Long Sutton, Lincolnshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long Sutton |
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 St Mary's Church |
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 Long Sutton
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| Population | 4,821 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TF430230 |
| • London | 90 mi (140 km) SSW |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SPALDING |
| Postcode district | PE12 |
| Dialling code | 01406 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Long Sutton is a busy market town and civil parish in the South Holland area of Lincolnshire, England. It is located in The Fens, a flat area of land, and is close to the Wash, which is a large bay. The town is about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) east of Spalding. In 2011, about 4,821 people lived in the parish.
Contents
History of Long Sutton
Long Sutton has a long history. It was once part of an old area called the wapentake of Elloe in the Parts of Holland.
Old Stories and Floods
In 1236, a big flood destroyed Wisbech Castle. This flood is also said to have washed away a village called Dolproon (or Dolprun) near Long Sutton. An old saying remembers this event: "When Dolproon stood, Long Sutton was a wood. When Dolproon was washed down, Long Sutton became a town."
By the mid-1300s, Long Sutton was known as one of the richest places in Lincolnshire.
Modern Times and Changes
In the 1800s, travelling theatre groups would visit the town. For example, the Bullen theatre company performed here in 1842. The Long Sutton Market House was finished in 1856.
The Long Sutton railway station opened in July 1862. It was part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. However, passenger trains stopped running in 1959, and the station closed.
A Butterfly Park opened near Long Sutton in 1987. Sadly, it closed in October 2012 after facing financial difficulties and bad weather.
On June 21, 2012, a small tornado hit Long Sutton. It caused damage, especially in Woad Lane, leaving a path of destruction.
How Long Sutton is Governed
Long Sutton has its own local election area, called an electoral ward. This area also includes the village of Tydd St Mary to the south. In 2011, the total population of this ward was 7,260 people.
Community Life in Long Sutton
Long Sutton is the end point of the A1101 road. The main A17 now goes around the town, bypassing both Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge. In 2001, the town had a population of 6,461.
The town gets its local news from Spalding Today, which publishes the Spalding Guardian and the Lincolnshire Free Press newspapers.
Food Canning Factory
Since the 1940s, a large factory has been a major employer in the area. It was first called Eastern Counties Preserves Ltd (ECP). They were known for their ‘Peasant Boy’ brand and made canned foods and jams.
Later, in 1959, the company became Lockwoods Foods Ltd. Their main factory was located between Sutton Bridge and Long Sutton. This factory produced many different canned vegetables, fruits, and fizzy drinks. These included mushy peas, seasonal strawberries, cola, ginger beer, and lemonade shandy. The company sold its products in the UK and other countries. They also made products for other brands like Del Monte.
In the 1980s, the factory was bought by Premier Foods after Lockwoods Foods Limited faced financial difficulties. Premier Foods continued to make famous food items there, such as the Fray Bentos canned steak and kidney pie. In 2011, Fray Bentos was sold to Baxters, and its production moved to Scotland in 2013.
Since 2011, the factory has been owned by the Princes Food & Drink Group. The Long Sutton factory is now their biggest food production site in the United Kingdom.
Places to Visit and Facilities
Long Sutton County Primary School is located on Dick Turpin Way. It has about 400 students. University Academy Long Sutton is the local high school for boys and girls.
St Mary's Church is a very old church from the 13th century. It has a unique lead-covered wooden spire. This spire looks similar to the twisted spire of Chesterfield Parish Church, but Long Sutton's spire is straight. The church is a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historical building. The spire is about 45 metres (149 ft) high.
Inside the church, there is a special memorial stone that says "Alas! Poor Bailey." This is for a local doctor named John Bailey. He was sadly killed by robbers in 1795 while returning from visiting a patient. His attackers were never caught.
Long Sutton also has several traditional pubs. These include the Olde Ship Inn on London Road, the Crown and Woolpack on High Street, and the Corn Exchange and the Granary on Market Street.
Sports in Long Sutton
The town has a football team called Long Sutton Athletic F.C.. They play in the Peterborough and District Football League. They used to play in the Eastern Counties Football League.
Media and News
Local news and TV shows for Long Sutton are provided by BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ITV Yorkshire. These signals come from the Belmont TV transmitter. You can also sometimes get BBC East Midlands and ITV Central from the Waltham TV transmitter.
For radio, the town is covered by both BBC Radio Lincolnshire and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Long Sutton is one of the few places in Lincolnshire that has a local DAB radio service called NOW Peterborough.
Local newspapers for the area are Spalding Today and Spalding Voice.
Famous People from Long Sutton
Many interesting people have connections to Long Sutton:
- Christopher Helme (1603 – around 1650) was born in Long Sutton. He moved to America and helped start the town of Exeter, New Hampshire.
- Dick Turpin (1705–1739) was a famous highwayman. He lived in Long Sutton for about nine months using a different name, John Palmer. There is a road in the town named after him.
- Alfred Fletcher (1841–1915) was born in Long Sutton. He was a journalist and a politician who supported left-wing ideas.
- Richard Winfrey (1858–1944) was a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). He also published newspapers and fought for the rights of farmers. His family gave the land for Winfrey Park.
- Henry Harold Welch Pearson (1870–1916) was a botanist (a scientist who studies plants) born in Long Sutton. He worked in South Africa. A group of African plants, called Pearsonia, was named after him.
- Reginald Skelton (1872–1958) was born in Long Sutton. He became a naval vice-admiral and explored the polar regions. He was given the title of knight in 1931.
- Alfred Haines (1877–1935) was from Long Sutton. He became a first-class cricketer and played for Gloucestershire.
- Alfred Piccaver (1884–1958) was a famous opera singer (tenor) who was born in Long Sutton.
See also
In Spanish: Long Sutton (Lincolnshire) para niños
