May 7, 2021 5.29 pm
This story is over 14 months old
Mystery solved: What happened to lost model of Horncastle station
Parts of old Horncastle station survived and still in use
The old platform flagstones from Horncastle Railway Station are studied by Dr Ian Marshman, Chairman of Horncastle History and Heritage Society, at the location where they are still in use. | Photo: Chris Bates
Part of Horncastle Railway Station, which was demolished 40 years ago, has survived and is still in use, according to the town’s History and Heritage Society.
A significant part of the building, which was demolished in 1985 to make way for new premises for Bush Tyres, is still in use for its original purpose.
Near to Horncastle, the flagstones which once paved the platform found a new home when they were bought and moved to a property in the district which was being renovated.
They were carefully relaid around the property and today continue to provide a firm and steady surface for pedestrians – just as the original Horncastle Railway Company intended when it built the station in 1855.
Publicity surrounding the discovery of relics and artefacts relating to the Horncastle station has helped to build up knowledge of the line and the role it played in the area.
This includes a milepost, trespass signs, an original hand-lamp (from Woodhall Spa), draughtsmen’s. plans, original tickets, photographs, and even the suggestion that a narrow-gauge train from an old brickworks may be buried under a housing development.
The final half-mile post recovered from the debris on the old Horncastle station site and now preserved privately in the garden of a house in the town.| Photo: Horncastle History & Heritage Society
Very rare Great Northern Railway ticket (pre-1922) from Horncastle to Willoughby (junction for the Mablethorpe Loop Line). | Photo: Dr Chris Extence
Dr Ian Marshman, Chairman of the Horncastle History and Heritage Society, said: “This is a remarkable survival.
“We can’t say where the Horncastle railway flagstones are now in use, but it was an interesting experience to stand on them, just as thousands of passengers had once stood – including the hundreds of soldiers who departed in both world wars, some never to return again.
“Not to mention the countless people off to work, on a train trip to London or the seaside, all things we can no longer do since the station closed. What stories those stones could tell.”
The mystery has also been solved as to what happened to the model of Horncastle Railway Station, which was once displayed in the erstwhile Horncastle Museum.
The missing model of Horncastle station taken in the 1970s when it was on display in the now-closed Horncastle Museum. | Photo: Horncastle History & Heritage Society
The model was built by the late captain Reggie Tweed and had been donated to the museum, but appears to have been lost when it closed.
A retired school teacher recently contacted Dr Ian Marshman and told him he remembered the model being brought by a local historian to Horncastle Community Primary School during a project on the Victorians.
The model was left at the school for safe keeping and was used to illustrate lessons.
It went into storage under the school’s water tower, along with other odds and ends, and then the area flooded. The model and other stored items were damaged beyond repair and had to be thrown away.
Dr Marshman said: “We’re very grateful for this information – and it’s good to know that although the model might not have survived, that several retired teachers still remembered that children had enjoyed using it. It’s also nice to be able to say that we might have finally solved the mystery.”
Locomotive 69808 about to set off from Horncastle with a train for Boston. The flagstones lining the platform edges have recently been rediscovered. | Photo: Wm.Woolhouse Collection/Lincs Coast Light Railway Trust
Horncastle and Woodhall Spa’s railway closed half a century ago. On Saturday, April 3, 2021 it was the 50 year anniversary of the last train rolling out of Horncastle.
The freight was a freight bound for Lincoln, via Woodhall Spa, Woodhall Junction, Stixwould, Southrey and Bardney.
This is where trains had continued to service the sugar beet factory after the closure of the passenger service from Firsby and Woodhall Junction in October 1970.
For Horncastle and Woodhall Spa, it was the end of the line for a service that began on August 11, 1855.
Locomotive 69523 in Horncastle station with the regular two carriages used on the service to Woodhall Spa and Woodhall Junction. | Photo: Wm. Woolhouse Collection/Lincs Coast Light Railway Trust.
The anniversary was marked by a virtual exhibition. Two planned physical exhibitions will take place once coronavirus restrictions have eased further.
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The owners of a cosy family restaurant in Lincoln will close their business this autumn after “nine fantastic years”.
Husband and wife team Karl and Annemarie Hanson didn’t have any restaurant experience before they took over The Bowl Full in the West End area of the city, but genuinely enjoyed running it and their passion helped them establish it as a successful venue.
The last night at The Bowl Full before it closes for the final time will be on Saturday, October 1.
This is a true hidden gem in the West End. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
In a statement, the owners said: “After nine fantastic years we have decided it’s time to finish at our little gem of a restaurant. It’s a tough decision but one that feels right for us.
“We have been fortunate enough to have had friends and family work for us since opening but family circumstances have now changed with kids at/off to university or starting full-time jobs. Nine years of balancing our other jobs with the restaurant has also been a challenge.
“Our family have gained so much from having the restaurant as part of our lives and we are very proud of what we have achieved.
“We would like to thank all of our customers and team members who have supported us from start to finish and have given us some special moments and memories.”
The owners also urged that anyone who would like to talk about buying the restaurant should get in touch with them.
Coastguard workers have expressed their devastation as a teenage boy was found dead after being recovered from the sea in Skegness over the weekend.
The incident saw emergency services receive a report of a child under the age of 16 in the sea at Skegness, at around 6.15pm on Saturday, August 13.
Unfortunately, despite an extensive search operation carried out by police and HM Coastguard Skegness, the body of a boy matching this description was recovered at around 11.30pm.
The coastguard said its “hearts are heavy” upon hearing the news, describing the difficulty of somebody not being rescued on the Lincolnshire seaside.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard Skegness said: “Sometimes, despite all our best efforts, not everyone is rescued and it hurts our hearts. It’s why we do what we do day after day. It’s what drives us to keep on searching and to keep responding when things go wrong at the coast.
“We searched for hours with our fellow coastguards and our friends and colleagues from the RNLI and the police to find the teenager after he was reported missing.
“Although he was found, it was sadly a tragic outcome and we have no words other than to offer our heartfelt condolences to those who are grieving the loss of someone they loved so very much.”
It came at a busy time for Lincolnshire Police officers in Skegness, with ten children reported missing in the space of just two hours over the weekend – either from the arcades, beach or water itself.
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