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A red brick town at the foot of the limestone hills of Kesteven and on the edge of the fens, Bourne has been a settlement since the Roman invasion.
Bourne grew into a Saxon village with a small manor house, reputedly the birthplace of Hereward the Wake.
The Red Hall, a fine Elizabethan mansion stands near the centre of the town, and the Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, founded in 1138, is one of the oldest buildings in Bourne. |
The town is known worldwide as the place where ERA and BRM racing cars were made, and also the birthplace of several famous people including William Cecil, Lord Treasurer to Elizabeth I, and, in 1825, Charles Frederick Worth, who revolutionised French fashion. Fresh water from St. Peter's Pool and the Bourne Eau, which first attracted the Romans, flows out to the river Glen, passing Baldock's Mill, which is now a heritage centre.
Today a mixture of old and new the town has a variety of traditional family businesses, bars and restaurants together with supermarkets such as Sainsburys.
There are craft and antiques shops, plus a market every Thursday and Saturday. The town centre is home to the Bourne Corn Exchange a popular venue for local events.
Let's Play activity centre is popular for young families to unwind. Bourne boasts an outdoor pool, leisure centre and Bourne Woods with extensive paths and a sculpture trail. |
