The Prime Meridian of the world passes through the west of Holbeach and is marked with a millstone at Wignals Gate.[3]
History
A number of Roman and Romano-British pottery finds have been made in and about the town.[4]
The town's market charter was awarded in 1252 to Thomas de Moulton, a local baron. All Saints'Church was built in the 14th century and the porch, which was built around 1700, possibly incorporated parts of de Moulton's ruined castle.[5] The associated All Saints' Hospital, for a warden and fifteen poor persons, was founded by Sir John of Kirton, in 1351. It had ceased to exist before the suppression of chantries and hospitals. The antiquarian William Stukeley reported that his father removed the ruins from the site which is now occupied by the Chequers Inn.[6]
Until the beginning of the 17th century, the sea came to within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the town and there were severe floods recorded in the 13th and 16th centuries. The land drainage programmes that followed moved the coastline of the Wash to 9 miles (14 km) away, leaving Holbeach surrounded by more than 23,000 acres (93 km2) of reclaimedfertile agricultural land.[citation needed] In 1615, nominees of the Earl of Argyll were entitled to the land which was reclaimed from the sea in Wigtoft, Moulton, Whaplode, Holbeach and Tydd St Mary. The Earl paid for the work, but differences of opinion stalled the project after 1634.[7] Further enclosure of marshes were recorded in 1660, in Gedney, Whaplode, Holbeach and Moulton.[8] The work included the building of an embankment, and resulted in 9,798 acres (39.65 km2) being added to Holbeach parish. A second embankment was built under the provisions of the South Holland Embankment Act (1793) and added another 2,059 acres (8.33 km2). Following unsuccessful attempts in the 1830s, the rest of Holbeach Marsh was enclosed in 1840. The project was directed by Mr. Millington, and the total area added to the parish by all these enclosures was 12,390 acres (50.1 km2).[9]
In 1829 a theatre was built for Joseph Smedley as the 'Public Rooms' in Park Road.[10] This was visited by the Lincoln Company, managed by Fanny Robertson, following their performances in Wisbech in 1841.[11]
The 19th century also saw the building of several small churches, including a Wesleyan chapel, built on Chapel Street in 1808,[13] and a Baptist chapel, which was built on Albert Street in 1845 using red brick and colour-washed render.[14]
The name "Holbeach" also applies to the civil parish of Holbeach. The parish is one of the largest by area in England, and extends from Cambridgeshire to the Wash, measuring 16 miles (26 km) north to south, and about 4 miles (6.4 km) east to west. The total population of the parish is almost 24,000 with approximately 10,000 in Holbeach town. The town has the most inhabitants and services compared to the villages surrounding it which incorporate its name.
The drainage of land around Holbeach is now the responsibility of the South Holland Internal Drainage Board,[16] part of the Water Management Alliance, formerly known as the King's Lynn Consortium of Internal Drainage Boards.
Economy
Much of the economy has been based on food processing and bulb growing. The United Kingdom's largest supplier of tulip and daffodil bulbs is situated to the north of the town and flour milling continues at Barrington Mill.[17]
Community
Local public houses are The Red Lion (newly renovated and reopened), The Horse & Groom, the Mansion House on High Street, and the Crown Hotel on West Street. Previous public houses were the Station Inn (Demolished and replaced with houses), the Chequers Hotel (newly renovated and reopened as Bar 912), the Exchange (now a residential property), The String of Horses (now a Hairdressers), The Ram (now a flower shop), The Bell Hotel (now Petite Street) and the Black Bull (now a fishing tackle shop).
Speedway racing took place at nearby Bell End at Whaplode St Catherine.[26] Details of the events are sketchy and some reports suggest the venue had grass-surfaced straights and dirt-surfaced bends. The venue is known to have operated in the immediate post-war era but closed in 1948.
Susanna Centlivre (c. 1667 to 1670 – 1 December 1723), born Susanna Freeman, was actress, and "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century"
Tommy Clay, sports writer, coach and administrator, founder of Holbeach Athletics Club, awarded the BEM for services to sport. (His picture appears, top right, in the Holbeach Mosaic)[27][28]
Henry Holbeach (c. 1477 – 2 August 1551), monk and Bishop of Lincoln
Cyril Lowe, rugby union international, First World War flying ace, and supposedly the inspiration for W. E. Johns' character "Biggles"
Walter Plowright, veterinary scientist who devoted his career to the eradication of the cattle plague rinderpest
Foot, William (2006). Beaches, fields, streets, and hills ... the anti-invasion landscapes of England, 1940. Council for British Archaeology. ISBN978-1-902771-53-3.
Wheeler, William Henry (1896). A History of the Fens of South Lincolnshire (British Museum Historical Reprint) (2nd ed.). J M Newcombe. ISBN978-1-241-32839-9.
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