSpalding Power Station is an 860MW gas-fired power station one mile north of Spalding on West Marsh Road to the River Welland. The current site provides enough electricity for one million households.-History:...
, owned by Intergen, was built on the
former site of British Sugar on
West Marsh Road by
Bechtel Bechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
in October 2004. Intergen have also consent to build a second 900 Mw expansion to its existing Power station which is due to commence construction 2011. In mid-2006 a new
wind farmA wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
(operated by Wind Prospect UK) became visible from much of Spalding, located in nearby Deeping St Nicholas.
Sport
The local football team is
Spalding United F.C.Spalding United F.C. is an English football club based in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of Division One of the United Counties League and play at Sir Halley Stewart Field.-History:...
, who play in the United Counties League (UCL).
The local Rugby team is Spalding RFC, who play in Midland Division - Midlands 1 East. They play at Memorial Field.
The local cricket team is Spalding Town Cricket Club
http://spalding.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp , who have three teams on a Saturday in the South Lincs and Border Leagues and a Rutland League team and a Friendly XI on a Sunday for 2012. This as well as youth teams at multiple age groups competing in the BCYCA Leagues.
Road
Spalding, like nearby Boston, is a regular destination of heavy goods vehicles transporting processed vegetables and other food produce. The A16 used to pass through the town until August 1995, when the Spalding-
SuttertonSutterton is a village and rural parish in Lincolnshire. It won a Best Kept Village award in 2005.Sutterton lies approximately seven miles south-south-west of Boston, near the junction of the A16 and A17, and on the B1397 . To the north is Kirton...
Improvement (by-pass) opened. The twelve-mile (19 km) A1073 between Spalding and Eye Green in Peterborough is being re-built at a cost of £70 million and is due to open in mid-2010. It is being classified as the A16. The current stretch of the A16 from Spalding to Stamford is being renumbered as the
A1175The A1175 road is a public highway in south-west Lincolnshire, England within the United Kingdom.It was previously designated as the southern section of the A16, but is being re-classified as the A1175 in early August 2010 following the completion of the new Peterborough to Spalding A16 section.The...
.
Rail
Spalding is
situated on the
Lincoln Central - Peterborough railway lineThe Peterborough to Lincoln Line is a railway line linking and , via and .-History:The section between Peterborough and Spalding closed to passengers on 5 October 1970 and re-opened on 7 June 1971. North of Spalding, Ruskington re-opened on 5 May 1975. Metheringham followed on 6 October...
, operated by
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
. The service is irregular, and non-existent at night or on Sundays; however, it is of great convenience to
PeterboroughPeterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
for employment and shopping. A spur from
MarchMarch is a Fenland market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area of Cambridgeshire, England. March was the county town of the Isle of Ely, a separate administrative county between 1889 and 1965, and is now the administrative centre of Fenland District Council.The town was an important...
, which carried the so-called 'Boat Train' between
HarwichHarwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
and
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, closed in 1982.
Spalding was also on the east-west
Midland and Great Northern Joint RailwayThe Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
, which had
BourneBourne was a railway station serving the town of Bourne in Lincolnshire which opened in 1860 and closed to passengers in 1959.-History:The station was on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway main line between the Midlands and the Norfolk Coast. it was finally closed in 1959 when the M&GN...
to the West and
HolbeachHolbeach railway station was a station in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. It closed in 1959.The station buildings survive including station, up and down platform and the large goods shed...
to the east.
Tulip Radio
Spalding also has its very own local radio station,
Tulip RadioTulip Radio is the local community radio station covering the area of Spalding, Lincolnshire in England. The name is linked to Spalding's heavy involvement with the horticulture industry, and Tulips are one flower the town is famous for...
broadcasting on 107.5FM (full time) from Friday 12 June 2009, meanwhile training local media students while off air. These students are also involved in local promotional activities with the station, in notable local events like the Flower and Pumpkin parades.
Notable residents
- Ian Cashmore
Ian Cashmore is a British television personality specializing in paranormal phenomena.Cashmore has been involved in investigating the paranormal since the early 1980s...
- Broadcaster & presenter of tv's GhosthuntersGhosthunters was a British paranormal documentary television series that originally aired from 1996 to 1997 on the Discovery Channel. The four-season program was produced by Inca Productions of Covent Garden, London , hosted by Ian Cashmore, and narrated by William Woollard...
- resident of Sutton Bridge, Nr. Spalding
- Recently Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher is a Scottish comedian and actor.-Early life:Fisher was born in Glasgow and following the death of his parents was brought up in Edinburgh, Langholm and Neilston and attended Barrhead High School...
, star of Rab C Nesbitt and The Baldy Man, has purchased a holiday home in Spalding.
- Catherine Wilson
Catherine Wilson was a British woman who was hanged for one murder, but was generally thought at the time to have committed six others. She worked as a nurse and poisoned her victims after encouraging them to leave her money in their wills...
- nurse and suspected serial killer
External links
Video clips