Heckington

Heckington
Eight-sailed windmill, Heckington
Heckington  Heckington shown within Lincolnshire
Population	3,069 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	TF145435
- London	100 mi (160 km)  S
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 is situated between Sleaford and Swineshead Bridge, and south from the A17 road. Heckington, with 1,491 households, is one of the largest villages in Lincolnshire.^{[citation needed]}

History

St Andrew's Church, Heckington

Church and chapel

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.

Heckington Methodist Church

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.^{[citation needed]}

Windmill

The nearly 1,000 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 1890-92 was formerly (and sometimes still today) named Pocklington's Mill after its last owner John Pocklington. In 1986 the windmill underwent restoration.^[5]

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.^[6]

Geography

A 400 kV pylon line passes to the east of the village at the start of the bypass

The £2.5 million 2.8 mile-long village bypass, built by Reed & Mallik Ltd of Salisbury, was opened by Lynda Chalker 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.^[7]

Signpost in Heckington

The parish boundary meets Kirkby la Thorpe west of Mead's 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 Rake's 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. 330 yards 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.

Community

Village green

The Heckington Show has been held annually in the village over the last weekend in July since 1864.

The village has a Co-op store, a butcher's and a baker's. A tearoom on High Street is situated beneath the Squash & Leisure Club. Village Public houses are the Nag's Head Inn^[8] on High Street and The Oak on Boston Road. A mile to the east on the A17 is a picnic bar for motorists.^{[citation needed]}

The village has its own swimming pool,^[9] and a railway museum in the 1859-built Heckington railway station.^[10]

Heritage Lincolnshire^[11] and Archaeological Project Services, its commercial wing, are based in the village.

A preparatory school is on Sidebar Lane (B1395), East Heckington. East Heckington primary school closed in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Ecotricity have been given permission to build a 22-turbine wind farm on Heckington Fen.^[12] It would generate enough electricity for about 40,000 homes. The site is next to a line of 400kV pylons.

Notable residents

• Tom Edwards, television and radio presenter.^{[citation needed]}
• Robert Sanderson, Bishop of Lincoln from 1660-3, the village's vicar from 1618-9^{[citation needed]}
• Abi Titmuss^[13]
• Joseph Toynbee, the otologist and ear surgeon was born in the village on 30 December 1830.^[14] His descendents were: Arnold Toynbee, son; Arnold J. Toynbee, grandson; Philip Toynbee, great-grandson; the journalist; and Polly Toynbee, great-great-granddaughter.

References

External links

• Media related to Heckington at Wikimedia Commons
• Heckington Show
• Heckington Community Website
• St Andrews CE Primary School
• Windmill and railway station
• World Flicks
• Parish council
• Heckington Show, heckingtonshow.org.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2008.</ref>

Video clips

• Windmill