Grimsthorpe Park

Downs, Moorland in Lincolnshire South Kesteven

England

Grimsthorpe Park

Counthorpe The name &#039;Mallard Cottage&#039; for the white building has nothing to do with birds. The East Coast Main Line runs along the embankment immediately opposite — Counthorpe Credit: Tim Heaton

Grimsthorpe Park is a picturesque estate located in Lincolnshire, England. Sprawling over 3,000 acres, the park encompasses a diverse range of landscapes including downs and moorland, making it an idyllic destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.

The downs at Grimsthorpe Park are characterized by gently rolling hills covered in lush grassland. Visitors can enjoy leisurely walks or bike rides along the well-maintained trails, taking in the panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The downs are also home to a variety of native flora and fauna, providing ample opportunities for wildlife spotting.

The moorland area of Grimsthorpe Park offers a stark contrast to the downs. Here, visitors can explore the rugged terrain, dotted with heather and gorse bushes. The moorland is particularly beautiful during the late summer months when the heather blooms, creating a vibrant purple carpet across the landscape.

Aside from its natural beauty, Grimsthorpe Park is also renowned for its grand country house. The historic Grimsthorpe Castle, dating back to the 16th century, stands at the heart of the estate. Visitors can take guided tours of the castle, exploring its magnificent architecture and learning about its rich history.

In addition to the downs, moorland, and castle, Grimsthorpe Park offers a range of amenities for visitors. There are picnic areas, a tearoom serving delicious homemade treats, and a gift shop where visitors can purchase souvenirs and local crafts.

Overall, Grimsthorpe Park is a captivating destination, offering a mix of natural beauty, historical significance, and recreational opportunities. It is a must-visit for anyone seeking a tranquil retreat in the heart of Lincolnshire.

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Grimsthorpe Park Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.757566/-0.49267298 or Grid Reference TF0118. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Counthorpe

The name 'Mallard Cottage' for the white building has nothing to do with birds. The East Coast Main Line runs along the embankment immediately opposite

Tim Heaton

Counthorpe House

Tim Heaton

View north-west of TF0120

Showing most of square TF0120, with Croakhill Plantation in the distance. Taken from the footpath running east from Creeton toward Grimsthorpe Park, which cuts across the south-east corner of the square.

Tim Heaton

Mistletoe in lime trees; Steel's Riding, Grimsthorpe Park

The track running west-east through the southern part of Grimsthorpe Park is lined with lime trees, heavily infested with mistletoe. The trees look rather sick - but I've only seen them in their leaf-free, winter months.

Tim Heaton

Western end of 'Steel's Riding', Grimsthorpe Park

With one of the many mistletoe-infested lime trees.

Tim Heaton

Queen Victoria 60 year reign commemorative plaque

This stone plaque, by the roadside, is let into a stone wall by Millington's Farm. It commemorates Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - 60 years reign 1837-1897.

Brian Green

Ford on the West Glen River near Millington's Farm

This ford is found on the West Glen River just off the footpath leading from the Counthorpe Road and "The Drift" track down to Croakhill Plantation. There is a footbridge further down stream.

John Walton

Farm Ford on the West Glen River at Creeton

This farm ford is the closest to Creeton of the three fords on this stretch of the West Glen River.

John Walton

25kV in the garden

When this row of houses were built, the bit of land where the 25kV feed lines for the railway convert from overhead to underground was sold to the end house.

Bob Harvey

25kV single phase

Two separate 25kV single phase lines from Bourne East substation to the East Coast Main Line at Little Bytham, striding out of the Grimsthorpe estate and across a field.

Bob Harvey

Physalis alkekengi

The plant known as "Chinese Lantern" among garden centres is not native to the UK, and we are a little cold for it really. But here it is growing in a hedgerow by the road, probably as a garden escapee. There are individuals on the other side of the road too.

Bob Harvey

Chinese Lanterns in the verge

One of the patches of Physalis alkekengi growing in the roadside hedge. (see TF0117 : Physalis alkekengi).

Bob Harvey

Fibre to the Cabinet

One of the cubicles erected to bring high-speed internet to the country.

Bob Harvey

Beautiful Berries

Hawthorn berries, or haws, in a hedge.

Bob Harvey

Odder than it looks

The use of overhead power distribution in these villages is not unusual. But this one is. What is it feeding? It is in the garden of one of the 4 houses build on the former goods yard of Little Bytham station (itself an oddity, because it is in the parish of Careby, not Little Bytham). The pole predates the houses by at least half a century. It is one end of a run of overhead wiring in the village (three phases plus neutral) and all four wires are terminated on this pole to cables that go underground. Normally that would be 3 phase and neutral, but it is not - it is two two-wire circuits (each of Live & Neutral) if you track the distribution past the pub to the end of the village. This is the infeed end - hence the 4 terminations. It appears to feed the rest of the village, but not the 4 houses here. So where do we find two separate phases? Why, on the poles in the background that bring two 25kV phases from Bourne West to the railway. There must be, somewhere out of sight, a substation that steps that 25kV down to 240V for the older homes in the village - and perhaps the new ones, too, albeit underground. See TF0117 : Warning label which implies this assumption is correct.

Bob Harvey

Warning label

The conjecture in TF0117 : Odder than it looks that the village is fed via the supply to the railway system is amply borne out by this notice on the pole, which says "East Midlands Electricity If delivering shutdown cards to this location please contact Engineering Clerical immediately. In the case of emergency for connection of supply contact British Rail on 01 340 2785 or 01 348 9542" Both telephone numbers are, of course, decades out of date.

Bob Harvey

Wiring details

If you look at TF0117 : 25kV in the garden and TF0117 : 25kV single phase you will see that there are two groups of four wires coming from the power station at TF0619 : Bourne West electricity sub-station. This is the 25kV supply for the railway overhead power. So here are four of the wires. The top two are bridged together, and connected to a downfeed cable through the large insulator (TF0117 : Feed-through insulator). This is a single phase 25kV line. The other two are also bridged together, and connected to a much lighter downfeed. These are the Neutral, which is essentially at earth potential on the running rail. The other 25kV on the other set of posts is arranged in the same way. Railway infeeds are complex, often providing a split-phase "supply" and "feeder" which combined with trackside autotransformers can reduce the longitudinal volt drop. It is likely that these two are set up in the same way - one being the infeed and one the feeder, with 120 degree phase shift (a consequence of the conversion from three-phase at the substation).

Bob Harvey

Feed-through insulator

The large cable interface and feed-through insulator for the incoming 25kV seen in TF0117 : Wiring details, showing how it is bonded to both the upper wires

Bob Harvey

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Grimsthorpe Park is located at Grid Ref: TF0118 (Lat: 52.757566, Lng: -0.49267298)

Administrative County: Lincolnshire

District: South Kesteven

Police Authority: Lincolnshire