Alice Ullathorne of Heritage Lincolnshire is the speaker at our next meeting on Friday, 12th April. Based in Heckington, the organisation works to promote and conserve the county’s heritage of ancient buildings and also undertakes archaeological fieldwork and research. Alice will explain why particular buildings are of historic importance and should be preserved.
In 1947 this large barn in Deeping St James was designated as being “of special architectural or historic interest.” Standing in front of the church, it was thought to be a tithe barn where medieval parishioners were obliged to deliver one tenth of their annual farm produce, to finance the local clergy.
The Abbey tithe barn at Bourne had a raised dais where the abbot and his officials sat to receive payments in kind or cash – a type of ecclesiastical tax office. It was demolished in the 1890s, around the same time that Peterborough lost a magnificent tithe barn which contained a wooden nave-like structure along its length, with two lower side aisles.
There had been alterations and repairs to Deeping’s barn over the centuries, with differences of opinion about its age and original purpose. By 1960 it had become unsafe, with one wall leaning badly and other structural defects, as shown in a photograph of the interior. Plans to convert it to a showroom or workshop fell through, and it was decided that restoration was impractical. It was demolished in 1963, to the regret of some villagers, and three bungalows now stand on its site in Churchgate.
Market Deeping also lost an iconic building when its essential oil distillery was demolished. The three-storey structure was built in the late 1830s to house huge copper cylinders heated by furnaces, which were used to extract aromatic oils from peppermint and lavender plants.
This industrial building, sited in a field between Church Street and Godsey Lane, was a significant feature of local life for around eighty years. Villagers were involved with growing and harvesting crops to be processed, as well as working in the distillery itself.
When the market for natural plant oils declined in the early 20th century, production in Market Deeping ceased. The distillery building was not easily adaptable to other uses, and it stood empty for decades. By the 1990s the roof had fallen in, floors had collapsed and its surrounding land had been developed as a housing estate.
Alice Ullathorne’s talk on historic buildings starts at 7.30 pm in the main hall of the Community Centre, Market Deeping. Everyone is welcome. Admission £3 for non members.
Deepings Heritage 