Happy #LincolnshireDay: did you know this about our county...

Today, October 1, is Lincolnshire Day. Here are 12 things every yellowbelly should know.
Lincolnshire Flag EMN-140926-084847001Lincolnshire Flag EMN-140926-084847001
Lincolnshire Flag EMN-140926-084847001

1. Lincolnshire is the second largest English county, measuring more than 70 miles from north to south.

2. Lincolnshire is derived from the merging of the territory of the ancient Kingdom of Lindsey with that controlled by the Danelaw borough of Stamford.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

3. Woolsthorpe, near Grantham is where Sir Isaac Newton watched an apple fall to the ground and began to formulate the laws of gravity.

4. The first tomatoes grown in the UK were raised in a conservatory during the 16th century at Burghley House near Stamford.

5. Petwood Hotel at Woodhall Spa was the Officers’ Mess for 617 squadron, aka The Dambusters.

6. St Botolph’s Church in Boston, aka the Boston Stump, has the tallest parish church tower in England measuring 272ft high.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

7. The Lincolnshire earthquake of 27 February, 2008 near Market Rasen, reached 5.2 on the Richter scale and was the strongest in the UK since 1984.

8. The county of Humberside was abolished in 1996, but it’s towns were not returned to Lincolnshire, they became the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire.

9. Lincoln Cathedral was officially the tallest building in the world for over 200 years, from 1311 (surpassing the Great Pyramid of Giza) until 1549 when the spire was blown down in a storm.

10. The Romans built a legionary fortress in Lincoln, known as Lindum Colonia - the ruins of which can still be seen and which gives rise to the city’s modern name.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

11. Those born in Lincolnshire are sometimes referred to as Yellowbellies (often spelt “Yeller Bellies”), the origin of thr term is much debated. The name is most commonly believed to derive from the uniform of the 10th Regiment of Foot (later Lincolnshire Regiment) which featured yellow facing. For this reason, the coat of arms of Lincolnshire County Council is supported by two officers of the regiment.

12. Famous people from Lincolnshire include: Guy Martin, Geoff Capes, Robert Webb, Jennifer Saunders, Jim Broadbent; founder of ‘The Samaritans’ Chad Varah, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Chief Advisor to Queen Elizabeth I William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley.