Grantham
Coordinates: 52°55′06″N 0°38′18″W / 52.9182, -0.6382 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...
Population	34,592
OS grid reference	SK915365
District	South Kesteven
Shire county	Lincolnshire
Region	East Midlands
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GRANTHAM
Postcode district	NG31
Dial code	01476
Police	Lincolnshire
Fire	Lincolnshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Grantham and Stamford
European Parliament	East Midlands
List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire

Grantham is a medium sized market town in Lincolnshire, England with about 35,000 inhabitants (40,000 including Great Gonerby), situated on the River Witham. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 11 KB) Summary Description: A blank map of the United Kingdom, with country outline and coastline; contact the author for help with modifications or add-ons Source: Reference map provided by Demis Mapper 6 Date: 2006-21-06 Author: User... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... South Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county . ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including independent states (both those that are internationally recognised and generally unrecognised), inhabited dependent territories and areas of special sovereignty. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The NG postcode area, also known as the Nottingham postcode area[1], is a group of postal districts around Nottingham including areas in Derbyshire, southern Nottinghamshire, and also Sleaford and Grantham in Lincolnshire. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... Lincolnshire Police is the police force covering the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of England. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is an ambulance service formed in April 1999 as a result of the merging of the Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire (including Rutland) ambulance services. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Grantham and Stamford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Leicestershire, England. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... The River Witham is a river in the east of England. ...

The town is also notable for the first female police officer in the UK: on November 27, 1914, during the First World War, Miss Mary Allen and Miss E. F. Harburn reported for duty on the beat. Mary Allen was a former suffragette and had been previously arrested outside the House of Commons, and later went on to be the commandant of the UK's women's police force, from the 1920s up to 1940. She helped to set up women's police forces in other countries, including Germany. Edith Smith had the first powers of arrest from August 1915. November 27 is the 331st day (332nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

During the 1980s the town was home to the musician and pedagogue James Handley and was twice voted The Most Boring Town In Britain in a national poll. This was partially a backlash to Thatcherism although some locals took pride in the award and it proved to be a spur for development in the town (for instance a cinema and bowling alley opened soon after). Margaret Thatcher Thatcherism is the system of political thought attributed to the governments of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. ...

The Earlesfield Estate is known for its trouble in the town, but policing in this community is helping. However, having said that, the Harrowby/Alma Park Estate is now quite a troubled area and is subject to an abundance of anti-social behaviour from local youths.

Transport

Grantham railway station is served by the East Coast Main Line (between the stops for Peterborough and Newark Northgate) and has the A1 main road from London to Edinburgh running past it (the town was bypassed in 1962). The main shopping High Street, until recently, was part of the busy A52 (which runs to nearby Nottingham), and Wharf Road and London Road (next to Sainsbury's) still are. There is a motorway-style service station at the north end of the bypass, on the roundabout. The roundabout is in the process of being circumvented by a new junction. The entrance to Grantham station Grantham Railway Station Lies On The East Coast Main Line ... The East Coast Main Line viaduct at Durham. ... Peterborough Railway Station Lies on the East Coast Main Line ... Newark North Gate station is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line, between Grantham and Retford in United Kingdom. ... Sign at Junction 1 of the A1(M) at South Mimms in Hertfordshire The A1 is the longest numbered road in the UK at 409 miles (658 km) long. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The A52 is a major road in England. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... J Sainsbury HQ in Holborn Circus J Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsburys, which is a chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. ...

Landmarks

St Wulfram's church

The main local landmark is the impressive parish church of St Wulfram's, which has the sixth highest spire (282 ft) among English churches, and is also home to the country's first public library. In 1598, Francis Trigge, the rector of Welbourn gave £100 for a small library of books for the clergy and literate laity of Grantham. Two hundred and fifty of the original volumes remain and are kept in the parish church. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... Wulfram of Sens, Saint Wulfram is also known as Wulfram of Fontenelle. ... Tallest churches, heights in metres From the Middle Ages until the advent of the skyscraper, Christian churches have been among the tallest buildings in the world. ... Francis Trigge Chained Library is a library in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England which was founded in 1598. ... Welbourn is a village in North Kesteven, central Lincolnshire on the A607 between Leadenham and Wellingore. ...

Grantham is home to the world's only 'living' pub sign: a beehive of South African bees perched in a tree since 1830.

Edith Smith Way is the name of the road outside the Guildhall Arts Centre, parallel to St Peter's Hill. The Angel & Royal Hotel is one of Britain's oldest inns. King John held court there in 1213. The George Hotel nearby (now a shopping centre) was mentioned in Charles Dickens’ novel Nicholas Nickleby. Also in the town is the Blue Pig. Much of the town's property is owned by Buckminster Estate, since the days of the Earl of Dysart. John deer hunting, from a manuscript in the British Library. ... May 30 - Battle of Damme; English fleet under William Longsword destroyes a French fleet off the Belgian port in the first major victory for the fledgling Royal Navy. ... Dickens redirects here. ... The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, (or Nicholas Nickleby for short) is a comic novel of Charles Dickens. ... A 16th century pub in Grantham on Vine Street, near Watergate. ... Richard Buckminster Bucky Fuller (July 12, 1895 _ July 1, 1983) was an American visionary, designer, architect, inventor, and writer. ... The title Earl of Dysart was created in 1643 in the Peerage of Scotland, along with the title Lord Huntingtower. ...

Politics

Politically the town is part of the Grantham and Stamford constituency (recently altered), is represented in Parliament by Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) Quentin Davies, and has a long history of electing Conservative members of Parliament. The local council, South Kesteven District Council, is also Conservative led, with the current political spread as 35 Conservative, 15 Independent, 2 Labour and 6 Liberal Democrat councillors. This change from former Labour leadership reflects the changing demographics of this area. Villages with more middle class residents in South Kesteven keep the Conservative proportion of the vote well beyond reach. Grantham and Stamford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and is the second oldest extant political party in the world. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... (John) Quentin Davies (born May 29, 1944) British politician He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Grantham and Stamford. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ...

Military

During the famous Dambusters Royal Air Force (RAF) mission in May 1943, the RAF Bomber Command's No. 5 Group and the operation HQ, as Barnes Wallis nervously learnt the grim news, was in a building which later housed a county council education department, and was built by Richard Hornsby & Sons in 1865, and is now a private house. In 1944 (including D-Day), this was the headquarters for the USA's 9th (IX) Troop Carrier Command, being known as Grantham Lodge. RAF Spitalgate trained pilots in the war, and was not an operational base. Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams on May 17, 1943 in World War II using a specially developed bouncing bomb. The attack was carried out by Royal Air Force No. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Bomber Command badge RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAFs bomber forces. ... No. ... Sir Barnes Neville Wallis Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, CBE, FRS, RDI, commonly known as Barnes Wallis, (September 26, 1887 – October 30, 1979) was an English scientist, engineer and inventor. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... Ninth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Combat Command (ACC). ... RAF Spitalgate, located close to Grantham, was an OCTU in the 1950s. ...

Industry

In 1905, Richard Hornsby (1790-1864) & Sons of Grantham (founded 1815) invented the revolutionary caterpillar track, for use with Hornsby's oil engines; these engines were invented by Herbert Akroyd Stuart from which compression-ignition principle the diesel engine evolved. In 1909, they showed the British Army their invention, who were bemused, but took it no further than that. A short time later, Hornsby sold the patent for the caterpillar track in 1914 to The Holt Manufacturing Company of California, USA for $8,000. Thanks to the ownership of the patent, this company would become the world-dominating Caterpillar Inc. Tractor Company. Benjamin Holt even claimed to be the real inventor. In 1914, the British Army's Colonel Ernest Swinton saw one of Holt's caterpillar tractors towing a piece of artillery, and realised its literally ground-breaking role as an attack vehicle. One year later the tank was born, being made in nearby Lincoln by William Foster. It first saw action at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on September 15, 1916. The company bearing the name of Richard Hornsby (1790-1864), the agricultural engineer, was founded when Richard opened a blacksmithy in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1815. ... Herbert Akroyd-Stuart (January 28, 1864, Halifax Yorkshire, England - February 19, 1927) Inventor of the hot bulb oil engine. ... 1939 Lanz Bulldog tractor with hot bulb engine. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... U.S. M60 Patton tank. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Caterpillar Inc. ... Benjamin_Holt. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Ernest Dunlop Swinton KBE, CB, DSO, RE(1868 -1951 ) was a military writer and British Army officer. ... Lincoln (pronounced //) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. ... William Foster & Co Ltd was an agricultural machinery company based at Lincoln, UK and usually just called Fosters of Lincoln. The company was known for producing threshing machines, regarded as among the best available. ... The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, which began on 15 September 1916 and lasted for one week, was the third and last of the large-scale offensives mounted by the British Army during the Battle of the Somme. ...

Aveling & Porter of Rochester, Kent, would join with Barford & Perkins of Peterborough to become Aveling-Barford Ltd in 1934, largely due to financial help from Ruston & Hornsby. The new company took a former site of Hornsbys, naming it the 'Invicta' works, which is from the motto on the coat of arms of Kent, and translates as 'unconquered'. It did not fare well with the sinking market for large dumper trucks and road rollers, and now as Barford Construction Equipment, it makes dumpers for construction sites, being owned by Wordsworth Holdings PLC(USA). A trailer company, Crane-Fruehauf, has moved into part of the factory, from its former home of Dereham, when it went into receivership in early 2005. Aveling & Porter engine Margaret Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, developed a steam engine 1865 three years later, and produced more of the machines than all the other British manufacturers combined. ... Rochester is a small town in Kent, at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London. ... Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority in the East of England, with an estimated population of 161,000 as of 2006. ... Aveling & Porter traction engine Margaret Aveling and Porter railway engine for industrial use. ... Ruston is the former name of an engine builder in Lincoln, England, UK. It is responsible for Rusty in the Thomas the tank engine series. ... Invicta (meaning undefeated) is the motto of the county of Kent, England. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Dereham, also known as East Dereham, is a town in Norfolk, England. ...

British Manufacturing and Research Company (or BMARC), on Springfield Road, made munitions for many years. It was owned by the Swiss company, Oerlikon, until 1988 then became part of Astra Holdings PLC, and was bought by British Aerospace in 1992 who then closed the site. BMARC (The British Manufacture and Research Company) was a UK-based firm designing and producing defence products, particularly aircraft cannon and naval anti-aircraft cannon. ... Oerlikon has different meanings: Zürich Oerlikon: a quarter in the northern part of Zürich, Switzerland Oerlikon-Bührle: a company in Zürich, Switzerland that also owns Bally Shoes, Oerlikon Contraves, Pilatus Aircraft and Island Aircraft Oerlikon Contraves: a Swiss anti-aircraft artillery manufacturer founded in Zürich... BAE Systems plc is the worlds fourth largest defence contractor,[3] the largest in Europe and a commercial aerospace manufacturer. ...

The food processing industry now employs the largest contingent of Grantham's citizens, including Fenland Foods (part of Northern Foods) on the Earlesfield Industrial Estate, Moypark (formerly Padley), and a large frozen vegetable factory (PAS) near Easton. The Woodland Trust is based on Dysart Road. There is a small FM transmitter near the town's bypass on Gorse Lane from which Radio Lincolnshire can be heard on 104.7 and Lincs FM on 96.7. Frozen food is food preserved under the process of freezing. ... Easton is a village just off the A1, north of Woolsthorpe and Colsterworth in south Lincolnshire. ... The woodland trust logo The Woodland Trust, founded in Devon in 1972, and now based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage. ... BBC Radio Lincolnshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Lincolnshire—apart from the northern parts of the county, which are covered by BBC Radio Humberside. ... Lincs FM Broadcasts from studios at Witham Park in Lincoln. ...

Sport

Grantham Town Football Club is the local football team, currently playing the Unibond Premier Division. The major claim to fame of Grantham Town Football Club (nicknamed 'The Gingerbreads') is that Martin O'Neill started his management path from there. The club was founded in 1874 and they currently play in the 7,500 capacity (covered 1,950, seats 750) South Kesteven Sports Stadium (although average attendances are well below capacity). The ground also doubles as the town's athletics stadium (one of only three in Lincolnshire), next to the Grantham Meres Leisure Centre on Trent Road. The town has a youth set up at Grantham Town FC, with a web page at www.granthamtown.co.uk [1]. Grantham Town is a football club currently playing in the Southern League. ... Martin Hugh Michael ONeill, OBE, (born March 1, 1952 in Kilrea, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Ireland national football team captain who has previously managed Leicester City and Celtic and is currently manager of Aston Villa. ...

Famous people associated with Grantham

In the Domesday Book of William the Conqueror, Grantham is mentioned as "Graeg Ham". In the opinion of some historians, this might point to its being the home of the ancestors of Clan Graham in Scotland, including several of the most well-known people in Scottish history. A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... William I ( 1027 – September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ... Clan Graham is a Scottish clan who had territories in both the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II...

Two world-famous people associated with the town are mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton, who was educated at the still existing The King's School, Grantham, and conservative MP and and arguably the most influential post war Prime Minister (1979-1990) Margaret Thatcher, who attended the Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (K.G.G.S). Born in Grantham, Mrs Thatcher is still remembered personally by many inhabitants of the town. Sir Isaac Newton, (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727) [ OS: 25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727][1] was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and alchemist, regarded by many as the greatest figure in the history of science. ... The Kings School, is an English educational institution in Grantham, Lincolnshire with an unbroken history on the same site since the date of its endowment as one of the last acts of Richard Fox, Bishop of Exeter in 1528. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ... Kesteven and Grantham Girls School (KGGS) is a grammar school for girls in Grantham, Lincolnshire. ...

Eric Chappell, writer of many 1970s and 80s television sitcoms, including Rising Damp, Only When I Laugh and Duty Free comes from Grantham and still lives in village two miles outside of the town. Eric Chappell, born in Grantham in 1933, wrote or co-wrote a number of the UKs biggest sitcom hits during the 1970s, 80s and 90s. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Rising Damp was a UK television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978. ... Only When I Laugh (television series) Only When I Laugh (movie) Only When I Laugh (book), by Jim and Henny Backus Bob Dole supports this message This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Duty Free is a British sitcom written by Eric Chappell and Jean Warr and made by Yorkshire Television for ITV. It centred on two British couples - the Pearces and the Cochrans - who meet while holidaying at the same Spanish hotel and the interruptive affair conducted by David Pearce and Linda...

Des Lynam lived there with his mistress, Harriet Hopkins, from 2005 until 2006. Desmond Michael Lynam (born 17 September 1942) is an Irish sports presenter and game show host on British television and radio, born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. ...

Others:

• Graham Lewis - musician.
• Jessie Lipscomb - sculptress.
• Nicholas Maw - composer.
• Richard Nooky Nauyokas - from ITV's Lads Army.
• Nicholas Parsons - TV and radio presenter.
• Lord Waynard of Rutland - philosopher.

Edward Graham Lewis (born on 22 February 1953 in Grantham, Lincolnshire) is an English musician. ... Jessie Lipscomb (13 June 1861 - 12 January 1952) was an English sculptor. ... Nicholas Maw (born 1935) is a British composer. ... It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... Bad Lads Army is a British reality TV programme shown on ITV1 based on the premise of subjecting delinquent individuals to the conditions of British National Service of the 1950s in order to rehabilitate them. ... Christopher Nicholas Parsons OBE, normally known as Nicholas Parsons (born October 10, 1923) is a British actor, radio and television presenter. ...

External links

• Priory FM - Grantham's local radio station
• Description of the town & street photographs.
• The genesis of the caterpillar tractor.
• History of Ruston & Hornsby.
• Development of the first 'tanks' in the First World War.
• Grantham Town Football Club.
• Grantham Town Youth Football Club.
• South West Lincolnshire
• Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce
• Lincs FM
• BBC Local Radio Station