Gedney, Lincolnshire

For a different Lincolnshire parish, seeGedney Hill.

Gedney
GedneySt Mary Magdalene church– theCathedral of the Fens
Gedney Location withinLincolnshire
Population	2,351 (2011)
OS grid reference	TF405243
•London	90 mi (140 km)S
District	South Holland
Shire county	Lincolnshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SPALDING
Postcode district	PE12
Dialling code	01406
Police	Lincolnshire
Fire	Lincolnshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	South Holland and The Deepings

Gedneyis a village,civil parishandelectoral wardin theSouth Hollanddistrict ofLincolnshire,England. It is just to the south of theA17Boston toKing's Lynnroad, 2 miles (3.2 km) east fromHolbeachand 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west fromLong Sutton.The parish stretches east toThe Wash,its villages and hamlets including Dawsmere,Gedney Broadgate,Gedney Drove End,Gedney Dyke,Gedney Marsh, and the geographic extension of Gedney Church End.

History

A hospital for five paupers, (St Thomas Martyr), was founded at Gedney, date unknown, and served fromNorth Creake.It was dissolved around 1339.

The redundantrailway stationwas on the former east–westMidland and Great Northern Joint Railway.It closed in 1959.

The Red House wind farm was built in 2006 with six MM82 wind turbines, its 12MW of power feeding 6,500 homes.

Geography

Gedney Marsh Wind Farm

Gedney and its parish lies on reclaimedfenland,making it one of the most intensivecrop-growingareas in the UK.

To the west, the parish begins at the eastern end of theFleet Hargatebypass, and includes the village's campsite and a few houses, bordering the parish ofFleet.The boundary passes close to the west of Gedney Dyke, and meets the parish of Holbeach. It passes just to the west of Gedney Dyke Farm then follows Fleet Haven, near to the wind farm to the west of nearby Red House Farm.

It deviates to the east from Fleet Haven and passes to the west of (another) Red House Farm then rejoins Fleet Haven just south of Wards Farm. Fleet Haven runs out of land and meets the sea wall. In the parish, and close to the east is the base ofRAF Holbeachwhich is accessed viaDurham's Road.The parish extends out on the mud flats along Fleet Haven Outfall. To access the part of the parish along the start ofThe Washwould be extremely foolish and is out of bounds due to the bombing range. The limit of the parish finishes between Gat Sea End and Old South Middle. There are observation towers on the sea wall for the bombing range. The control tower is on the sea wall towards Dawsmere and Gedney Drove End. Dawsmere Creek extends out towards The Wash. The boundary withLuttonis along Boatmere Creek then extends out to sea alongTycho Wing's Channel, which is the outflow of theRiver Nene.This area is the far west of The WashNNR.

The boundary passes to the north of Lodge Farm, broadly following Boatmere Creek, south of Boat Mere Farm then along The Chase. It crosses Roman Bank at Sutton Corner, passing to the west of Lutton. It follows Docking's Holt Lane to the west of Long Sutton, meeting the B1359 at theGarnsgate Roadjunction. It follows the B1359 (former A17) to the west, then crosses the A17 then follows a drain and Garnsgate Road where it borders Long Sutton and partly followsNational Cycle Route 1.It passes to the north of Moorswood Farm, then follows Benderslough Drove and then theSouth Holland Main Drain,where it bordersSutton St Jamesto the south. At Leedsgate Bridge, west of Inley Drove Farm, it meets the parish of Fleet.

North of Leedsgate Bridge, the parish follows Fleet Drain, to the left of Rookery Farm, and it crosses the B1165 and the Little South Holland Drain at Raven's Gate Bridge. The boundary follows Fleet Drain north-eastwards alongside Raven's Drove. The two sides of the boundary are respectively known as Fleet Fen and Gedney Fen. Fleet Drain also follows Delph Bank. To the east of Fleet Drain at this point is Gedney Broadgate.

Church

Main article:St Mary Magdalene Church, Gedney

GedneyGrade IlistedAnglicanparish church is dedicated toSt Mary Magdalene.Originating in the 13th century, additions and alterations carried-on into the 17th. It was considerably restored in 1890 however thespireto the tower was unfinished and left as a stump. The tower, 86 feet (26 m) to itsparapet,hasEarly Englishlower stages andPerpendicularupper. Thenavearcadesand thechancelare ofDecoratedstyle. During the rebuilding of the southaislein 1890 abrassof a female (ca. 1390), with a puppy at her feet, was discovered. Also in the south aisle is a damaged 13th-centuryeffigyof a cross-legged knight, conjectured to represent Falco D'Oyry,andJacobeanalabastermonuments of Adlard Welby, his wife Cassandra and their five children, erected in 1605. The south porch has a rare upper chamber.At the east end of the north aisle are the remains of a 14th-centuryJesse window.

The church had 29 windows damaged in 2006, including the Jesse window. Vestments and an altar cloth were set alight but the fire did not take hold. Two culprits, 15 and 16 years old, were interviewed by police and admitted causing the damage.

Amenities

Parishpublic housesare the Chequers on Gedney Dyke Main Street, the Grade II listed Old Black Lion in Chapelgate,and the Rising Sun.

External links

• Media related toGedney, Lincolnshireat Wikimedia Commons
• "Gedney",Genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2011
• Parish Council
• Location maps for:Gedney Drove End,Gedney Dyke,Gedney,Gedney BroadgateandGedney Hill(note the contour lines!)