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Waddington, Lincolnshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Waddington (disambiguation). Coordinates:
53.16638°N 0.53890°W| Waddington | |
 St. Michael's Church, Waddington | |
  Waddington Waddington shown within Lincolnshire | |
| Population | 6,086 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SK987580 |
| - London | 115 miles (185 km) S |
| Civil parish | Waddington |
| District | North Kesteven |
| Shire county | Lincolnshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LINCOLN |
| Postcode district | LN5 |
| Dialling code | 01522 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Sleaford and North Hykeham |
| List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire | |
| Contents [show] |
[edit] Topography
Waddington is located at 53°11′31″N 2°26′35″W and known as a Lincolnshire Cliff Village, as it is situated on a ridge of Jurassic limestone called the Lincoln Edge or Lincoln Cliff. The small cliff is one of only a few hills in Lincolnshire.[1] Lying 2.7 miles (8 km) south of Lincoln and 12.9 miles (18.3 km) north-northwest of Sleaford, Waddington enjoys warm summers and dry frosty winters.[2][3]
During the Ice Age, most of the region surrounding Waddington was covered by ice sheets and this has influenced the topography and nature of the soils.[4] Much of Lincolnshire is low-lying, in some places below sea level, but Waddington's cliff-top position means it is 226 ft (69 m) above sea level, giving it commanding views over the River Witham valley.[5][6]
The more modern areas of the village have developed down the steep hill towards Lincoln. The Viking Way enters the village from the north on Far Lane and passes south along High Street then briefly along Millers Road.
[edit] History
The village is a documented settlement in the Domesday Book of 1086 and was mainly an agricultural community until the late 19th century. Horseracing also took place on the heathland areas, which are now part of the RAF station. At various times other activities including malting, brick-making and stone-quarrying have taken place in the village.
High Dyke, the road that runs between the main RAF station and the service married quarters, lies on the line of the Roman road Ermine Street. There is only minor evidence that High Dyke is Ermine Street, but the alignment is so exact that it is unlikely to be a coincidence. It is of note that Ermine Street, as it passes Byards Leap, 20 miles to the south, is also called High Dyke at that point. The traceable line of Ermine Street peters out in the adjacent village of Harmston and does not reappear until the other side of Lincoln.
Around 1830, George Boole, the mathematician, taught at Waddington Academy Boarding School in the village, run by Robert Hall. From 1838 to 1840, Boole lived in the village and became headmaster of the academy.
[edit] Parish church
The present-day Anglican parish church of St Michael is a modern stone building situated on High Street. Consecrated in 1954, it replaced an earlier 12th century church destroyed in a World War II air raid on the night of 8 May 1941.[7] An account of that night is documented in the book Waddington at War 1939-1941.[7]
[edit] Buildings
The older part of the village primarily consists of buildings built of the local limestone along with some brick-built houses built after brick making began to take place on the lower slopes of the village.
The newer residential areas are located in the lower part of the village and are of modern brick and tile construction.
Enemy action during 1941 severely damaged 71 houses in the village, as well as the Horse & Jockey pub and the NAAFI building on the RAF station. The damage was mainly caused by two aerial mines; large bombs dropped by parachute and fused to explode before hitting the ground. Unfortunately 11 people were killed, among them the NAAFI manageress, Mrs Constance Raven, after whom the All-Ranks Club on the RAF station is still named.
[edit] Public buildings
The parish council office is located on High Street, while the post office and a pharmacy are incorporated within the Co-op premises on Bar Lane. The Waddington branch of the Lincolnshire county libraries is located in Lower High Street.
In addition to the Cliff Villages Medical Practice located on Grantham Road at the Mere Road junction, there is also a chiropody practice located on Bar Lane. The Lincolnshire Fire Brigade premises are located adjacent to the Cliff Villages Medical Practice on Mere Road.
[edit] Schools
There are two primary schools within the parish of Waddington. All Saints Primary School is in the upper part of the village on Mere Road,[8] whilst Redwood Primary School is in the lower part of the village off Brant Road.
[edit] Shops and restaurants
The village has a varied selection of shops which are mainly located around the Bar Lane area in the upper part of the village and the Redwood Drive Shopping Centre in the lower part of the village. There are Chinese and Indian takeaways in both locations, as well as a fish and chip shop in the upper village.
[edit] Public houses
There are three public houses in the village, the names of which reflect the agricultural history of the village. In the centre of the village is the Horse and Jockey which fronts the old town square, while the Three Horse Shoes is situated beside St. Michael’s Church on High Street. The third public house is the Wheatsheaf which is situated at the crossroads of the Lincoln to Grantham road (A607) and Mere Road which is the main access road to RAF Waddington. Also at the lower village there is a large pub/restaurant called the Crow's Nest.
[edit] RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington, is an important British airbase east of the village's centre. One of the oldest airfields in the UK, it was founded in November 1916[9] for the Royal Flying Corps. RAF Waddington is the RAF's main ISTAR base,[10] operating amongst others the E-3D Sentry (a.k.a. AWACS) reconnaissance aircraft. Previous to this, the station had been home to part of the Avro Vulcan nuclear bomber force.
[edit] Public transport
The village is served by bus links to Lincoln and Grantham operated by Stagecoach Group. Buses travel to and from Lincoln at 15 minute intervals during peak hours and there is a bus service every half hour to Grantham and villages on the A607.
[edit] Climate
According to the Köppen classification, the British Isles experience a maritime climate characterised by relatively cool summers and mild winters. Compared with other parts of the country, Lincolnshire – and Waddington – are slightly warmer and sunnier in the summer and colder and frostier in the winter. Owing to Waddington's inland position, far from the landfall of most Atlantic depressions, it is one of the driest places to live in the UK, receiving, on average, less than 3 ft (600 mm) of rain per year.[3] The mean annual daily duration of bright sunshine is four hours and 12 minutes; the absence of any high ground is probably responsible for the area being one of the sunniest parts of the British Isles.[2]
| [hide]Climate data for Waddington | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F | 43 | 44 | 49 | 54 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 70 | 64 | 57 | 48 | 44 | 56 |
| Average low °F | 35 | 35 | 38 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 54 | 54 | 51 | 46 | 40 | 37 | 42 |
| Precipitation inches | 1.45 | 1.08 | 1.04 | 1.46 | 1.13 | 1.51 | 1.7 | 1.45 | 1.61 | 1.83 | 1.51 | 1.38 | 21 |
| Average high °C | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 7 | {{{year high C}}} |
| Average low °C | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 3 | {{{year low C}}} |
| Precipitation mm | 36.8 | 27.4 | 26.4 | 37.1 | 28.7 | 38.4 | 43 | 36.8 | 40.9 | 46.5 | 38.4 | 35.1 | 533 |
| Source: MSN | |||||||||||||
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This post has been edited by Ian Williams: 22 April 2012 - 20:01
