Tallington

The railway station at Tallington was closed in 1959 but the trains still roar past on the main east coast line between London and the north and the village is now best known for its notorious level crossing on the A16 trunk road. The railway line is one of the busiest in Europe and therefore the gates are frequently closed to allow trains through and traffic builds up on the main road as a result.

Drivers insist that the problem was exacerbated in 1998 when the manned crossing was switched to remote control electronic operation and therefore delays are more frequent. Certainly this is one place in South Lincolnshire where a bridge or an underpass would be of tremendous benefit to road users but such a scheme is not even in the forward planning stage and so ill temper for drivers trapped at this point will continue.

The public house on the Market Deeping side of the crossing is called The Whistle Stop, a recently acquired name to reflect its railway surroundings, although it has been much better known in previous years as the Kesteven Arms, because Tallington was once part of the old Lincolnshire county sub-division of Kesteven. In the days before the introduction of our stringent drink-driving laws, it was a common occurrence for drivers held up at the crossing during opening time to leave their cars and pop in for a quick one and be back at the wheel by the time the gates opened, having been alerted by the sound of the passing train.

The Whistle Stop public house (left) and St Lawrence's Church (left) at Tallington

With so many inter-city express trains and other rolling stock passing in either direction at frequent intervals, the footbridge over the track at Tallington is a popular place for train spotters and photographers who take advantage of the footbridge over the track for action pictures. 

Tallington is nine miles to the south west of Bourne and much of it is on either side of the A16 but a turning off will take you to the old heart of the village and to St Lawrence's Church. It is cross-shaped and has Saxon origins but there is a splendid doorway from Norman times, enriched with chevron ornament and framing a fine mediaeval door. The 14th century tower lost its spire in 1762 and now its weather cock is lower than the lime trees in the churchyard while in the belfry hang three ancient bells with Latin inscriptions.

The farmland in South Lincolnshire is well drained by the River Welland and various artificial channels cut by drainage engineers since the second world war to reduce the risk of flooding. Approaching the village on the country road from Bainton, you will pass over the Maxey Cut which provides a direct channel for the automatic discharge of floodwater that might otherwise cause flooding in the Deeping area and a sight of it in winter is sufficient to realise that it was badly needed.

The Maxey Cut (left) and Tallington Lakes Leisure Park (right)

Disused gravel workings south west of Bourne have been reclaimed for recreational purposes and the Tallington Lakes Leisure Park is the result. The area comprises a number of lakes, some left to nature while others are used for a variety of water sports to international standard, and all attract flocks of birds and other wildlife.

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