Spalding History
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It is certain that there was a settlement here from the earliest times. There is evidence that the Romans visited the area and small numbers probably set up camp close by. The town’s position on the River Welland (being close to the Wash) would have enabled the Romans to import and export to and from their other settlements.
A priory was founded in Spalding in 1052 by Lady Godiva’s brother but after the Norman Conquest it was taken over by Benedictine monks. It covered a 30 acre site close to the present town centre. The Dissolution of Monasteries saw the extensive building destroyed in 1539. However, road names survived and the stone from the building was used to construct some of the town’s historic buildings, including Abbey Buildings on Priory Road, whilst the old jail can be found opposite the Pied Calf public house.
In later years, Spalding grew as a trading centre on the River Welland, and by the beginning of the 19th century reached its peak with corn, coal, seed and wool being exported with imports of coal, timber, wines, spirits and fish. The old smoke-house remained until fairly recently.
There were numerous schemes to widen the river Welland but throughout most of the nineteenth century, it was still only possible for vessels of sixty tons to reach the town. Although many hundreds of ships used the facilities each year, by 1848 the railways were arriving and Spalding’s days as a port were numbered. This decline resulted in the closure of the last of the boat-builders, Pannell’s Yard, in 1926. The trades of rope and sail makers, once prolific, have now also disappeared.
Many of the warehouses that lined the river have been converted to houses and flats, whilst some grand Georgian terraces and buildings remain which mark Spalding’s tradition as a major trading centre. The old dockside is now a beautiful and interesting walk suitable for everyone. One memento from the days of sail is the Spalding Shipwreck Society. Once one of many such societies around the coast of Britain, it is now the only one left and still gives Christmas Bonuses to the widows of members who earned their living from the sea.
The recent JD Wetherspoon development - The Ivy Wall public house on New Road, revealed ancient remains after an archaeological dig was carried out. An 18th century 'pub cellar', believed to belong to the original public house called 'The Ivy Wall', and also part of a staircase dating back to the 14th / 15th Century were uncovered. Other relics have also been found and have been framed and hung on the walls for all to see.
Read about the Great Spalding Fire
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