North Witham

Description and Travel

North Witham is both a village and parish on the River Witham 9 miles south of Grantham and 12 miles north-west of Stamford. The river flows north at this point, toward neighboring Colsterworth parish. Gunby parish lies to the west. The parish covers just over 2,430 acres and includes the hamlet of Lobthorpe. The parish includes a portion of Twyford Wood, a dense forested area that extends into Colsterworth parish.

The village lies about 1 mile west of the A1 Ermine Street (the old Great North Road). If you are planning a visit:

• Tim HEATON has a photograph of North Witham on Geo-graph, taken in 2005.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Colsterworth sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
  
  
• In an 1890 reorganisation, the parish was allocated to the Grantham South sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin.
  
  
• There is some evidence that an Anglo-Saxon church existed on this site.
  
  
• The church is believed to have been built around 1086.
  
  
• The church tower and spire were built between 1380 and 1410.
  
  
• The church was partially restored in 1852, then more completely restored in 1887.
  
  
• The church seats 110.
  
  
• Here is a photo of the church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• Anglican parish registers exist from 1591.
  
  
• Boyd's marriage index covers the period from 1562 - 1837.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several indexes (marriage and burial) for the Beltisloe Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Colsterworth sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
  
  
• In an 1890 reorganisation, the parish was allocated to the Grantham South sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration, which began in July, 1837.
  

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History

• The village had the Plough Inn as a popular place for good conversation. The Inn reportedly closed in the 20th century. Here are the names associated with the Inn in various directories:
  
  

Joseph MARSHALL was born circa 1826 in Auborn, Lincolnshire.

• The village had a large inn and posting house (Black Bull) on the Great North Road (Ermine Street, also Lobthorpe Lane locally). The Inn dates from the 1730s but was closed by 1900. The building is now a Grade II structure with British Heritage. Recent reports have it that the Black Bull has reopened, although its reputation was stained by a recent drug bust of a cannibis growing effort by two tenants in 2011.
  
  
• Tim HEATON has a photograph of the Black Bull Inn on Geo-graph, taken in 2005.
  
  

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Manors

• Lobthorpe Hall was taken down around 1800. It had been the seat of Sir Brownlow SKERARD.
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 9221.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  

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Military History

• In 1942 the dense woodland of Twyford Wood was surveyed for possible airfield use. The Air Ministry requisitioned the site from the Forestry Commission.
  
  
• The airfield was laid out in the normal A pattern and sites for parking 50 bombers were laid out. Because of the growth of US involvement in the air war, the airfield was destined to have a long career with the USAAF. It became a USAAF active station in December 1943.
  
  
• RAF North Witham became a Pathfinder School in March 1944 and stayed under that role until September 1944.
  
  
• In June 1945 North WItham airfield was returned to the RAF, but the airfield was already in a "care and maintenance" status. It started a new life as an equipment spares depot in July.
  
  
• RAF North Witham was finally closed in 1956 and then was sold off by February 1960. The forestry Commision regained the site and replanted it with trees. At last report the control tower and one hangar remained, as well as the old runways.
  
  
• Tim HEATON has a photograph of a Pillbox from WW II on Geo-graph, taken in 2005.
  
  
• There is a marble and alabaster tablet in the parish church to those who fell in World War I.
  
  

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Names, Geographical

• Witham is from the Celtic or pre-Celtic river name of uncertain origin, and the name appeared as Widme in the 1086 Domesday Book.
  [A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991]
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• This place was an ancient parish in Lincoln county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
  
  
• The parish was in the South division of the ancient Betisloe Wapentake in the South Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
  
  
• For today's local governance, the Parish Council was merged with that of nearby Colsterworth in 2007.
  
  
• For today's district governance, contact the South Kesteven District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• The poor of the parish had a yearly rent-charge of £1 out of land at Ufford left by Ruth EDGE in 1717.
  
  
• The poor of the parish also the dividends from £122 and 2 shillings out of bequests by Sir. B. SHERARD and four other donors.
  
  
• As a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Grantham Poor Law Union.
  
  
• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Spitalgate (Grantham) petty session hearings.
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	168
1831	273
1841	300
1851	309
1861	278
1871	236
1891	199
1911	126

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Schools

• A public elementary school was built here in 1872 to hold 41 children.
  
  
• In 1941, at 3AM on Good Friday, a German bomb destroyed the old National School building, which was empty at the time. It is believed that the German pilot thought he was over Grantham when he released his bombs. No one was killed. The school was never rebuilt.
  
  
• See our Schools page for more information on researching school records.
  

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