South Witham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Witham |
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 St John the Baptist Church, South Witham |
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 South Witham
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| Population | 1,533 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SK925192 |
| • London | 90 mi (140 km) S |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Grantham |
| Postcode district | NG33 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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South Witham is a village in Lincolnshire, England. It is part of the South Kesteven district. In 2011, about 1,533 people lived here. The village is located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of Grantham. It is also 16 kilometers (10 miles) east of Melton Mowbray and 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of Oakham. South Witham is very close to the borders of Leicestershire and Rutland.
Contents
History of South Witham
The village gets its name from the River Witham, which starts nearby. However, no one knows for sure where the name "Witham" comes from. For a long time, the village's name was also spelled "South Wytham."
In the 1550s, a local official named Richard Troughton was involved in a plan. This plan was to make Lady Jane Grey queen instead of Mary I of England. When Mary became Queen, Troughton faced problems because of his part in this plan.
In 1966, the Royal Air Force (RAF) built many houses in the village. These houses were for people working at nearby RAF bases. This made the village almost three times bigger very quickly. The local primary school also grew a lot. A NAAFI shop was opened for the families of the service members.
1973 Plane Crash
On August 2, 1973, a Canberra B2 plane crashed near South Witham. The plane belonged to the RAF. Fire crews from RAF Cottesmore and local towns helped at the scene.
One pilot, Flt Lt John Dennis, sadly died in the crash. Another person, Flt Lt Max Murray, survived. People living nearby heard loud noises and saw a bright flash. The plane's ejection seats were used when it was about 213 meters (700 feet) high.
Super Dairy Plan
In 2010, there was a plan to build a very large dairy farm. It would have had almost 3,000 cows. However, local people were worried about it. Because of these concerns, the plan was stopped.
Geography of South Witham
The River Witham flows through South Witham. The river starts about 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of the village. South Witham is also where the A1 road enters Lincolnshire from the south. This is near The Fox Inn.
The village area covers about 7.16 square kilometers (1,770 acres). To the south, it shares a border with Thistleton and Rutland. To the west, it meets Wymondham, Leicestershire. The Forty Acre Wood is in the north-west part of the parish.
The A1 road was improved in August 1971. Before this, the main crossroads on the A1 were where the slip roads are today. The village was also near RAF Cottesmore.
Quarrying in South Witham
Mining for stone began in South Witham when the railway was built in the 1890s. The area has different layers of rock and soil. These include topsoil, brown clay, limestone, and ironstone.
Ironstone mining started in 1944. A company called Stewarts and Lloyds Minerals Ltd owned the site from 1950. They hoped to mine a lot of iron ore each year. However, the mine closed on June 27, 1964. The railway line through the village also closed that same year.
Local Businesses
On the road to Wymondham, there is a limestone quarry. It is owned by Breedon Aggregates. This quarry has about 3.2 million tonnes of limestone.
Other businesses in the village include Compressed Air Plant, Auriga, Petlife International, and Clever Cooks. There is also a Travelodge hotel on the A1 road. South Witham has two public houses: The Blue Cow and The Angel.
South Witham Railway
There used to be a South Witham railway station, but it is now closed. The railway line connected Melton, Bourne, and Spalding. In 1898, a special branch line was built from the railway near the quarry. This line went to Buckminster to carry iron ore for a steel company.
Village Church
The village church is called St John the Baptist. It is part of a group of churches that includes North Witham, Stainby, and Gunby.
In the 1800s, the vicar (church leader) was Ralph Tollemache. He built the primary school in 1879. His eldest son, Sir Lyonel Tollemache, later became Lord Tollemache.
Ralph Tollemache married Dora de Orellana in 1869. She was from the Channel Islands. Ralph had many children. One of his sons became a vicar in the village. He fought as a captain in World War I and was lost in 1914. His name is on the Menin Gate in Belgium. Another brother, Leone Sextus Tollemache, also fought in World War I and died in France in 1917.
There were also two chapels in the village. One was a Methodist chapel, and the other was a Congregationalist chapel. One of these chapels later became a museum for old motorcycles.
Archaeology in South Witham
South Witham is known for being a place where the Knights Templar once had a base. This type of base was called a preceptory. Temple Hill was explored by archaeologists in 2002.
Knights Templar in Lincolnshire
The Knights Templar were a powerful group of knights. They owned a lot of land in Lincolnshire until they were disbanded in 1312. They had several preceptories (bases) in the area. These places helped them manage their land and earn money. Temple Bruer was another important Templar site in Lincolnshire.
Here are some of the Knights Templar preceptories in Lincolnshire:
- Aslackby Preceptory
- Bottesford
- Eagle
- Great Limber
- Horkstow
- Witham Preceptory
- Temple Bruer
- Willoughton Preceptory
- Byard's Leap was part of the Temple Bruer estate.
Community Life
South Witham has two main community areas. One is around the church, and the other is around the former Ministry of Defence (MOD) housing estate.
The local church is part of the Witham Group of Churches. The current church leader is the Revd Dr Tom Broadbent.
The village primary school is on Water Lane. In 2011, the school was rated "good" by Ofsted. Older children travel by bus to schools outside the village.
The village has a monthly magazine called Witham Word. It is published online. A bus service (No. 28) runs daily from Grantham to South Witham.
Famous People from South Witham
- John Butt (sport shooter): Born in the village in 1850. He was an Olympic shooter. He won a bronze medal in 1908 and a silver medal in 1912 for clay pigeon shooting.
- Richard Lluellyn: He was the father of General Sir Richard Lluellyn (1781-1867).
- Elizabeth Mitchell: She was the mother of Rutland Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Halford (1662–1742).
- Eric Simms (ornithologist): He was the first person in Britain to record sounds on magnetic tape. He presented a long-running BBC radio show called The Countryside Programme.
See also
In Spanish: South Witham para niños
