Spalding Self-Guided Walking Tour, Spalding, England

This article was authored by my number 1 fan – my mum, who is a lifelong resident of Spalding, Lincolnshire and made it her personal mission to rifle through the archives and trawl through the library to create an accessible walking tour guide for visitors. She uncovered many fascinating historical tidbits along the way.

The name Spalding may have originated from the tribe of “Spaldas”, who descended from 7th century Anglo Saxon invaders. The first mention of Spalding appears in a charter signed by King Ethelbad in AD 716, and the settlement was mentioned in the Doomsday Book in the 11th century. The fen land around Spalding was once waterlogged – the River Welland was tidal and the area suffered from regular flooding. It took hundreds of years to drain the land, dig out drainage channels and install a pumping system. This left the soil fertile and suitable for farming. Spalding Priory was founded in 1052 by Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his wife Godiva – the famous Lady Godiva! Benedictine Monks from the Abbey of Saint Nicholas in Angers, France were sent to take control of the area after the Norman conquest (1066-1071 AD), and the Priory became one of the richest monasteries in Lincolnshire. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).