About our Town
Bourne is an small historic market town in the heart of south Lincolnshire with a truly unique charm and friendliness. The town is fortunate to be suitated in an outstanding location that is both pretty and idyllic with an abundance of woodland, water ways and recreational spaces. This makes way for an attractive setting in one of the country's largest and most diverse counties.
The town originated from a Roman road from which it was built upon, and also from the exceptionally fine-quality water supply derived locally from natural springs. The name “Bourne“ is a common name for a settlement and derives from the Anglo-Saxon meaning “water” or “stream”. To this day the ancient water ways and springs are a distinguishing feature of Bourne and make a pleasant backdrop to this beautiful town.
At the present time Bourne is a bustling market town with many amenities including a leisure centre, outdoor swimming pool, restaurants, gyms, public houses and shopping outlets. The town boasts two outstanding secondary schools including the reputable Bourne Grammar School and the Robert Manning Technology College. The town also has two established primary schools which offer top quality education to the younger population of Bourne.
Bourne is blessed with many green open spaces which provide a useful setting for many recreation activities and relaxation. The Abbey Lawns boasts an attractive cricket ground, bowling green, sports field and a traditional heated outdoor swimming pool with newly refurbished changing pools and cafe.
Bourne also has an attractive park with an abundance of trees and water ways, views of pretty countryside and some intriguing historic buildings, including the old stone park keepers cottage which sits in the heart of park. The park is also home to one of the most ancient sites of artesian water supply in the country - St Peter's Pool. This pool is reputably filled by seven springs and it's from this natural feature that the early settlement of Bourne was first formed.
One of Bourne's best leisure facilities are the extensive Bourne Woods. Situated on the western outskirts of the town, this ancient woodland is home to a variety of wildlife and there are many paths and tracks for the public to explore in 400 acres of woodland. The woods are home to the shy and reclusive fallow deer and there are also ponds, artifacts and newly planted areas to discover. There is a car park and picnic area for public convenience and snack facilities can also be found at certain times. Unfortunately the toilet facilities are no available, due to insufficient funding available to the Forestry Commission. It is hoped that the introduction of a small parking fee may however help to provide funding to reclaim the toilet facilities in the future.
There are many footpaths and areas to explore in Bourne, which offer picturesque walks with wooded areas, farmland, streams, architecture and parks to discover. If you fancy a complete retrieve from the town, the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside is easily accessible via car or on foot with some pretty traditional English villages such as Baston, Cawthorpe, Grimsthorpe, Langtoft and Thurlby only a short distance from Bourne. The unspoiled countryside that surrounds Bourne is perfect for discovering mills, manors, churches, coaching inns, rivers and ancient cottages. Alternatively near-by Peterborough offers a vast number of amenities including a large shopping centre, bowling alleys, ice-skating, greyhound racing and many fast food outlets.
Bourne hosts a twice weekly market next to the popular Corn Exchange, the venue for many events and meetings in the town. The market held on Thursday's and Saturday's offers a variety of stalls, maintaining the traditional values of the town. A special Christmas market is also held in the town to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.
The unique charm and character of the town centre gives some indication of Bourne's prosperous past with a diverse range of attractive architecture to be seen, most notably, the Red Hall - a stunning grade 2 architectural legacy in the heart of the town. Other intriguing historic buildings include Baldock’s Mill (now the Heritage centre), Town Hall, Angel Hotel and the Corn Exchange.
At present the town is undergoing some exciting redevelopment projects with a major new revamp planned for parts of the town centre in the near future which will bring many new retailers and business opportunities into the town.
The town offers many high street retailers including Boots, Mackays, Woolworths, Superdrug, Clinton Cards, Sainsbury's, Walkers and Thorntons alongside many traditional independent retailers. There are also a number of good coffee shops and eating establishments in the town, providing a welcome reprieve from the stresses and strains of the high street. For nights out, Bourne benefits from a number of good pubs and restaurants which offer a diverse range of cuisines and ales, making way for a vibrant nightlife. There are also two popular nightclubs that offer a range of music with guest DJ's and special events though-out the year.
The town provides a good mix of old and new with many new housing developments helping the town to grow and meet the demands of modern living. The new Elsea Park estate has provided the largest influx of housing in Bourne for many years and offers a variety of attractive housing to accommodate the growing number of people wishing to move into the area. This huge new estate will take several years to complete and will include many new facilities for the town including a sports field, nature conservation areas, a multi-purpose community hall and some small local shops. Sites may also be available for a public house and some new business premises. Houses are set among existing woodland and ponds and the lake and fountains that form the entrance to this innovative development creates an impressive entry into the town from the A15.
Bourne has good commuter links to other towns and cities in the area and is just 16 miles from the city of Peterborough, and approximately a 45 minute drive from the county's capital - Lincoln. The towns of Spalding, Stamford, Grantham and Boston are also only short distance from the town.
Places to Visit Near Bourne
- Market Deeping, Lincolnshire
- Stamford, Lincolnshire
- Spalding, Lincolnshire
- Grantham, Lincolnshire
- Boston, Lincolnshire
- Peterborough, Cambridgeshire