LOUTH, LINCOLNSHIRE

'Louth' is a market town within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway ''Barton Street'' crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of around 17,000.
Much of the town centre is lined with brick buildings from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the town's skyline is dominated by the Parish Church of St James, the spire of which is tall, making it reputedly the tallest parish church in the United Kingdom and second only to Salisbury Cathedral in terms of spire height.
One of the town's main attractions is Hubbards Hills, which opened to the public in 1907. The park is a glacial valley through which the River Lud passes, with steep, wooded slopes on either side.
A flood occurred in the town on May 291920, causing 23 deaths. Several stone plaques in the town show the high water level reached.
Historically, the town is most noted as the origin of the Lincolnshire Rising, the forerunner of Pilgrimage of Grace, in 1536.

Contents

Geography and administration

Places of interest

Market Times

Schools

Primary schools

Secondary schools

Music

Notable Ludensians

References

External links

Geography and administration

Louth is located at . The point at which the Greenwich Meridian crosses ''Eastgate'' is marked with a plaque on the north side of the street, close to the junction with ''Northgate''. The three-mile £6.6m A16 Louth Bypass opened in August 1991.
Louth's twin town is La Ferté-Bernard, close to Le Mans in Pays-de-la-Loire, France.

Places of interest

Cadwell Park motor racing circuit is around four miles south of the town, between the villages of Scamblesby and Tathwell.
The tallest structure in the European Union, the Belmont television and radio mast, is situated in the nearby village of Donington on Bain, five miles west of the town.
Louth will be the eventual southern terminus of the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, based at nearby Ludborough. The town was formerly on the East Lincolnshire Railway from Peterborough to Grimsby, an important north-south route, which opened in 1848, especially for holidaymakers in the summer. The line to Mablethorpe also started in the town from 1877, closing in 1960. The section to near Wainfleet closed in 1961, with the Louth to Grimsby section later continuing for passengers until October 1970 with freight stopping in 1980.

Market Times

Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays are all market days, with a farmers' market on the fourth Wednesday of each month. A cattle market is held each Thursday at the Louth Livestock Centre on Newmarket.

Schools

Primary schools

★ Kidgate Primary School

★ Eastfield Infants & Lacey Gardens Junior Schools.

★ St. Michael's C of E Primary School

Secondary schools

★ The Cordeaux School

★ Monks' Dyke Technology College

★ King Edward VI Grammar School

Music

The Southwold Jazz Band are the resident band at Louth New Orleans Jazz Club[1], performing every Saturday night at the club in Queen Street, occasionally with local resident Robert Wyatt. Electronic Duo Team Doyobi also began collaboration in Louth. Ex-Magazine player Dave Formula lives in Louth and his new electronic punk/world fusion extravaganza the Angel Brothers frequently play in the area. Other local bands include Swing Out Sister, The Wasp Factory. Proles And Stranded are also local to Louth.

Notable Ludensians

Inhabitants of Louth are known as ''Ludensians'', taken from the name of the river Lud.

★ Michael Foale, the first British-born astronaut, was born at the Crowtree Lane Hospital (now the sixth-form and IT block of King Edward VI Grammar School) in the town (his father was stationed at the nearby Royal Air Force base at Manby).

★ Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born in Somersby, between Louth and Horncastle, and was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School.

★ Corinne Drewery, lead singer of the band Swing Out Sister, attended schools in the town whilst growing up in the village of Authorpe, between Louth and Alford.

★ Jeffrey Archer was elected the town's member of parliament in a by-election in 1969. He stood down at the October 1974 general election.

★ Dan Haigh, Bass guitarist in rock band Fightstar was brought up near the town.

★ Robert Wyatt, English musician and former member of Soft Machine, now lives in Louth.

★ Team Doyobi, English Electronic Musicians schooled together at King Edward VI Grammar School.

★ Captain John Smith, English, soldier, sailor and founder of the Commonwealth of Virginia, although born in Willoughby, attended the King Edward VI Grammar School, where his name is adorned upon a tablet in the School's 'Edward Street Hall'. A cast iron bust of him also stands within the school's canteen.

★ Jim Broadbent, Actor, lives in a small village just outside Louth.

★ Graham Fellows, also known as John Shuttleworth and Jilted John is a singer-songwriter and comedian lives in Louth. He had the one-hit wonder Jilted John.

★ Edward John Eyre (5 August 1815 - 30 November 1901) was an English land explorer of the Australian continent and a controversial Governor of Jamaica. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School.

★ Chris Wright (Producer), founder of the Chrysalis Group and owner of London Wasps Rugby Club, was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School.

★ Roy 'Chubby' Brown aka Royston Vasey lives locally in Fulstow.

★ Augustus Charles Hobart-Hampden, (April 1, 1822 - June 19, 1886), English naval captain and Turkish admiral, was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School.

★ Sir John Franklin FRGS, (April 15, 1786 – June 11, 1847), English sea captain and Arctic explorer, was also educated at King Edward VI Grammar School.

★ Christopher Gladwin,(b.1976) Artist and Experimental Musician.

★ Singer and actress Barbara Dickson lives in the area

★ Actor Patrick Mower, currently seen in TV soap-opera Emmerdale lives in the area in Little Carlton.

★ Stuart Storey - BBC sports commentator.

References

1. http://www.localhistories.org/louth.html
2. http://www.louthuk.com/town_profile.php?f=Louth

External links

★ Louth official website

★ Louth Today

★ Louth Jazz Club

★ Louth Museum

★ St. James' Church

★ Louth Town Council

★ Louth Navigation Trust

★ Louth directory

★ Shopping in Louth

★ Poacher country

★ WikiTravel

★ Louth District Scouts website