Industrial Heritage, War Memorials & The Railways

Industrial Heritage

The Tank on the roundabout, Tritton Road, Lincoln.  There are many people who don’t actually realise that Lincoln is where the first tank was produced, and many will be unaware that it was built by William Foster and Co who specialised in agricultural machinery, building steam engines, threshing drums and tractors and whose managing director was William Tritton. Theirs is just one name from a long list of great engineering firms that used to dominate the City and provide employment for many of its residents. To acknowledge the part that Lincoln played in the development of the tank a memorial has been constructed on Tritton Road which formed part of the original factory site and testing ground. The design depicts model of a tank being constructed by a workforce consisting of male and female workers dressed in their work wear with spanners and paintbrushes in their hands.  The memorial also includes the figures of Tritton, Rigby and Wilson who were the designers, developers and manufacturers of the tank.  The purpose of the Tank Memorial is to educate people and commemorative Lincoln’s great engineering history. The memorial also recognises the huge effort made by civilian men and women in Lincoln during both World Wars when the majority of production in the city was switched to war work. The first tanks were used in battle on the Western Front on the 15th September 1916 and without their invention the First World War would have dragged on considerably longer and many thousands more men on both sides would have lost their lives

 

War Memorials

Lincolnshire has just under 300 external war memorials to the Great War with many having names added following the Second World War.  A comprehensive book and Gazeteer lists them all with photos, many of which are from original postcards, and stories of their unveilings and much more (The First World War Memorials of Lincolnshire, by Michael Credland).  These memorials take many different forms and designs, from crosses to clocks, gardens to gates, hospitals to halls. They are all special in their own right and mark the tragic loss of so many of the young men from Lincolnshire. Some of the more striking examples can be found in nearby Metheringham – an evocative statue of a soldier, and further afield in Spalding where there is a remarkable memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens who also designed the Cenotaph in London.  And don’t forget to look at our own memorials in Martin and Timberland.  We have been researching the names of the lads on these two memorials which you can read more about in our little exhibition space.

 

The Railways

The most interesting is the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway in Ludborough, situated in beautiful countryside between the Wolds and the coast, a short distance from Grimsby,  Cleethorpes and the historic market town of Louth.  Here you can see the only standard gauge steam railway in Lincolnshire open to the public. The railway operates on a stretch of line that was once part of the Great Northern route from Boston to Grimsby which opened in 1848. After the last section of line was closed by BR in 1980, a preservation society was formed with the aim of restoring it. Heritage steam trains once again run between Ludborough and North Thoresby and work is in progress to extend the line southwards towards Louth.

What people say about us

  • After months planning a wedding, this has been the perfect relaxing honeymoon we were after.  The entire week has been wonderful...

    S & P March 2015
  • The Hayloft is simply beautiful, so peaceful & cosy.  We spent the days visiting Woodhall Spa and walking and the nights drinking wine by the log burner playing board games, not to mention soaking in that AMAZING bath!!!

    G & T February 2015
  • The Bothy was such a lovely place to 'chill' and relax!  Thank you for making our stay a home from home, with all little extra touches added in!  The first night dinner was super and the crumble was amazing!!

    S & I February 2015
  • Wow - what an amazing time we have had.  Stumbled across this gem on tripadvisor and you deserve all of the praise you get & more!

    S & C February 2015
  • Wow, what a place!  Stephen and I needed a hideaway for a few nights, which would be like a home from home, and we found it with you.  What taste you have Sherry, it was like living in 'Country Living Magazine'!

    S & C January 2015
  • We have made the Hayloft our annual treat to escape and chill.  This is our 4th visit now and each time we love it more.

    T, S, J & A December 2015
  • Practically Perfect in Every Way...  Thank you.

    C & C November 2014
  • From a bottle of wine to bath robes - we really could not have wanted for anything else!  The highlight might have been the bath - it was amazing!!!!  The Bothy really and truly exceeded our expectations and we could not have imagined how delightful a stay it could be!

    L & E November 2015
  • The Bothy is quiet, cosy and quirky.

    T & C October 2015
  • Our third here at the Bothy (and 3 times in the Hayloft!); a wonderful few days of autumn sunshine. Walks on the Fens, the Wolds and along the beach. The garden here is a perfect sun trap, warm enough to enjoy breakfast each morning. I love the warmth and distinctive smell here - it will keep bringing us back to the perfect place for recovery.  Thank you, as always... PS The flowers were beautiful!

    C & B September 2015

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