| Heckington | |
Heckington's famous eight-sailed windmill |
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Heckington
Heckington shown within Lincolnshire |
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| Population | 3,069 (2001 census) |
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| OS grid reference | TF145435 |
| District | North Kesteven |
| Shire county | Lincolnshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SLEAFORD |
| Postcode district | NG34 (and PE20) |
| Dialling code | 01529 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Sleaford and North Hykeham |
| List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire | |
Heckington is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies between Sleaford and Swineshead Bridge, south of the A17 road. Heckington, with 1491 households, is one of the largest villages in Lincolnshire.
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Heckington Grade I listed Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Andrew.[1] It is of cruciform plan and in a complete Decorated style.[2] The original 14th century church was acquired by Bardney Abbey in 1345, and subsequently a new chancel was built by vicar Richard de Potesgrave, chaplain to Edward III. Potesgrave's damaged effigy is within the church; other memorials include brasses to John Cawdron (d. 1438), and William Cawdron "baylyf of Hekington" and his two wives. The steeple is from 1360-70; it was rebuilt in 1888 as part of a restoration,[3] after a previous church restoration of 1867.[1] Over the south porch are the arms of Edward the Confessor, adopted by Richard II in 1380.[3]
The church has original stained glass windows, one of which depicts the construction of the Decorated style building itself. The church was featured in 2007 on the Divine Designs programme on Channel Five[4] narrated by historian Paul Binski and made by WAG TV.
In 1885, Kelly's Directory reported the existence of one Baptist and two Wesleyan chapels, and in Heckington Fen a chapel of ease in Early English style and chapels for Primitive and Reformed Methodists.[2] The Methodist church was built in 1904 by the architect Albert Edward Lambert.
The nearly thousand years old village (first mentioned in the 10th century) is best known for its windmill of the same name, the only 8-sailed example of its type still standing in the UK and all Europe. The tower windmill built as a five-sailed mill in 1830 and turned into an eight-sailed mill after serious storm damages in 1890/2 was formerly (and sometimes still today) named Pocklington's Mill after her last owner John Pocklington. It has recently undergone two major refurbishments in 1986 and in 2004 and is fully working since and open to the public.[5]
The Heckington Show is held annually in the village over the last weekend in July since 1864.[6] The village has a 900-year-tradition of holding festive weekends.
On 28 June 1993, RAF GR7 Harrier ZD430 of 3 Squadron travelling from RAF Leeming to Germany crashed south-west of the village towards Burton Pedwardine. The pilot ejected safely, having ejected at 3,000 ft.[7]
The £2.5 million 2.8 mile-long village bypass, built by Reed & Mallik Ltd of Salisbury, was opened by Lynda Chalker, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey on 14 December 1982, and the former route of the A17 is now the B1394, which also leads to Billingborough via Great Hale across a level crossing over the partially single-track railway near the railway station. The village has three level crossings.
Another linear settlement of East Heckington lies alongside the A17 road two miles east of Heckington. To the north is Howell, which is part of the parish.
Heckington falls within the drainage area of the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board.[8]
The parish boundary meets Kirkby la Thorpe west of Meads Farm on the A17. North of there it meets Asgarby and Howell, which includes part of Heckington's religious parish. It follows north of the A17 eastwards then along Heckington Eau, across Washdike Bridge to the north of Star Fen. Where it crosses Car Dyke it meets South Kyme and follows Head Dike eastwards, across Sidebar Lane (B1395) at Five Willow Wath Bridge. This is the point where the NG, LN and PE postcodes meet. At the north-south Holland Dike, it meets Amber Hill, and the Borough of Boston, becoming the North Kesteven boundary. West of here is Heckington Fen, and east of the boundary is Algarkirk Fen. At the junction of Holland Dike and Skerth Drain, near Six Hundreds Farm, it meets Swineshead. It follows Holland Dike southwards to Rakes Farm, north of the A17, meeting Great Hale. West of here the boundary meets the A17 at Maize farm, crossing Labour in Vain Drain. The boundary follows the A17 westwards, north of Poplars Farm. South of Garwick Farm it crosses Car Dyke and Carterplot Road. 300 metres south of the level crossing is the division between Great Hale and Heckington, following The Beck westwards to the Burton Pedwardine road, where it meets Burton Pedwardine near a small copse. West of Whitehouse Farm it follows south of the railway westwards, meeting Kirkby la Thorpe north of Lodge Farm.
Ecotricity want to build a 30 turbine wind farm on Heckington Fen.[9] It would generate enough electricity for about 50,000 homes. The site is next to a line of 400kV pylons.
Heckington has a local football club and juniors football club. The Heckington 15s play in the Lincolnshire Co-op Mid Lincs League (C), run by The Football Association.
The village has a Co-op store, a butchers and a bakers, and a tearoom on the High Street situated underneath The Squash & Leisure Club. Public houses are the Nags Head Inn[10] on High Street and The Oak on Boston Road. A mile east on the A17 is a picnic bar for motorists.
The Village has its own swimming pool, run by volunteers,[11] and a railway museum in the 1859 built Heckington railway station.[12]
Heritage Lincolnshire[13] and Archaeological Project Services, its commercial wing, are based in the village.
The Fen Preparatory School is on Sidebar Lane (B1395), East Heckington. The primary school at East Heckington closed in 2009.
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