Grantham, Lincolnshire

Grantham, Lincolnshire

Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of the county. It bestrides the London to Edinburgh East Coast Main Line railway and the River Witham, and lies close to the A1 main north-south road.

The town is best known as the Birth Place of Margaret Thatcher, the former, now deceased, Conservative Prime Minister. It is also the place where Sir Isaac Newton went to school, which is celebrated with the Sir Isaac Newton Statue, and was the scene of Oliver Cromwell's first advantage over Royalists at Gonerby Moor, during the bloody English Civil War.

The origin of the name Grantham is uncertain, although it appeared as early as the late 11th century in the Domesday Book, but was also recorded variously as Grandham, Granham and Graham. A town or settlement has quite possibly stood on this site for thousands of years with discoveries of prehistoric, neolithic vessels from a burial found at Little Gonerby and there have also been finds of flint blades, a macehead, pottery and palaeolithic hand-axes.

In the 14th century Grantham Castle was granted to Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and fifth son of Edward III. The town received its Charter of Incorporation in the late 15th century. A major development boost came in later centuries once Grantham was linked with The Nottingham Line railway (LNER) which arrived in the mid 19th century, quickly followed by the London line (GNR). Finally, The Boston, Sleaford and Midland Counties Railway line was incorporated.

Modern Grantham is a bustling and thriving town with a population of nearly thirty five thousand. Transport into the town can be made by train, bus, taxi and car with ample parking. There is plenty of shopping to enjoy, places to eat and drink, parks and historical buildings to visit including the national trust owned Belton House and Harlaxton Manor, an exuberant merging of Gothic, Jacobethan and Baroque styles creating an unforgettable and dramatic impact. Another point of interest is the Guildhall Arts Centre, a community-centred venue that offers professional touring shows and a thriving and stimulating amateur scene. The building stands on St Peter's Hill, next to Edith Smith Way, a road named after England's first ever policewoman. There is also the Grantham Museum which contains displays of archaeology and social history including exhibits and information on the Dambusters and the aforementioned Sir Isaac Newton and Margaret Thatcher.

The town of Grantham has something for everyone and few visit the county without stopping by.