Croft

Off Skegness Road.

Looking towards the edge of the town from the junction with Rumbold Lane.

Off Rumbold Lane.

Looking towards the town centre from the junction with Dovecote Lane.

The line of trees above the white van mark the top of a bank which, it is thought, might once have been a quay.

Croft Bank.

Professor I.G. Simmons, author of various papers abaout this area, has sent me his comments on this photo, which reflect his current views/ideas: - Centre is the market place (above left of the two rows of large terraced houses), which may be a later addition to the town, perhaps after the Charter of Incorporation. - Above left of that is the core of the medieval town. The layout suggests it was a planted 'New Town', a common thing roughly around 1100. However there are no documents to support this. - The colonised area on the river to the right of the town is Chop Hills, (or "Jop" Hills on an older map. It is thought there was a mill here and it was quite possibly a tidal mill. - The part of Wainfleet All Saints above the river is Sailholme. It contains Wainfleet Hall. It was the core area of Bury possessions, and was mostly made of salt waste. Extensions to either side, with creeks in between and a possible staithe. Two creeks led downwards through the area, to the river, and alongside these was a possible staithe. - In mediaeval times the course of the river in the left corner was to the right of its present position, where the edge of the town now stands. - Leading upwards alongside to the right of the edge of the polythene covered fields (the Tofts) is the Low Road, a bank that carried the King's Road to Boston. - Parallel and to the right is the Old Fen Bank, which enclosed the East Fen, a raised bog, where, in the 18th century, there was (among other things) a cranberry industry. - There is a variety of soil marks in the green fields close in to the market area, on the right. It could possibly be the site of the elusive Wainfleet harbour. There is a variety of soil marks - To the left of the Tofts (polythene covered) is the new marsh reclaimed from 1600 onwards. For more information on the geology, history and geography of this fenland area, its saltworks and its drainage see: Link and Link For the Tofts in particular see: Link and Link

A difficult shots on account of the light conditions. A few seconds later, looking directly down the Tofts (picked out by the agricultural sheeting on the fields), light was against me.

Located on the northeast side of the crossroads of Washdike Lane, Church Lane and Pinchbeck Lane in Croft parish. 3 arms and no finial. Milestone Society National ID: LI_TF5061

Located at Oak Bridge on the west side of the junction of Lymm Bank East and Burgh Road in Thorpe St. Peter parish. 3 arms and no finial. Milestone Society National ID: LI_TF5061A

Site of manor: see Link The manor house was extant in 1964, but was demolished at some point after this. The building is said to have dated to the mid 18th century, although the finding of 14th century pottery and window glass on the site (see MLI41723), could indicate that the building was a replacement of an earlier manor house in this location.