HECKINGTON From heritage and history to a great village show, Heckington is a phenomenal community with plenty to offer visitors this summer!

“Tony Pygott operates his Eight Sail craft brewery from the windmill, and opposite the mill itself is The Bakehouse with its kitchen set up for baking courses!”

There was a bit of waiting about back in October 2017. Indeed, I was one of the people who was in situ, clutching a camera and awaiting an encourage as HRH The Princess Royal and her protection officers were chauffeured into the grounds of Heckington Windmill, to officially declare the landmark open after a 10-year restoration totalling £1.65m. The Heckington Windmill Trust had battled long and hard to secure the funding. It had originally been working with the building since 1982, reopening it and ensuring the sails turned from 1986-1999 and then 20042010 when structural defects and the need to repair its sails rudely interrupted production. With sails replaced by Alford millwrights Neil Medcalf and his team, then a site regeneration completed in 2017, the mill –which is unique certainly in the UK, probably the world, for its unusual eight-sailed construction, turned again, with HRH The Princess Royal very happy to celebrate with chairman of the Heckington Windmill Trust, Charles Pinchbeck and with miller Jim Bailey. Today, Tony Pygott also operates his Eight Sail craft brewery from the windmill, and opposite the mill itself is The Bakehouse with its demonstration kitchen set up for baking courses. On the subject of heritage, the charitable trust Heritage Lincolnshire is also based in Heckington. The group now cares for Bolingbroke Castle, Hussey Tower in Boston, Tattershall College, Tupholme Abbey near Bardney and the bunker which housed the Holbeach underground monitoring post, a Cold War nuclear facility... rather less scary is Kirton’s 16th century Old King’s Head, which the Heckington charity also helped to refurbish, opening it last September. >>

Left: Heckington’s village green and pub, the village’s train station and St Andrew’s Church.

“Heckington’s railway station is located on the Sleaford to Boston route. It’s still very much in use and incorporates a railway museum too...”

>> Heckington’s railway station is located on the Sleaford to Boston route, which then travels onward to Skegness, and so the line is still very much in use... much like the 1859 railway building which now houses the village’s small but perfectly formed railway museum with its Great Northern Railway, Great Western Railway and model railway artefacts.

Part of the Heckington and Helpringham Group of Parishes, Heckington’s St Andrew church is rather impressive for a building in a village of Heckington’s size. Built in the 1300s, particular highlights of the Grade I listed building include the 176ft spire, which was rebuilt in 1888, and the building’s very beautiful original stained glass windows.

A building that hasn’t fared as well is Heckington Manor. The building isn’t listed, despite being created in the 18th century on the site of a much older building originally known as Boston Garth. Occupied by Richard Godson and Mary Taylor until the 1950s, the site then became an orphanage, a care home and finally a clinic for the treatment of alcohol addition prior to its closure in 2003. Following speculation that the site was going to be converted into four apartments, development plans were finally abandoned, and the site was sold. Its new owners acquired the site last Autumn, and plan to refurbish the house and bring it back to its former glory. It’ll be quite a convenient location for visiting the Heckington Show, as the site is a stone’s thow from the 60-acres of farmland upon which the event takes place... coincidentally, this month! Last year’s Heckington Show did go ahead, but in a limited form, so the Heckington & District Agricultural Society is looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality, welcoming 30,000 people rather than the 6,000 or so who attended the show last year. >>

This year’s Heckington Show will be the 153rd show, and will include a whole range of main ring entertainment including the Royal British Legion’s band plus jousting with the Knights of Nottingham and an evening concert with firework display...

Above: Livestock at The Heckington Show. the last event was a bit soggy... we promise better weather for 2022’s event! >> This year’s event will be the 153rd show, and will include a whole range of main ring entertainment including the Royal British Legion’s band and corps of drummers, plus jousting with the Knights of Nottingham and an evening concert with firework display on Saturday evening. Entertainment on the Saturday night includes leading Take That tribute act, Rule The World.

Sunday’s main ring attractions include the National Show Jumpers Championships, the Bolddog Lincs Motorcycle Display Team, plus falconry displays, a vintage tractor drive and a grand parade of livestock. In addition, visitors can enjoy horticulture and giant vegetable displays, heavy horses, trade stands and more.

Heckington’s residents are especially proud of their show, and it’s little wonder; the event is thought to be the country’s largest volunteerrun event, as well as the UK’s biggest village show, requiring a huge effort to organise. The show has been around in some form for over 900 years, linked to the Feast of St Mary, which was traditionally held in August, but in its current form the show dates back to 1863, and has been held at its current location since 1867.

Heckington’s community spirit shines through not just during the village show, but with around 30 community groups and organisations operating at parish level, across all sorts of interests... which isn’t half bad for a community whose population is only around 4,000! And finally... if we’re about to enjoy a long hot summer, how about cooling off in just one of those community-led activities? Heckington’s Community Swimming Pool was created in 1974, which was convenient as that year saw an unprecedented heatwave. The pool was handed over to the community in 2009 and it will reopen again as Pride goes to press. It is, of course, staffed by very dedicated volunteers. So, come on in... the water’s lovely! n

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