The Market Deeping  distillery

There was once a distillery in Market Deeping, established by local doctors William Holland and William Page in the early years of the 19th century to produce essential oils from herbs and other plants for the manufacture of medicines, ointments, lotions and linaments to treat the variety of ailments and physical conditions that afflicted Victorian society.

Patent remedies were widely available as a universal panacea and the reaction of most people when feeling unwell was to buy a bottle of something which they thought would improve their condition.

The venture began in a small way with one copper urn out in the open air and later from a small shed with a thatched roof before a permanent distillery was built in 1836 and 400 acres of land rented from the church.

The land was soon in useful production for the cultivation of a variety of herbs such as thyme, caraway, mint, hemlock and rosemary, belladonna, henbane, clover and poppy while the fields of lavender when in bloom were reckoned to be particularly beautiful. Dandelion roots were brought in by villagers for planting during the winter months and the company even imported liquorice plants to add to their remedies.

Many men and women worked there and children were employed during the school holidays to help with the planting and picking of herbs while the essential oils they produced were sold throughout England and abroad, winning medals at many international exhibitions in London, Paris and Berlin, while the quality of the products was endorsed by the leading apothecaries of the day on account of their excellent quality.

One particular favourite was peppermint water, recommended for colds and stomach ailments when taken hot, a popular purchase for visiting relatives who invariably took a bottle with them when they returned home although samples were also given away free to villagers when supplies became abundant.

The cultivation of herbs continued as a flourishing industry and even spawned a similar business in the United States but eventually ceased production and in 1906 the distillery estate was put up for sale but sold in lots to various buyers and so the distillery did not survive.

The actual building remained and although there were attempts to preserve it as being of historic interest, it was finally demolished in 2006 and the land developed for new housing although the venture is remembered in various streets which are named after herbs and plants such as Rosemary Avenue and Clover Road while one has even been called Still Close.