Lincoln Brayford and Witham

Photograph Galleries

Yarburgh

Sam Scorer, the notable Lincoln architect, prepared this plan for the City Council in 1962.

Key elements were:
2 Boat Club
3 South Bank promenade
4 Warehouses
5 New Brayford Head bridge
6 Chamber of Commerce
7 Transport buildings
8 Mills

IA and Bridges, Sam Scorer

Lincoln, Brayford

A watercolour painting of the Brayford at Lincoln by Countess Manvers (born Marie-Louise Roosevelt Butterfield), 1889-1984.

Lady Manvers trained in Paris and over her long life painted many scenes around the East Midlands, especially of her home at Thoresby Hall, Nottinghamshire.

The Pierrepont collection of her work (c600 paintings) is held at Thoresby.

Lincoln Brayford, Lady Countess Manvers, Thoresby Hall, Pierrepont,

Lincoln, Brayford

The north-east corner of Brayford, a very popular view for photographers and artists.

There is busy commercial activity on the right, Brayford Wharf East.

Frith postcard, undated

Brayford Witham, Frith

Lincoln, Brayford

Another view towards the north-east corner of Brayford.

On the extreme left is the tower of Newland Congregational Church and the cathedral shows faintly on the skyline.

The vessels (keels and sloops) were equipped to navigate the Fossdyke and the Trent.

undated photograph

Brayford Witham,

Lincoln, Brayford

Undated postcard with a view towards the north-east corner of Brayford.

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1856 reports "In 1806, a military arsenal was erected by government, at the north-east corner of Brayford, capable of containing 10,000 stand of arms, but it was sold and converted into a brewery, &c., about 35 years ago"

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard, arsenal

Lincoln, Brayford

Undated postcard with a view towards the north-east corner of Brayford.

"The Brayford Pool is a natural lake formed from a widening of the River Witham in the centre of the city of Lincoln in England.

It was used as a port by the Romans - who connected it to the River Trent by constructing the Foss Dyke - and has a long industrial heritage"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayford_Pool

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard

Lincoln, Brayford

Postcard dated 1880.

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1856 reports four boat builders based around the Brayford :-

Bell Matthew, Brayford side

Bevitt John, Brayford head

Holmes Daniel, Brayford side

Wallis Robert, Brayford side

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard

Lincoln, Brayford

Postcard dated 1902.

"Today, the waterfront surrounding the pool is home to a range of hotels, restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and a modern University (University of Lincoln)"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayford_Pool

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard

Lincoln, Brayford

Postcard dated 1907.

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states "Brayford is an extensive sheet of water, west of the High street; it is formed by the Witham, and surrounded with warehouses, flour Mills and wharves: the views of the upper part of the city from this point are strikingly beautiful"

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard

Lincoln, Brayford

Postcard dated 1912 with a view up to Lincoln Cathedral.

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 has a section for water conveyance:-

"Warrener W J. & Sons' trading vessels sail between Lincoln & Hull, Goole, Grimsby &c. from Brayford wharf, Lincoln; & from office, 196 High street, Hull, where goods are forwarded to & from London, all parts of Scotland & all the foreign ports; T N Lincoln 65 & Hull 596,

William Rainforth & Sons' trading vessels, between Lincoln & Hull; offices, to Monks road, Lincoln; & 17 High street, Hull

Market packet from Bardney, Southrey, Stixwold & Kirkstead may be found near to the Magpies inn; those for Saxilby & Torksey, at Brayford head"

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard

Lincoln, Brayford

Undated postcard with a view painted by Peter DeWint

"Peter De Wint (21 January 1784 – 30 January 1849) was an English landscape painter ...

In 1806 he visited Lincoln for the first time, with the painter of historical subjects William Hilton, R.A., whose sister Harriet he married in 1810 ...

Many of his panoramic landscapes and haymaking scenes are set in Lincolnshire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_De_Wint

Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Postcard, Peter De Wint

LIncoln, Brayford Pool

View from the north-east corner of Brayford showing the industrial and commercial buildings which once lined the pool on Brayford Wharf East.

From the left the businesses are:

*G. Hercock & Son (white building, banana warehouse)

*Fison’s warehouse

*Swanpool Court

*Peels warehouse

*Dickinson Ltd flour mill and warehouse

*Brayford Street

*Railway warehouse and offices

*Level crossing and bridges

*Pea warehouse

*Large building occupied by G. Harrison fishing tackle shop and Beal’s warehousing

*St Mark’s church

*Engine sheds

Photograph: Chris Lester 1971. Notes: Chris Page

Brayford Witham,

LIncoln, Brayford Pool

Saint Mark's Church was demolished in 1972 so its spire, visible on the right, helps date this image.

Matt Skipp

Brayford Witham,

Lincoln, Brayford Pool from the East

This is the view of from the north-east corner of Brayford which shows the frontage of buildings along the northern side of the pool.

From the extreme left (in the distance) the industrial buildings and businesses are:

*Holmes Yard bridge,

*TS Wrangler huts (Sea Cadets),

*Hovis Mill,

*Electricity Station Offices,

*Lincoln Co-op garage,

*Norton & Turton Ltd depot (the white building)

*Briggs Ltd tyre depot,

*Green’s engineering workshops,

*Lincolnshire Motors Ltd garage (Sam Scorer’s design),

*Lucy Tower street,

*Preston Farmers warehouse,

*Brayford Press,

*Thelson Oil Co,

*Cousans (Lincoln) Ltd organ builders

* Harrisons fishing tackle shop (nearest the camera on the right).

Photo: Chris Lester 1971, Identification: Chris Page

Brayford Witham,

Lincoln, Fossdyke

A view of Fossdyke looking west from Holmes Yard bridge.

Industrial features in the photograph are (from the left):

*Railway sidings (now the site of University of Lincoln student accommodation)

*Fison’s Fertilisers Ltd (right bank),

*Terraced houses on Foss Bank and the strait sided Far Wharf with Water Board offices (Aqua House)

*Old maltings and buildings used by British Waterways and Lincoln Metal and Waste Co (nearest camera)

Photograph: Chris Lester 1971. Notes: Chris Page

Brayford Witham,

Lincoln, Fossdyke

A second similar view of the Fossdyke - image probably pre 1972 judging by a companion image of Brayford Pool.

Matt Skipp

Lincoln, Fossdyke

Lincoln, River Witham at Stamp End Lock

This lithographic print dated 1837 just predates the rapid industrialisation of Lincoln in the mid-19th century.

The view across the Witham shows Stamp End Lock in the foreground.

Clayton and Shuttleworth established their foundry and engineering works next to the Witham beyond the lock in the 1840s.

Behind the barge on the right are the smoking kilns (or clamps?) of John Gourley's brickyard.

S T Davies, 1837

Lincoln, river Witham, Stamp End Lock, Clayton & Shuttleworth, Gourley, brick kilns,

Lincoln, Upper Witham

This view of the upper Witham is taken from the east bank, looking north, from near the end of

In the picture (from the left) are the following industrial or commercial buildings which lined the river in the early 1970s:

*Part of Cannon’s Witham Leather Works and the warehouse or drying shed with wood slatted sides

*The footbridge, on the site of a former railway lift bridge.

*Above the cottages is part of the Proprietary Flour Mill of the 1840s but now flats

*Ruston and Hornsby works

*Further part of Cannon’s old works

*Proprietary Flour mill

Photograph: Chris Lester 1971. Notes: Chris Page

Brayford Witham,

Lincoln, Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board

Former offices of the Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board at 39, St. Catherines.

"The Upper Witham IDB is an English Internal Drainage Board responsible for land drainage and the management of flood risk for an area to the west of the Lincolnshire city of Lincoln, broadly following the valleys of the upper River Witham, the River Till and the course of the Fossdyke Navigation"

Set up following the Land Drainage Act 1930.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Witham_IDB

Previously the site of Kesteven Police Station.

DB 11 April 2020

Lincoln, Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board