| Market Rasen | |
View of Queen Street |
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Market Rasen
Market Rasen shown within Lincolnshire |
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| Population | 3,230 |
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| OS grid reference | TF108891 |
| - London | 130 mi (209 km) S |
| District | West Lindsey |
| Shire county | Lincolnshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MARKET RASEN |
| Postcode district | LN8 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Gainsborough |
| List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire | |
Market Rasen is a town and civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the River Rase 13.8 miles (22 km) northeast of Lincoln, 18 miles (29 km) east of Gainsborough and 16.3 miles (26 km) southwest of Grimsby. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 3,200.[1]
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Market Rasen is a small market town on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The town lies on the main road between Lincoln and Grimsby, the A46, and is also on National Cycle Route 1 (part of EuroVelo 12) of the National Cycle Network.[2]
The town centre has a homogeneous 19th century red brick appearance of mainly Georgian and Victorian architecture, centred around an active market place dominated by a medieval church albeit much "restored" in the 19th century.
The town is known for its racecourse, as well as its rugby and golf clubs.
The River Rase flows through the town and can be crossed via Jameson Bridge, Caistor Road Bridge and Crane Bridge. The town apparently takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon version of this name, meaning "plank".
Market days are Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Additionally, on each Tuesday there is an auction of goods and produce, and on the first Tuesday of every month there is a farmers' market. Also every Friday, the WI holds a "country market".
Market Rasen is twinned with the town of Mamers, in the Sarthe region of Pays de la Loire, France.
Market Rasen's community fire and police station (opened December, 2005) is one of the first purpose built combined fire and police stations in the UK. The former police station was built in 1849 and was the third oldest police station still in operational use in the country.
The town has its own newspaper, the weekly Market Rasen Mail, which was founded in 1856. It is published by Johnston Press.
Originally, "Rasen", as it is known locally, was called "East Rasen" and also "Rasen Parva" or "Little Rasen". With the coming of the railway in 1848 Little Rasen quickly outgrew its neighbours West and Middle Rasen, and is now by far the largest of the three.
The only secondary school is De Aston School, a rural co-educational 11-18 comprehensive with approximately 1,300 pupils, both day pupils and boarders. It was founded in 1863 as a small grammar school as part of a legal settlement following a court case involving funds from the medieval charity of Thomas de Aston, a 13th century monk. Until recently, the school's foundation governors also owned the chapel at the site of the charity's almshouses at Spital-on-the-Street, a few miles away to the west.
Located within the Market Rasen area are several primary schools: Market Rasen Church of England, Middle Rasen School and Pre-school, and others at Osgodby, Faldingworth and Legsby. Market Rasen Church of England Primary School is near to the centre of the town. It was built in the 1930s and was a secondary school until 1974, when the primary school moved to the site. The school logo is the Wagtail. Each of the classes are named after British birds such as the Wren, Robin and Kestrel. The school currently has 266 pupils ranging from 4–11 years old.
Middle Rasen school is within 1 mile (1.6 km) of Market Rasen town centre. It is a village school with four classes and around 90 pupils, and provides for out of school film and drama clubs, and traditional sports activities. Middle Rasen Nursery, although independent, is situated on the site of the school to provide progression to full time education. The nursery site also provides out of school hours care for children attending Middle Rasen School.
On 27 February 2008, a significant earthquake occurred, centred on the neighbouring parish of Middle Rasen, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Market Rasen. The earthquake, which according to the British Geological Survey measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale, struck at 00:56 47.8s at a depth of 18.6 kilometres (11.6 mi)[3] and was felt across much of the UK from Edinburgh to Plymouth and as far away as Bangor in Northern Ireland and Haarlem in the Netherlands.[4] The 10-second quake was the biggest recorded example in the United Kingdom since the 1984 Lleyn Peninsula earthquake struck North Wales, measuring 5.4M.[5][6]