A windy but warm, mild Spring day for our May 2025 walk. Just five members set out from the Marsh Road Sluice that heads the Coronation Canal built following the disastrous winter flooding of 1947. The mechanism prevents the River Welland from overflowing by diverting high water into the Coronation Canal. It is quite an impressive, mostly unseen piece of engineering. Parking in the Springfields main carpark, we climbed up the bank to where the water taxi goes in peak season, turned right then over Marsh Road and headed away from town towards the spire of St Paul’s Church, seen in the distance.
As usual plenty of lively conversation and a chance to get to know a new member from the Bourne NWR group. Christine joined us for her first walk. Pam had arranged for us to see the Grade I listed Victorian church from the outside, but we were lucky enough to find the church open to visitors whilst the church was being decorated for the VE Day celebrations. As a happy chance we were amazed by the very complete style of the interiors and exteriors designed by George Gilbert Scott of St Pancras Station fame.
At a cost of £30,000 to Miss Charlotte Charinton the wealthy female donor.
The parsonage, church and attached school room were built in a single phase between 1877-8 and are a testament to the Early English style. The large steeple is attached to the nave via an arcade. It is charming and unusual. GSG copied a design he had seen at Boxgrove. As a member of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society, the earliest provincial association for the encouragement of antiquarianism, Scott had close links to the town. Find out more https://gilbertscott.org/buildings/st-pauls-fulney-spalding
Pam’s route led us along the Welland right embankment and back along the left. The hawthorns were in full blossom, the footpath wending under dramatic, ever changing Lincolnshire skies.
Upon returning to Springfields we made a tour of the festival gardens located beyond the shopping avenue. Pam told us something of the history of the site:
Springfields – initially a 20 acre plot of farmland, it was transformed into a show garden between 1964 and 1966 to showcase the flower bulb industry. In 1964 work began, including the planting 1,000,000 bulbs and 30,000 trees, blended with lawns, shrubs and plants and creating a lake with walkways. Having just watched the Chelsea Flower Show you can appreciate how much goes into creating pleasure gardens. In the 20+ years I have been living in Lincolnshire I have often visited the gardens at Springfields and seen the displays change and develop. It really is a wonderful FREE space for everyone to enjoy. Today there is even a garden designed by KimWilde.
Springfields is all about the excellent shopping set in beautiful surroundings. One extra surprise was just how very excellent The Parlour café is which overlooks the stream facing the gardens. Here we were tempted to cream teas. https://www.bluediamond.gg/restaurant/parlour-springfields
I know I am going to re-walk this route again, in different seasons – I will change nothing – except give myself the whole day so that I can incorporate a shopping trip !
Thanks so much Pam.