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Grantham – A Diverse and Historic Market Town

Words: Josie Thurston Photographs: John Smith

Located on the River Witham, Grantham is an ancient and red-brick town surrounded by agricultural land. Today, Grantham has a population of around 35,500. Strategically placed, Grantham owes much of its development to its position as a staging post between London and the North. Today it is a thriving market town and important railway link, but how did it all begin?

In the Bronze age, there was some settlement beginning in the region and a bronze-using and crop-growing civilisation flourished due to the fertile sands and gravel laid down at the junction of the Witham and Mowbeck. Prior to this, prehistoric hunters and gatherers using flint tools settled in the area.

Not much is known about the town BC to the tenth century, but during the latter period it is thought that some form of Anglo-Scandinavian dialect was spoken in the town. It was at this point that the main street names of Westgate, Swinegate, Castlegate and Walkergate were established.

In medieval times, Grantham was positively booming, with a population of around 1,200 and a bustling market. Trade was also taking off in the form of the wool industry; at the time this was the biggest export for England and held in high regard, alongside the leather industry, which was also gaining momentum. The church was very much the centre of the town during the middle ages. St Wulfram, with its 281 feet tall spire dominated the view and still has a great presence today.

The church was not the only religious building at that time as Fransiscan friars arrived in the town. It was the greyfriars, as they were known, due to their grey clothing, that installed lead pipes to the town, bringing running water from Barrowby.

In 1213, King John held court in Grantham at what later became the Angel & Royal Hotel. This building is steeped in history and is reported to be the oldest inn in the country and in 1483, the death warrant of the Duke of Buckingham was signed by Richard III in the building. Later in the thirteenth century, King Edward 1 brought the funeral procession of Queen Eleanor to Grantham, laying her body to rest at St Wulfram’s on the night of 4th December. The Eleanor Cross, erected in her honour disappeared in later years during the Civil War.

In around 1380, Grantham House, now owned by the National Trust, was built on Castlegate. Grantham House is a mix of styles, built upon over the years, with a delightful walled garden that runs down to the river. You can actually visit the house by written appointment, although large groups are not suitable, with a maximum of seven recommended.

The first Royal Charter from King Edward IV was granted in 1463, officially deeming the settlement a town. The Royal Charter, given for the town’s support of the Yorkist side during the last years of the Wars of the Roses, essentially allowed the townspeople to run their own affairs, make laws, have a prison and set ‘council tax’.

Only freemen had the right to decide the issues, a situation that largely continued until 1835 when the borough council, forerunner of the town corporation was formed.

A more modern Grantham began to emerge and by 1801 the population was almost 4,300, a fair sized town during that period of time. At this point Grantham grew in fifty years to almost 11,000 people and by the end of the century had reached approximately 17,000. Part of the population explosion can be said to be partly due to the introduction of the railway in 1850. This served the growing industries well and attracted settlers to the area as work was plentiful. Grantham fast developed into an engineering town, with agricultural machinery being manufactured and several ironworks were now in full flow.

In the 1920s and 30s the first council houses were built. This led to social change in the area and again, an influx of people was documented. However, the town was a scene of disaster during the Second World War as seventy residents were killed during the bombings. The reason that Grantham was so heavily targeted was due to the armaments being made in the town.

Grantham Today

Although the main trade in Grantham today is food processing, it remains an important local shopping centre and important link to London and Edinburgh as it still remains on the mainline.

In the town there are two shopping centres, the Issac Newton Centre and the George Shopping Centre. They are occupied by many leading high street names as well as independent retailers including Morrisons, Thorntons, Evans, Select and Wilkinsons in the Issac Newton Centre and the Body Shop, International, Country Casuals, Ask Restaurant and Hallam’s Deli in the George Shopping Centre.

Other attractions include Belvoir Castle; built by William the Conqueror’s standard bearer in the eleventh century. Home to the Duke of Rutland, the Castle enjoys breathtaking views and houses an impressive collection of period furniture and porcelain, together with paintings by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Holbein and Poussin. Extensive grounds include the Spring Gardens, dating from the 1800s, recently restored by the Duchess of Rutland and now open for pre-booked groups.?

Woolsthorpe Manor, birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton is also worth a visit. A National Trust property, it is only open from April to October but is an important piece of history that warrants time out of your day.

Belton House is again a National Trust property and has a deer park and gardens as well as being a fine example of English architecture at its best. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1685 it is steeped in history. Again, only open during the warmer months (April – October), add this to your sight-seeing agenda and you won’t be disappointed.