Welton, Lincolnshire

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Welton (or Welton by Lincoln) is a large village 7 miles north of the city of Lincoln in the county of Lincolnshire, England, and the district of West Lindsey. The longer name Welton by Lincoln serves to distinguish it from two other Weltons in Lincolnshire, Welton le Wold and Welton le Marsh, and other Weltons elsewhere in England. The name means, roughly, village with a well, and indeed the village well still exists, complete with Victorian pump. Just as in nearby Lincoln, the area has a long history of human habitation. There is evidence of both Roman and Celtic settlement, and the village was well-established by the time of the Domesday Book, in which it is mentioned as Welletone. The village church, the Prebendal Church of St. Mary, was originally Norman, but only a few fragments of this survive in the tower walls; the present building is in the Early English style from around 1250. An interesting piece of historical trivia is that the six church bells were cast by Henry Harrison, nephew of John Harrison who won a famous £20,000 prize for inventing the chronometer.

In 2001 the resident population of Welton was precisely 5,000, according to the census. However, this figure is for Welton ward, which includes other smaller villages nearby. The population of Welton parish was 3,821.

Welton is noted in geological circles for the rare chalk formation known as the 'Welton Band'. Ironically enough, the layer is not actually visible from Welton, but on just seven sites much further north east.

Welton has two pubs, The Falconer and The Black Bull, a Golf Course and a War Memorial. The village is also home to a successful secondary school, William Farr, in addition to a reputable veterinary clinic.