Lincolnshire (pop. 768,364) is a county that lies midway along England’s eastern seacoast. Its flat land supports every kind of farming activity and makes Lincolnshire a rich agricultural county noted for its pleasant meadows, small villages, and historic churches. Lincoln is the administrative center. The county covers an area of 2,292 square miles (5,937 square kilometers).
In 1974, Lincolnshire was reduced in size. The northern part of the county, including Grimsby and Scunthorpe, was taken into a new county called Humberside. Before 1974, Lincolnshire had been administered as three separate counties called parts. They were the Parts of Holland, Parts of Kesteven, and Parts of Lindsey. The parts were abolished in 1974.
People and government
Local customs and legends.
A number of old customs are carried on in Lincolnshire. For example, North Somercotes holds a pancake race on Shrove Tuesday. A modern custom attracts thousands of visitors to Spalding in early May. A parade of floats passes through the town, decorated with millions of flowers.
Recreation.
Fishing is one of the county’s most popular sports. Several wild fowl clubs organize shooting on the salt marshes. But a large area at Gibraltar Point, near Skegness, is a bird sanctuary. Tattershall gravel pits have facilities for speed-boat racing. Thorpe-on-the-Hill has water-skiing facilities.
Horses race on the racecourse at Market Rasen. The county has a number of annual gymkhanas, or sporting contests. There are six packs of hounds for fox hunting. Lincoln has a professional soccer team in the Football League.
Local government.
Lincolnshire contains seven administrative districts—Boston; East Lindsey, including Skegness; Lincoln; North Kesteven, including Grantham and Sleaford; South Holland, including Spalding; South Kesteven, including Bourne and Stamford; and West Lindsey, including Gainsborough. Lincolnshire County Council provides some public services throughout the county.
Economy
Agriculture and mining.
The main occupations in Lincolnshire are in agriculture or related industries. The county’s chief crop is sugar beets. Peas and other vegetables are grown for freezing and canning. Potatoes are grown in many parts of the county, and barley and wheat are particularly important in northern Lincolnshire.
Many farmers raise dairy and beef cattle, including the Lincoln Red. There are some flocks of Lincolnshire Longwool sheep, but most sheep are crossbreeds. Some farmers keep poultry or pigs. There are areas of managed wood at Laughton and Willingham. The Holland area is famous for its flower bulbs.
Quarries produce iron ore and chalk at Nettleton. The iron ore beds extend for about 10 miles (16 kilometers) to Walesby, near Market Rasen. Welson has an oilfield.
Manufacturing.
Lincoln’s industries include engineering, iron founding, and flour milling. The city produces agricultural chemicals and machinery, bricks, diesel engines, and canned vegetables.
Grantham has a large industrial estate built on a disused Royal Air Force base. The town has engineering industries, with products including diesel road rollers. Other local products include beer, clothing, flour, glue, leather, shoes, and malt. Gainsborough’s main industries are connected with engineering. The town’s workers also produce fertilizer, malt, and clothing.
Tourism.
The sandy shores and dunes along Lincolnshire’s coast attract many tourists every year. The main holiday resorts are Mablethorpe and Skegness.
Transportation and communication.
The main roads passing through Lincolnshire include the Great North Road, or A1, in the southwest, and the A15 and A16, which both cross the county from north to south. A main railroad from London to Doncaster passes through Grantham, and branch lines serve Lincoln and other main towns.
A daily newspaper is published in Lincoln. The county has a number of weekly newspapers. Local radio stations serve the county.
Land and climate
Location and size.
The county stretches about 65 miles (105 kilometers) from north to south and about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from east to west. In the north, Lincolnshire borders on the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire; in the west, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire; and in the south, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and the unitary authorities of Rutland and Peterborough. The county’s coastline faces the North Sea and includes the inlet called The Wash.
Land regions.
Lincolnshire is divided into four natural regions—the fens, the heath, the wolds, and the marsh. The fens are principally in southeastern Lincolnshire. Drains and banked canals remove excess water, leaving rich and fertile soils (see Fens).
The county is not entirely flat. On its western side, it is hilly from Stamford in the south to the far north of the county, where cliffs reach 220 feet (67 meters). This line of hills is called the Lincoln Heights. To the east, the Heights become a raised plateau, known as Lincoln Heath.
The wolds lie to the east of the heath (see Wolds). They extend northwestward from Spilsby. The wolds rise to 548 feet (167 meters) above sea level. The marsh district lies between the wolds and the sea. It is a tongue of flat and fertile land about 9 miles (14 kilometers) wide.
Rivers.
Lincolnshire’s main rivers are the Witham and the Welland. The Witham is entirely within Lincolnshire. The Welland forms part of the county’s southern border, and most of its course is outside Lincolnshire.
The River Trent forms part of the northwestern boundary of the county. It then flows for about 20 miles (32 kilometers) through North Lincolnshire and empties into the River Humber.
Climate.
Lincolnshire is a relatively dry county, but its brooks, canals, ditches, and rivers keep the land well watered. The average annual rainfall at Lincoln is about 25 inches (63.5 centimeters). The average temperature for the county during July is about 61 °F (16 °C), and in January about 39 °F (4 °C).
History
Iron Age Celts occupied Lincolnshire’s upland areas in ancient times. The Romans tried to drain the low-lying ground. Important Roman roads crossed the area, and a Roman settlement, Lindum Colonia, was established at Lincoln. Danes invaded the region in the 800’s and established Stamford and other settlements. Agriculture made Lincolnshire prosperous in the Middle Ages, but after the coming of industry to other parts of England in the 1800’s, the county lost some of its importance.
People associated with Lincolnshire include the scientist Sir Isaac Newton, the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and the explorers George Bass, Matthew Flinders, and Sir John Franklin. Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom’s first woman prime minister, was born in Grantham.
