A buyer’s guide to Horncastle

Why you should consider buying in Horncastle...

Fortified by the Romans long ago (although portions of the wall remain visible), Horncastle was listed in the Doomsday book and two Centuries later the St Mary’s Church was constructed to the town’s centre. Traditionally famed for its Horse Fair, Horncastle occupies the confluence of the Rivers Bain and Waring, with the Lincolnshire Wolds (a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to the East. The town hosts two weekly markets, on a Thursday and Saturday.

It was once commonly accepted a horse should be expected to travel no further than 18 miles in a day and Horncastle’s success as a junction-point in amongst the rural landscape of mid-Lincolnshire was certainly helped by this. Boston, Spilsby, Wragby, Louth and Woodhall Spa are all within such a radius while, at 21 miles either way, the town also acts as a halfway house between Skegness and the county city of Lincoln. A number of local bus routes run through the town, meaning public transport links are wide-reaching from the Market Place.

Horncastle offers residents a wide range of day-to-day services and necessities consistent with a large town, yet unlike larger locations all remain within walking distance: supermarkets, doctors surgery, pharmacy, library, vet, banks, to name a few.

Aside from the practical offerings, Horncastle also boasts a range of independent shops, from art galleries to clothing, and a number of small book shops and antique centres. The town enjoys a wide range of independent eateries, with a number of cafes and small restaurants dotted about town. Myers Bakery on the Bull Ring for example produce an exquisite range of baked goods. Horncastle is also home to a range of pubs and a strong range of takeaways.

Residents unable to resist the lure of such treats live safe in the knowledge that the town is also home to a range of sporting facilities, including three gyms. Leading off from the Wong- home to Horncastle Town Football Club- are further football pitches, rugby fields, the cricket club, tennis courts, bowls club and the Pool & Fitness centre. Elsewhere a squash club, powerlifting facilities and more can be found for those wanting to continue a current hobby or take up a new pastime.

As the ‘old boys’ of the local teams will tell you, sports clubs are nothing without a breath of youthful enthusiasm and Horncastle is fortunate in this regard to have a number of schools to draw from. The town’s Community Primary School, situated on Bowl Alley Lane, has a capacity of 600-plus pupils and as such the majority of children in the town attend- most homes are within walking distance of the school’s central location. Further afield there are a wide range of primary schools in villages surrounding the town, offering parents a breadth of choice.

When the time comes to consider secondary education children of Horncastle have a pair of good quality schools on their doorstep. Lincolnshire, unlike most counties in England, still has a Grammar School system and as such the Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (more commonly abbreviated to QEGS) on West Street admits year seven students who pass the 11+ examination.

The school was established by Queen Elizabeth I’s Royal charter in 1571 and is widely considered to be one of the best secondary schools in Lincolnshire. Approximately 800 students attend, 200 in the Sixth Form, meaning a full secondary education through to A-Level is available in the town.

Banovallum School, on the other side of town, is a non-selective secondary, serving students from Years 7 to 11. The school was recently rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and works closely with QEGS in the Horncastle Education Trust. Both schools are mixed gender.

So, with all that and more to explore in Horncastle, why not take a look at what’s on the market in the town? Click here to search through all our listings.

Christian James

Comments

Commenting is not available for this blog.