
Showcasing Sleaford
Glynis Fox visits the North Kesteven market town to find out how the recent investment and revamp aims to encourage more visitors.
Why not kick off the New Year by taking a fresh look at Sleaford – a market town which is waiting with a warm welcome and inviting people to enjoy a great mix of retail therapy, a variety of eateries and affordable activities.
Sleaford’s Market Place has been given a £1 million revamp. So, if you haven’t visited lately, January could be the ideal time to check out the changes which have been completed through UK Shared Prosperity Funded work by North Kesteven District Council.
New sandstone setts have brightened up the area to better reflect features such as the historic St Denys’ Church and the War Memorial. The War Memorial has also benefitted from uplighting to reflect its importance.
Bollards around it have been retained and resin-bound gravel used to highlight the area around it. There are new cycle hoops too.
Two raised planters provide welcome greenery and there are handy hardwood benches where people can relax before deciding which shop or business to visit next. New planters have also been installed around the perimeter of the Market Place, along with uplighting for trees.
Time-limited Blue Badge Holder parking is available in the Market Place three days a week, in addition to arranged access with the church wardens for St Denys’ Church events and services.
Traders at the Sleaford Town Council-operated markets are expected to benefit by enjoying better visibility and an enhanced environment, where customers can move around more safely.
The Market Place is a good place from which to start exploring the town’s historic buildings – starting with St Denys’ Church, providing inspiration with more than 800 years of local history. It is open to visitors every day, when there are no services.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
So, what else will you find in this area? Look out for The YARD, with its first-floor view, and which is open for parties and events for up to 160 guests, over a main room with bar and kitchen, stage, dancefloor and lounge area.
The SOLO Bistro, Bar and Hotel is popular for breakfasts, lunches, evening meals and expertly made drinks, with the comfortable rooms at No. 1 Bank Chambers a few doors down.
Waffle & Chill in the Market Place is also worth dropping into for milkshakes, crêpes and waffles with decadent toppings.
The Market Square Café & Restaurant offers all day breakfasts, meals and Sunday lunches, plus light bites, scones and homemade dishes, and nearby Bellissimo Boutique is a real draw for shoppers looking for Italian fashions.
If you’re in need of self-care, try Biggy x Barber and laser and beauty specialist Atelier Stone on Market Street.
TOWN PRIDE
As part of a wider programme of UKSPF projects, Sleaford’s Nag’s Head Passage has benefitted from extensive fence repairs and repainting. Clearance work has included the removal of low-level vegetation along the entire path, with care taken to prevent any damage to existing walls.
New CCTV cameras have also been installed and cover the entrance and exit points of the passage at both Sleaford Station and Southgate.
In fact a lot of money is being invested in Sleaford, underlining the town’s pride in its shops, leisure facilities and historic attractions and highlighting a real determination to make it more attractive to shoppers and visitors.
In a major change for the town, 15 different shop units are being transformed in the run-up to March. Forgotten heritage features are being uncovered and buildings being restored thanks to funding to preserve historic shopfronts.
NKDC is working with commercial property and business owners to wind back the clock by repairing and reinstating historic features – thanks to funding through the authority’s Sleaford Shopfront Grants Scheme.
More than £380,000 of UKSPF funding from the scheme has already been allocated across 12 projects – with up to 90 per cent of the total cost of works awarded as a grant.
By the end of the scheme in March 2025, the town centre will be transformed with 15 different shopfronts in Eastgate, Westgate, Southgate, Northgate and Boston Road being restored or having existing features repaired. All are within the town’s conservation centre.
Property owners and businesses are funding the remaining costs of their respective projects and working with the council and Heritage Lincolnshire in partnership through the scheme.
UNCOVERING HISTORY
Owner of Appetites Sandwich Bar & Coffee Lounge (next to Bristol Arcade), Sarah Graves shared her excitement after the white render on her building was removed to reveal the red brickwork underneath.
An arched feature within the brickwork was also uncovered as part of the process. Wooden windows have been replaced and new leadwork done above the shopfront. In total, the building has benefitted from £30,000 from the grant funding.
“We were so excited when we saw the brickwork appear from under the render and the arch in the brickwork is such a beautiful feature. I think it is very important to do this from a historical point of view,” said Sarah.
“The history in this building is just amazing. There is a horse yard and we know there were maids quarters on the third floor. We also have a ghost, although I’ve not seen her!” she added.
Bristol Arcade is owned by Lucinda Newton’s family, having been bought as the Bristol Hotel from Lord Bristol by her grandfather. The coat of arms on the Southgate entrance has been restored with funding through the scheme, whilst properties on the Market Place elevation have also been restored and redecorated.
Lucinda, who also runs the Beautifully Handmade Gift Shop inside Bristol Arcade, said: “The scheme has really been worth doing and I am so pleased I did. It’s been great for us as we’ve had another two shops done in the meantime too.
“There has been lots of support from the council and Heritage Lincolnshire throughout – the only thing I did find challenging was going to tender and asking for quotes for the work.
“This is one of the oldest buildings in Sleaford. We have the old paperwork from when it was sold, so there are pictures of the cocktail bar and rooms back when my Grandpa bought it from Lord Bristol.
“The roof of the arcade is in fact the original hotel’s orangery, which some people don’t realise, and there are bits we can’t remove because they are listed. My dad loves history and has worked to bring things back, like the coat of arms which he found and which is now fully-restored through the scheme.”
Lucinda added that traders in the Bristol Arcade are “a community”.
“We’ve had some really positive comments from customers about the works. I hope people will continue to come in and enjoy all of the businesses here.”
As we went to press, there were plans for re-painting and window replacement work at the former Blanchards building in Boston Road. It was hoped the side of the Grade II-listed building would also become home to a new mural.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Sleaford has several attractions, including the town’s museum, Monument Gardens, Cogglesford Mill, Navigation House and The Hub.
The refreshed Monument Gardens have created a smart space in which to relax and there’s a new mosaic, inspired by the River Slea, and hexagonal flower beds and benches, plus a flagpole next to the museum.
The exterior of the museum has been repainted to give it a new lease of life, plus the Wyvern Barrier has been repainted in gold and green. This follows a public vote where people favoured that combination.
The final flourish was revealed at a highly successful community open day in November – a restored Sleaford town sign salvaged by the Sleaford and District Civic Trust.
The space around the Handley Monument – opposite Monument Gardens – has also been refreshed. Improvements include new benches and planters (also funded through the UKSPF).
Cogglesford Mill, which sits in a picturesque setting by the River Slea, is a fully-restored working watermill. Millers have produced flour here for more than a thousand years and it is believed to be the only Sheriff’s Watermill still working in England.
This is a lovely spot in which to enjoy a cold drink or ice cream during the summer, or hot drink and a cake inside in the winter months. The mill also hosts events, including milling flour and sells locally sourced produce and goods.
Navigation House, which was built in 1838 and was the original canal company office, is now a refurbished Grade II listed building. You can find it in Sleaford’s old public wharf area, Navigation House.
Thought to be the only place of its kind in existence, this is the place to discover the fascinating early development of the new River Slea, the story of its navigation and its impact on the town’s history.
Check out opening times before you visit, to find out more about its exhibition and family events.
If you love all things creative, you’ll love The Hub in Sleaford – also known as the National Centre for Craft & Design. It offers a range of exhibitions and an inspiring programme of craft, design, dance and creative arts workshops.
The Hub also has a shopping area, where you will find some quality and unusual gifts and there’s a lovely café area where you can meet for a catch-up with friends.
BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO FORMER STORE
Sleaford’s postmaster Lee Taylor has big plans for the town’s former M & Co store – and is hoping more people will support his crowdfunding appeal to ensure his dreams for the property come to fruition.
The unit will bear the signage Sleaford Indoor Market – although that doesn’t tell the whole story, because it promises to be much more than that!
“It’s a three-storey building, which will have mini market units on the ground floor and the first taker was signed up before Christmas. Then there will be an open-plan arcade at the end of that floor which will feature all sorts of games to suit all members of the family,” said Lee.
“I have also entered into a partnership with Grantham College and we are setting up an educational facility on the first floor of the building, so they will be able to offer a variety of courses in Sleaford. This will be good news for people who don’t want to travel out of town. That should come on stream in the new year.”
Lee’s dream sounds a lot of hard work, especially since he plans to continue being the town’s postmaster, but thankfully he has persuaded his dad Alan to help him.
To support Lee’s crowdfunding appeal visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/sleaford-community-hub
Photographs: Mick Fox
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