All revealed as Horncastle's history goes on show!

A fascinating insight into almost 2,000 years of Horncastle history was revealed during the Lincolnshire Heritage Festival last weekend.
The Pros and Cons tour at Stocks Hill which was the site of the town stocks and a regular Victorian auction where a man once sold his wife for £20!The Pros and Cons tour at Stocks Hill which was the site of the town stocks and a regular Victorian auction where a man once sold his wife for £20!
The Pros and Cons tour at Stocks Hill which was the site of the town stocks and a regular Victorian auction where a man once sold his wife for £20!

Guided tours and exhibitions offered a glimpse of the town’s past from the mysteries of Roman occupation to the Victorian era when Horncastle reputedly had the best brothels outside London!

First up was a guided tour on Friday afternoon - ‘Pros 
and Cons’ - in which local historian Paul Scott revealed details of life in Victorian times - and before.

His tour took in the infamous site of the ‘ducking stool’ and Dog Kennel Lane which was at the heart of the town’s thriving brothels.

Touching  history: A visitor on the Roman tour touches a section of wall off St Marys Square which is almost 2,000 years old.  Visitors were told a survey is underway to protect surviving sections of the wall.Touching  history: A visitor on the Roman tour touches a section of wall off St Marys Square which is almost 2,000 years old.  Visitors were told a survey is underway to protect surviving sections of the wall.
Touching history: A visitor on the Roman tour touches a section of wall off St Marys Square which is almost 2,000 years old. Visitors were told a survey is underway to protect surviving sections of the wall.

On Saturday, Sheila Jonkers conducted tours of Roman sites in the town - including sections of the wall and 
remains of a bastion (tower) 
in a privately owned garden

Mrs Jonkers admitted it is still a mystery why the Romans attached so much importance to Horncastle and why they built walls higher and wider than Lincoln.

Saturday also featured a display replacing to hangman William Marwood while on Sunday, PCSO Nigel Wass conducted tours for the town’s Victorian police station - cells included. An exhibition of the town’s criminal past was staged at Chattertons.