Woodhall (Woodhall Spa)

Description and Travel

Woodhall Spa is on the River Witham, half way between Lincoln & Boston, 6 miles southwest of Horncastle and about 122 miles north of London. Stixwould parish lies to the west. The parish covers about 2,150 acres.

In the village, most of the houses are quite substantial, built about 1900 when Woodhall was a fashionable Spa. If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the B1192 trunk road north out of Coningsby or the B1191 south out of Horncastle.
  
  
• Check out the Woodhall Spa Parish Council site for pictures and current events.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  
• The village of Woodhall Spa has two artful, but different signs to greet you. There are several photographs of the two different village signs, provided by Patricia McCrory (who retains the copyrights) on the Genuki: Woodhall parish profile page.
  
  

Top

Census

• The parish was in the Horncastle sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• We have a small extract of 1901 Census Surnames for you to examine and add to.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

Top

Church History

• The Anglican parish church in Woodhall was dedicated to St. Margaret.
  
  
• St. Margaret's is a small stone building.
  
  
• St. Margaret's was restored in 1878 and again in 1893.
  
  
• St. Margaret's seated only 60.
  
  
• St. Margaret's fell into disuse, was declared redundant by the Diocese of Lincoln in October, 1971. The building was demolished in October, 1972, but the churchyard was retained.
  
  
• There was an Order in Council in 2001 prohibiting further burails in the churchyard of St. Margaret's.
  
  
• The Anglican church in Woodhall Spa is dedicated to St. Peter.
  
  
• St. Peter's was erected 1893 and became the parish church in June, 1904.
  
  
• St. Peter's seats 600.
  
  
• There is a photograph of St. Peter's Church on the Wendy Parkinson Church Photos web site.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. Peter's Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

• The church of St. Andrew was erected in 1846.
  
  
• St. Andrew's seats 190.
  
  
• The church of St. Andrew was demolished around 1904.
  
  

Top

Church Records

• Researchers should consider searches of the Church of St. Andrew in Langton for anything prior to 1930.
  
  
• St. Margaret's parish register dates from 1558.
  
  
• St. Peter's parish register dates from 1870.
  
  
• We have a partial Parish Register Extract as a text file. Your additions and corrections are welcome.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage indexes for the Horncastle Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• There was a Primitive Methodist Chapel built in 1834 in Woodhall Spa, followed by a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in 1875 and another in 1899. A Presbyterian chapel was built here as was a Catholic School chapel.
  
  
• There was a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built in 1850 in the hamlet of Reeds Beck.
  
  
• There is a Unitarian Chapel in the hamlet of Kirkstead. For more on researching these chapel records, see our non-conformist religions page.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  
  

Top

Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Horncastle sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
  
  

Top

History

• The Mineral Spring or Spa here was an accidental discovery. John PARKINSON was searching for coal in 1811 when he sank a shaft 1,100 feet down, but he had to abandon it on account of the rising spring water. The spring became famous for its exceptional properties.
  
  
• In 1849, Thomas HOTCHKIN, then lord of the manor, improved the well and erected the first hotel and bath house here.
  
  

Top

Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 1962.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #273 map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

Top

Medical Records

• Alexandra Hospital was built and opened in 1890. It was enlarged in 1894 to hold up to 20 patients. No records of admissions are known.
  
  
• The Lincoln Archives do hold copies of:
  
  

1. Order of Service for opening [MISC DON 306/4/1-2]
2. Lincolnshire Life magazine, "New life for old hospital"
3. Lincoln Rutland & Stamford Mercury, 24 May 1901 page 5 col 2, "New Ward"
4. Lincoln Rutland & Stamford Mercury, 31 May 1901 page 5 col 4, "New Ward"
5. Lincoln Rutland & Stamford Mercury, 24 Aug 1894 page 5 col 8, "Clarence Wing"
6. Lincoln Rutland & Stamford Mercury, 12 Sep 1890 page 5 col 2, "Published rules for Governors and Subscribers"

Top

Military History

• The RAF opened an airfield here in February 1942 as a sattelite to RAF Coningsby.
  
  
• After the war, the airfield was used as a Bloodhound missile site.
  
  
• The airfield closed in 1964.
  
  
• There is a book about the RAF Station: "Into Thin Air: The Story of a Bomber Station at War, RAF Woodhall Spa 1941-1945" by Nigel Press, publ. 2003, Tucann Design & Print, 256 pages, ISBN: 978-187325717-3.
  
  

John Emerson, who retains the copyright, provides these photographs of the war memorial at Woodhall Spa:

Top

Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the South Division of the ancient Gartree Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  
• For today's governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
  
  
• Woodhall Spa was originally called Langton St. Andrew.
  
  
• Woodhall Spa was in the South Lindsey district of the county.
  
  
• In 1889, Woodhall and Woodhall Spa were constituted as one civil parish. Then, in Sept. 1894, Woodhall and Woodhall Spa were split into two civil parishes again, with the boundary between them being Reeds Beck Road.
  
  
• The parish has its own Woodhall Spa Parish Council site. You can contact them regarding civic or political matters, but they are NOT staffed to help you with family history seearches.
  
  

Top

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, the parish became part of the Horncastle Poor Law Union.
  
  

Top

Population